News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-03-11

years schooling But what he lacked here he made UP
in the odd bits of time which he snatched in the field in
the store and III his home AT night lying his stOm
ach in front of open fireplace with piece OF char
COAL he would cipher on broad wooden shovel, and
when it covered both sides he would plane it off
clean for supply OF figures In the store he would
stretch himself out on the counter when there
spare hour and wreste with such interesting PROPOSE
tons in grammar that adverbs qualify verbs, adj
ectves other adverbs " or in arithmetic of which he
was fond, that multiplying the denominator of
fraction divides it, while dividing the denOmnator
multipes it." So it that by his treless industry
he made good his lack of opportunities. And what he
once read he forgot remarking his mind
like piece of steel very hard to scratch anything
and almost impossible, after you get it there to rub
it out. No man ever surmounted the obstacles in his
pathway more courageousy He had that pucky spirit
which always commands success.
Already he had begun to have that reputation OrI
honesty which chung to him all through his life Earl
back in his early boyhood days they learned to call him
himself to be, heneVer parted hairs breadhfrOm the
straight line INTEGRITY ;andeverybody for miles around
respected and admired him for it, The same rugged
honesty which characterzedhis early life and which led
him. when clerk in store, to walk three miles after
the days toll was over to return three cents to
toner who had overpad him, led Judge Douglas years
later after the series OF famous Debates to of his OPP
ponent " ne is the honestest man ever met"
Then, too, what admirable common sense and tact
he possessed Heknew how TO do the right thing at the
right time. No man was ever placed in a trying
position He seemed to stand at the point which was
smitten by the four winds of heaven He like the
ancient charoteer who was called upon to hold the
rens for dozen fiery horses "Everything depended on
having the right man in the White House chair in Our
great national drama, and with another at the
helm the nation might have been wrecked But he was
the man for the hour He equal the occasion. An
overriding Providence had guided the nation in it's
lection of its leader The homel with the sad face
more than fulfilled expectations the end although he
sterny criticised by of our best men early in
the war. But it was not possible to please everybody
and the wonder now is that with many warning fac
tons he able to bring the nation safely through it's
terrible storm he never could have accomplished all
that he did if he had lacked that rare glt human
nature which stood him in such good stead. How well
he knew how to manage annoying people. He was firm
but it not that ugly trmness which often defeats
its purposes His rmness was clothed in such gen
teness of spirit that he dsarmed the preudces of peo
pie. He joined the wisdom of the serpent to the harm
essness of the dove His the iron hand in the vel
vet glove In unmportant matters he always ready
to yield point But fit were matter of vital import
ance ne was as firm Vermont hills No one has
given better picture of this phase of his character
than Mrs Stowe, who compared his frmness, not to
therock but to the Atlantic cable which fastened at the
ends to two continents is left free within safe limits, to
obey the currents OF the
How he loved to joke and tell stories Wehave never
had his equal in this respect in public life And how
sharply he was criticised for it, His critics Ae under
stood that it this vein ofhumor leading tell
stories, which enabled him to manage troublesome
people well to keep his own courage strong in
those terrible days. His humor the safety valve
to relieve the pressure his mind and heart and, with
out it, he could never have borne the strain. On one
occasion, when a certain Congressman rebuked him
Joking at such ser ous time, the smile fled from his
face, and he sighed, my dear fellow, l
should die if did not have this occasional vent"
But, see the thing in the true light, and
take pride in him the prince of story teers But he
never told story for the sake of the story itself
1t had reference to some point he wished to make.
There always philosophy in his STORIES object
lesson IN his jokes In their qualntness they remind
of EsOp's fables. These stories not always as
refined they ght be- but this due to his early
life the frontier and characteristic of rough
stage OF society. Still he dwelt that side of
the story but pressed into the for the lesson
that it suggested He would take his jewel out OF the
mud as he would from the parlor table.
How great the patience of this sorely tried
man! His generals were kealot quarresomeschool
boys. Office seekers beseiged him at ali hours, so
that he once led to exclaim that he seemed like
man so busy letting at one end of his house
that he had time to put out the fire that was
blazing at the other end Once, when he was pros
trated with attack of smallpox at the White House,
he said to his attendants Tell all the office seekers
come at once for now have something give to all
OF them" Politicians pulled in all directions, each
having his pet scheme to gain battle and to end the
war. But he the match for them ALL and managed
them when they least suspected it. He would send
them away in good humor as he did the WHO had
some wonderful patent which was to revolutionize
everything. Not wishing to commend the patent, or
offend the man. he remarked that for people that like
that sort of thing, why that is the sort of thing
they like"
When we realize how heavy his burden was, we
shall not be disposed to crtcse this playfulness of
heart 1t all thatsaved him. WecannOt wonder that
at times the burden seemed than he could bear 1t
not strange considering all his perplexites and
t1t Ia 1 al l r Il