The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-02-19
MEMORY OF ABE"
Continued From rage Une.)

say anything new to show this Won
humble origin, his birth, his boyhood
days, child of the forest and Il child
of nature, his early manhood and ca
reer as a president during all those
wears of terrible wa, and to last his
tragic death all appeal to our sympa
thies and touch our hearts as no other
can.
Continuing Mr. Cnamplin cited some
very thrilling instances of life Oh the
battle field during his own four years
of service, and in closing gave vivid
description of the last battle fought
which was at Fort Blakesley Mobile.
Following Mr.. Champlins speech,
everyone again joined in Il national
air. Dixie Land which was sung
with as much enjoyment and good
comradcslip as the first one.
A recitation, The Boy. Abraham
Lincoln was next given by Bruce
Elliott of the Union School.
The Boy Abraham Lincoln.
| 1t was "A great many years ago. 1t
was Il winter morning. lie was on his
way to school. The schoolhouse was
a long way off. and the wind blew cold
over the prairie.
little school house brown patch
against the grey sky the fields bare and
wide. stretching each side Of it for
miles. The wind bending the branches
| of Il tall oak just in front, flake of
Snow here and there hurrying through
the air and fack of crows in the
oak. calling Cav. cav. cav
A little fellow he was. only ten. His
satchel or strap-thcy had not been
/ invented yet-and the books were the
English reader. Da boII's Arithmetic.
Websters Spelling book. and "a roll of
foolscap paper and quill pen. He
had a dinner basket. too The cold
wind whisted about his ears. but he,
for the cold. His clothes were of the
warmest if they were odd. His coat
and trousers were made of buckskin. his
| cap of coon skin.
schoolhouse. \ log house with small
windows. one room with desks against
the four sides of the wall; or rather
one long desk reaching all the way
placed long. high benches without any
backs. y large box stove. teachers
desk with very long legs. looking some
thing like a daddy -ongiegs, completed
the furniture of the room
On one of these high benches. with
| his legs dangling down. our boy seated
himself. after he had said Good morn
ing to the master hung up his cap,
and put away his dinner basket.
His cheeks were glowing rosy red
from the long walk in the wind, and his
leyeS were keen and bright ready for
fun or study either
He plunged into his arithmetic the
first thing. The "sums"-as they used
e
puzzing, with the end of his pencil in
his mouth and his fingers running dis
tractedly through his hair before he
could see his way through the knotty
Crawford. the teacher, would not lift
his finger TO help one of his boys or
girls until he was quite sure they had
tried their very best to help themselves.
land old faShiOned-waS not of the kind
that wished for help. He never liked to
give up beaten. but would stick to the
toughest problem until he mastered it.
| That night. when he went home, he
carried a prize with him. His teacher
hal lent him the Life of Washington
Books were scarce in that new Western
town. and if there was one thing in the
world that Abraham loved, it read
ing. He loved it as some boys love
mince pie OF molssseS candy.
| He could hardly wait until he had his
chores done after getting home. SO
eager was he to begin that beautiful
book bound in leather. new. and with
lsuch delightful newey smell about it,
Well. the chores were done at last, sup
per was over. and he was in the chin
ney corner devouring his book. He enjoy
ed it all the evening, and when he went to
bed he laid it up carefully on the shelf
in good safe place. he thought
He did not notice. though. that huge
crack between the logs was just above
it. If he had noticed. he would not
have thought that in the night a ter
rible storm of wind and rain would come
up. and that the rain would come driving
right in on that new borrowed book.
In the morning when Abraham went
to get it, it was soaked through and
through.
Now what was to be done!
Should he dry it and straighten il
out. and make it look as well as he
could, then slip it back into the masters
desk and say nothing; let him think
something had happened to it in the
desk?
Satan whispered probably. that he
might well not do so. but this
clcar-eyed. honest boy resolved to do
nothing but the straightforward thing.
and that was to take it at once to
Mr.. Crawford and tell him the whole
story. which he did as soon as possible.
He offered. besides. to pay in work for
the damage done the book Mr.. Craw=
ford had little farm and plenty of work
to do. so he told him if he would pull
cornstalks for him three days, the book
ISnOulu be MS. Abraham was uellSnteU.
1t was not injured so but that when it
was nicely dried it could be read as
well as ever.
Do you know that this same boy who
wore buckskin clothes and coon cap. who
jspent his evenings studying the Life
of Washington. instead of hanging
about the grocery. and who was honest
and true. became the president of the
United States. the noblest, best man.
man. next to Washington, that ever sat
in the White House. and that he is our
lwell beloved Abraham Lincoln?
l think the title Honest Abe must
have been given him very far back. do
not you?
An honest boy, as Il rule. makes an
honest man.
Poem and Song.
The poem and song entitled "Abra-
ham Lincoln written by Annie Muz-
zy and Hambin Cogswcll which is
printed in full at the beginning of
this article, was the next selection
1t was given by the High School and
Eighth grade chorus and was cspec-
tally well rendered. The chorus work
of the schools was particularly fine
and was in charge of Miss Fannie
Pitcher musical director of the public