Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-08
Held at Winthrop. Street
UniyersaIist Church;
Rev. Leroy ". Coons breaches
Eloquent Memorial Sermon.
Country Fortunate II II Can Create
Niche Large Enough for Him.

RE auditorium of the Winthrop
Street Universalist church was filed
to It's utmost seating capacity Sunday
morning on the occasion of the special
Lincoln service arranged by the pas
tol, Rev. Leroy w. CoOns. Special pat
riotic music was rendered by the choir
and an eloquent sermon, thoroughly in
keeping with the occasion, preached by
MIR, Coops. Although they did not turn
out in body there was large num-
Der OF Civil War veterans in the audi
ence.
The speaker began by saying that
the year 1909 stood out in figures or
light in the history of the world. for
in that year We're born Charles OAR
win, Alfred Tennyson, William f.
Gladstone and Abraham Lincoln. Con-
tiiluing lie said:
IN holding this service in honor OF
Lincoln we are honoring ourselves
more than is possible for us to honor
hic memory. He was a character so
many sided. unique and providential
that we should pause before his men,
DRY to learn of him.
Mr.. Cocns remarked that as so much
was being said in all the papers and
magazines regarding the life of LIN
coin he wished to single out but two
phases Of his life and upon them place
the emphasis in his discourse.
First. Lincoln is one of the great
providential figures of human history.
The providential life is one which
gives now bend to the stream OF CIV
iIzation. Even unknown to himself the
prcvidential life is working out the
plan and purpose of God. So Lincoln
from boyhood felt that his life was
not for himself alone, but was to be
lived in some larger service"
Mr.. Coons illustrated this point of
his discourse by the story of how
when Lincoln was 2 Young man he
went to New Orleans with a load Of
country produce. After disposing of the
same he strolled into the slave mart
of the town and as he saw the slaves
knocked down to the highest bidders
he said to his companion: Sometime
Ill hit that thing and III hit it hard"
"Tho second great phase of Lincoln's
life, which ought to receive our careful
study is the process of his education
and training for his political career.
1t is often thought that Lincoln was
simply creature of genius, and as
such his powers could not be explain
ed Genius is an ultimate fact and
hard to understand and yet the harvest
of genius is preceded by careful plant
ing and wise husbandry. While his
books Were few they were of such a
character that they developed the best
in him. The Bible, "Esop's Fables.
Eunyan'e "Pilgrm's Progress" Shake
spearc and Burns constituted the IN
teilectual food Of his boyhood. No bet
ter can be furnished even to this day
But Lincoln was more than one who
simply absorbed. To do that and that
alone would have made him a full
man. to quote Eacon's expression but
he also trained himself in the art of
expression. In seeking for truth he
made it q rule to discard the unneceS-
saiv and the irrelevant and go straight
for the kernel In the way of express
sion he also sought the simple,
straightforward and strong, rather
than the complex. and hence his arsu-
mentS We're unanswcrable.
Mr.. Coons closed by making the fol-
lowing estimate of the place of Lin
coin: "Iincoln was enigmatic, many
sided. solitary. he loved his race and
at the Sacrilice of self sought to lift
that race. Instead of comparing him
With any other we will be fortunate il
w can create q niche large enough to
receive fills genius of American civil
izaticn"
The sermon was followed by an ef
fcctivc recitation Of Lowelfs Com
r1cmnrlfiOD Ode nv tho sneaker