Evening star., 1909-01-24

"knew" 1t is doubtful IL Nancy Hanks
Lincoln ever raised her eyes In hope-as
many a mother does hope against hope
that her son might become the first man
in the neighborhood or nation. There
seemed to be nothing ahead o6 the poor.
hard lot of her baby boy for Nancy Lin
coin to ponder in her heart She had been
fun content for him to grow up kind to
his father and mother and sister and good
10 their backwoods neighbors, so few and
far between. The little boys father was
a tough, hearty, we'll meaning, restless,
shiftless, thriftless man whom she had
taught after they were married to scrawl
his own name.
In their crude, primitive way Thomas
and Nancy Lincoln were religious. Both
believed in the heart life. They heard 1t
spoken OF at camp meeting as "eXperi-
mental religion" Either would have been
proud to have their son grow TO be a
local exhorter or pioneer preacher what
ever Abraham Lincoln lacked in his early
life, he had true heart culture. Ills
mother, in her humility, builded far better
than she knew-a palace instead OF
cabin-while she was teaching nttle Ape
TO be good and kind and true. She knew
il not but she gave her child the master
key to the grandest life of experimental
religion ever lived by mortal man. No
wonder the grateful son held sucn a
mother in sacred and loving memory, ex-
claiming fervently:
"All I am or hope to be I owe to my
sainted mother"
Even the dull and barren days of Lin
coins childhood radiate with the warmth
of his heart. He was happy with his sis
ter two years older, and she was always
proud Of her brother. Their mother some
times read to them at dusk from the
Bible, 1.-The Pilgrims Progress" and
others of the very few books they had in
those pioneer days. Little Abe. only five
six years old, would work hard and
long to bring home spicewood bushes TO
make a pleasant odor and a brighter fire
light while his mother reau to them. The
sweetness and light of those early memo
ries remained with Lincoln always.
Nicolay and Hay, his secretaries and
biographers. mention significant little
story of the boy Lincoln's warmth of
heart. which they give in Lincoln's own
words. When asked If he could remember
anything OF the war of 1872, he replied:
Nothing but this. 1 had been fishing
one day and caught little fish which
was taking home. met soldier On the
road. and. having been always told at
home that we must be good 10 the SOL
diers. l gave him my fish
From child Abraham Lincoln was ever
the champion OF the helpless. His first
composition" in school was against
crulty to animals. Many stories are told
of his defending the defenseless. One day.
on finding some boys using shingle in
putting live Goals on a terrapinS back,
angry tears came into his eyes, and he
snatched the shingle from the ringieaders
hands With it he dashed the hot Goals
from the turtles back and preached
against such cruelty, claiming that an
ants life is as sweet to it as ours is to
us"
Late one cold night Abe and some COM
panions found a man they knew lying
drunk in freezing mud puddle beside
the road. The others said. He has made
his bed, now let him lie in it," But 10
Abe this seemed monstrous. The man was
large and heavy, yet the youth carried
the apparently lifeless body eighty rods
TO a deserted cabin, where he made fire
and warmed and nursed the man back TO
himself.
Not long after this. while the family
was moving to Illinois, they found, after
their heavy wagon drawn by two yoke OF
oxen. had crossed an ice-hlled stream.
that they had left little dog behind. II
was late: TO turn back with their clum-
sy team was out OF the question. The
rest were in favor of going on and leaving
1.-The little nuisance behind. But Abe
could see the dog running up and down
the opposite bank yelpins In distress.
Long afterward referring to this Incl
dent, Lincoln said:
II could not bear the idea of abandon
ing even q dog. Pulling off my shoes and
socks. I waded across the stream and
triumphantiy returned with the shivering
animal under my arm His frantic leaps