Evening star., 1909-01-24

of joy and other evidences of a dogs
gratitude amply repaid me for all the
exposure ! had undergone
While he was a captain in the Black
Hawk war Lincoln risked his life by
stepping in between the muskets of some
soldiers about to shoot an old Indian as a
spy With flashing eyes he dared the
you shan't touch this Indian!'' He did
this in spite of the prevalent belief that
the only good Indian is a dead Indian"
Lincoln was a knight errant in the
cause of the lower orders of creation
Once. while riding along on the eighth
circuit of Illinois, he and his law com
panions laughed at the plight of a poor
pig helplessly stuck in the mud and
squealing Justify. But the distress of the
animal soon overcame Lincolns keen
sense or the ludicrous, and. in spite of
the 5eers of his comrades, he went back
to the porkers rescue excusng himself
by saying: 'If that farmer lost his pig
the poor little children might have to go
barefoot all wfnterI
On another occasion his friends were
annoyed and not little amused to see
him hitch his horse and catch two young
birds f1uttering on the ground in the edge
of grove and go hunting from tree to
tree until he found the nest from which
the two fedglings had fallen. An hour
or so later, when he caught up with the
friends. they laughed at his childish waste
of time.
* x
Gentlemen" said he, "you may laugh,
but 1 couldn't have slept we'll tonight
if 1 had not saved those birds. Their
cries would have rung in my ears
Lincoln could not see suffering any
where without trying to relieve it, A
Springfield woman used to tell of stand
harfc
cause the hackman had failed to appear
and take her and her trunk to the station
for her first outing on a train. Mr. Lin
coin came along just then and asked
what was the matter.
Cheer up said he, land come along
Wen have to hurry He shouldered
the trunk and strobe away, while the
little girl trotted after him, drying her
eyes as she ran He put the trunk and
the girl on the train, told her to have
a good time" and kissed her goodbye
1T was just like him. exclaimed that
httie girl grown to womanhood.
Lincoln's relatives were all illiterate
e'er-do-wells, but instead of avoiding
them this account he seemed to feel
that they needed his sympathy and help
the more. During the great debates with
Douglas. Lincoln arrived at Charleston
III. worn out with speaking and travel.
II was stormy. and he needed the nest to
fortIfy himself for the renewal of the
struggle on the morrow. He prepared to
go out from the comforts of the hotel
TO call on a relative of his stepmother
HIS friends demonstrated but he seemed
surprised at such suggestion, exclaim-
ing:
why. aunt's heart would be broken If
j Should leave town without going to seq
herr
And he set out and walked several miles
across the muddy prairie in the rain
After Lincoln's election to the pres,-
dency an old woman, whom he called
Aunt Sally" came from New Salem to
say goodbye to "Abe' before he event
to Washington to be President" The
Presldent-elect was standing in the room
placed at his disposal in the old state
capitol talking with two men Of national
renown when the old woman entered,
shy and embarrassed. He saw her at
once and walked across the room to meet
his old friend. Taking both her hands
in his, he led her to the seat of honor
and presented his distinguished visitors
to her, putting her quite at ease by
saying:
Gentlemen, this is a good old friend
or mine She can make the best flap
Jacks you ever tasted, for she had baked
them for me many time"
1t was at New Salem, H., where he
settled after striking out in life for him
self that Lincoln earned the name OF
f1oHest Abe. through the Kindness of
his heart he seemed to endear himself
to everybody in the village. People talk
sometimes of Lincoln's religion. He knew
his Bible and believed in prayer and
praise. But his belief was not formal;
1t was the heart religion, which is ex-
pressed by the ancient Mariner:
He prayeth we'll who loveth we'll
Both man and bird and beast
1t was true index to his character
that when no one hired him to work he
did not ALLOW himself to be idle While
staying with one Of the neighbors, among
whom he was always welcome, he would
rock the cradle. play with the children.
joke with the young folks and tell his
best stories to the aged. 1t was said of
him. in practical paraphrase of the def
milton OF pure religion and undefiled."
that he used to "visit the fatherless and
widows in their afflicion, and-chop their
wood!''
One of Lincoln's law partners once said
Of him:
Lincoln is a man Of heart, aye. as
gentle as a woman's and as tender-but
he has will as strong as iron''
Abraham Lincoln went to Washington
a n a Hay