The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-02-10


thoughts and ideals and to lisp
the words Of Our Father which art in heaven"
Abraham Iincons career began at the
knee of Nancy Hanks Lincoln his mother. IL
was she who taught him to read from an oid
Bible he came to know so well. who told him
the stories in Aesop's fables and helped him
to study the Kentucky Perceptor."
1t was she who taught him the letters OF
the alphabet and first trained his hand to
scrawl them. II was she who instilled In him
a hatred Of slavery and by her own gentle
loneliness inspired a regard and esteem Tor
women which lasted throughout his life.
Nancy Hanks Lincoln, one OF the great
presidents historians declares, was "stoop'
shouldered, thin breasted, sad-at times mis-
erable;" a gentle kind, accomplishing wom-
an whose life had been one OF hard LABOR
with few enjoyments, and who died before her
prime. This was Nancy Hanks Lincoln. who
Law ON her deathbed, tired and worn. her face
wan, her thin, bony hands claspng those OF
nineyearold lad, whose deepsunk eyes were
filled with tears, and who, when he later De-
came "a liberator of a race OF men, declared:
"Al that | am or ever hope to be owe
to my mother. Blessings on her memory.
From his mother Lincoln once told his
friend and law partner, William H. Herndoh'
he believed he inherited his power OF anaiS'
sis, his logic his mental activity and his am
of the dearest things of his life-"a noble type
Of good, heroic womanhood.'
Nancy Hanks was fve years old when her
parerts sold their farm In Virginia and went
pioneering westward toward Kentucky. Nancy
was the youngest of a family OF eight chif
dren. Her father was Joseph Hanks and her
mother Nancy shipley. daughter Of Robert
Shipley Nancy was born February ., l'sf.
The Journey westward was a perilous one,
uva0 Indians
while her parents were on the way. ROADS
were bad: In fact there was only footpath
through the wilderness, where passed the long
procession Of women and children On horse
back. men trudging behind driving the cara
vans.
Picture to yourself the procession, de-
scribed by Justice Robertson-"through pri-
yations incredible and perils thick. thousands
Of men. women and children came In success
sive caravans. forming continuous streams OF
human beings horses. cattle and other domes
tic animals moving onward along a lonely
and homeless path to q wild and cherries
land.
Cast YOUR eyes back" he continues, ION
thu, long procession of missionaries In the
cause of civilization; behold the men on foot.
with their trusty guns on their shoulders. driv-
ing stock and leading pack horses; and the
women some walking with pals on tneir
heads. others riding with children In their
Iaps and other children swung In baskets on
horses, fastened to the tails OF others going
before: see them encamped at night expect
ing 10 be massacred by Indians; behold them
IN the month of December. In that memorable
season of unprecedented cold called the haro
winter travelling two or three miles day.
And imagine little Nancy Hanks. spindly-
+ legged and golden-haired. shivering as she
Struggled under blankets. pursuing the road
NJ the pioneers In the child who was TO
become the mother Of Abraham Lincoln was
now developed a courage and perseverance
/ which was to be inherited and which after
/ ward marked one of the greatest OF men,
The family settled In Washington county,
XIV. In winter Hard work confronted them.
even pr;yation. Trees had be be felled. log
/ cabin built and shelter erected for the stock.
| Little Nancy. with her sisters. Elizabeth
! and Polly, helped their mother. cooking and
( sewing and preparing the rude home. while
| the brothers. Charles. Joshua. William. Thom'
a. and Joseph. went about with the father.
| clearing the land for cultivation In the spring.
~asv hnn.sd animals and nshsd in the cold