The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-02-10

~ HE history OF every great llaIl,
declares n well-kncwn writer, be
~ ~ gins at his mothers knee. Be
hind every great endeavor and
~ N unselfsh deed, every noble ca
rcer of every illustrious man
q !: +: ): !: :: !: !: :: :: :: :: 8: :: =: !: : -: :: !: s.: s: !: $: : :: :: !: !: !: !: !:
W W. and gentle creature whose name,
"a M perhaps. remains obscured be-
V who began to teach him high
thoughts and ideals and to lisp
+hs words If "Our Father, which art in heaven"
Abraham Lincoln's career began at the
E,aa os Nancy Hanks Lincoln, his mother. 1t
was she who taught him to read from an old
bible he camo to know SO well. who told MN
the stories in Aesop's fables and helped him
10 study the Kentucky Perceptor."
It was she who taught him the letters OF
the alphabet and first trained his hand TO
.serawl them. 1t was she who instilled in him
a hatred Of slavery and by her own gentle
floveliness inspired a regard and esteem Tor
women which lasted throughout his lie.
Nancy Hanks Lincoln. one OF the great
presidents historians declares, was "stoop-
shouldered. thin-breasted, sad-at times mis-
perable:" q gentle, kind. accompanying "om-
an. whose life had been one OF hard labor.
with few enjoyments, and who died before her
prime. This was Nancy Hanks Lincoln VINO
Law on her deathbed, tired and worn, her face
WALL ltl IhAI, DoAy
nine.year-old lad, whose deep-sunk eyes were
filled with tears, and who. when he later be
came "a liberator of a race or men. declared.
.Au that am or ever hope to be owe
10 nv mother. Blessings on her memory
From his mother Lincoln once told his
friend and law partner. William II. Herndon'
he believed he inherited his power of analy-
sIs his logic. his mental activity and his am
hilton. Her memory remained with him, one
OF the dearest things of his life-"a noble type
OF good. heroic womanhood.'
Nancy Hanks was nve years old when her
parents sold their farm In Virginia and went
nioneering westward toward Kentucky. Nancy
was the youngest OF a family or elght chii-
.,ren. Her father was Joseph Hanks and her
mother Nancy Shipley, a daughter OF ROBERT
Sb,n,ev Nancy was born February 5. 1884.
The tourney westward was a perilous one,
.,a r. "a said Nancy was stolen by Indians
,ub,1o her narents were on the way. Roads
wore had. In fact, there was only a footpath
+hrough the wilderness, where passed the long
,,rocassion Of women and children on horse
hack men truaging behind driving the cara
vans.
Picture to yourself the procession, de-
scrtbed by Justice Robertson nfough pr
,,tions incredible and perils thick, thousands
of men. women and children came IN success
S;va caravans. forming continuous streams OF
4,,,,ar beings. horses, cattle and other doInes-
.4,c animals. moving onward along a lonely
on1 homeless path to a wild and cheerless
land.
..Cast your eyes back" he continues, ON
that long procession of missionaries III the
a,,ce of civilization; behold the men on foot,
Nth their trusty guns on their shoulders, driv-
.,g stock and leading pack horses; and the
,,ouan some walking with pals on their
heads others riding with children In their
,ons and other children swung IN baskets on
inorsos fastened to the tails OF others gong
nefore. see them encamped al Aight, expect
tno ~ he massacred by Indians; behold them
,r tho month OF December. In thai memorable
.a.aor ~ unnrecedented cold called the hard
-1,nter. travelling two or three miles q day"
And imagine little Nancy hanks sp'ndiy-
,aooed and golden-haired. shivering az sne
-n"oo,ed under blankets. pursuing the ROAD
80 1he pioneers. In the child who was 70
henoue the uother OF Abraham Lincoln was
nov developed a courage and perseverance
nh;o. WA 70 be inherited aud which after
rard ,narked one Of the greatest Of men.
The tamily settled in washington county
r. a. ~intnr. Hard work confronted them,
aven rriyatan. Trees had be be felled. a log
s.h,r INIT. and shelter erected for the stock.
little Money. with her sisters, elizabeth
po1,v ,elped their mother, cooking and
sewing and preparing the rude nohe' WINE
40 brothers, Charles, Joshua. william, InoHl-
:. ord Joseph. went about with the fatner'
a1a.r;ng RI. land for cultivation In the spring.
Tbev hunted animals and fshed in the cold