The Washington herald., 1915-02-01
THE POSSIBLE MAN.
BY oRIsoN SWEET MARDEN.


Most Of US Judge ourselves, measure
and grade ourselves by what we have
actually done, instead Of what we are
capable of doing. and no human being
does all that he Is capable of doing. The
great majority Of people do not do a
tenth part of what they are capable Of
| doing.
When Lincoln went to New York to
! make his famous speech in Cooper Union
he was terribly depressed because of what
he considered his presumption in going
into that historic hall and speaking before
the giants who were then in charge Of
the nations affairs. At one time he
would have done almost anything to have
been released from his promise to speak,
but he spurred himself to keep his word.
Suppose he had yielded to his fears
and had said to himself then as he really
felt like saying, What a fool you are,
Abe Lincoln, to think you can measure
up to these great figures. These people
will laugh at this homespun backwoods-
man speech" Suppose he had said to
himself, why, Abe Lincoln. very few
people know that you even exist. What
sort Of a figure do you think you can
play in this great nation? You had bet
ter go back to your little law office.
This ambition of yours is a mere phan-
tom, a will-o'-the-wisp which will make
you a laughing stock" II he had acted
on this estimate of himself, do you think
he would have succeeded?
Lincoln did not know then how to
size himself up. He had never taken
his real measure. He had no idea that
he would some day be considered the
greatest, grandest figure that had ever
pressed a foot upon the American con-
tinent. Lincoln did not know his real
self. He had never lifted the lid of self
discovery sufficiently high to enable him
to see his tremendous strength. He had
not caught sight of the giant Lincoln
that lived within him in possibility. He
| only saw the little Lincoln which his
| neighbors saw, the Lincoln who split
rails, and lived in a fioorless log cabin.
In Cooper Union he got a little peep at
| the larger Lincoln, but only a peep.
1t was the shock Of the civil war which
lifted the lid from his inner self and
gave him a glimpse Of the real Lincoln.
the potential Lincoln, the Lincoln OF his
! tory.
Lincoln is probably the most remark
able example on the pages of history
showing lne pOSSlDlllIltS our
From the poverty in which he was born,
| through the rowdyism of a frontier town,
the discouragem' mt OF early bankruptcy.
| and the fluctuations of popular politics.
he rose to the championship of union and
| freedom.
Lincoln's will made his way. When
his friends nominated him as a candidate
for the legislature, his enemies made fun
Of him. When making his campaign
speeches he wore a mixed jean coat so
short that he could not sit down on it,
fax and tow-linen trousers, straw hat
and pot-metal boots. He had nothing in
| the world but character and friends.
When his friends suggested law to him,
he laughed at the idea OF his being a
lawyer. He said he had not brains
enough.
The trouble with most of us is We do
not think half enough of ourselves. We
regard ourselves too meanly.
Who could count the people in the
great army OF failures, those who have
been sidetracked, who have failed be-
cause they were timid, because they did
not believe in themselves? They believed
in other people. but somehow they did not
| have confidence enough in themselves to
| develop their ability, to make the most
| OF what talents they possessed.
Copyright, le15J