The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-02-06

der and sympathetic to often
make him appear melancholy. No felt
the responsibilities nation had intrusted to
his care much he did, and president ever
succeeded in acting according to popular opinion
without being swayed by popular whims and
caprices, better than did he. Though often
pletely weighted down by the cares and trials of
the nation during the most critical period of it's
history, he succeeded in cheering himself those
about him and the people.
There many charming and humorous stories
intertwined with his early boyhood, several told
by the colored nanny who worked for the1a
She says that he often sprawled himself out on
the floor and worked to write his name. He was
no more easily satisfied with these early efforts
than with his later undertakings. But after he
had work I'd and struggled and knew he had done
his best he got up and began to criticize his work
Den he SEE to me many a time, Look at that
VIII you, Abraham Lincoln. Don't look blamed
bit like me- And he'd stand an study it a SPELL"
Though he did not mind hard work and while
still young boy could swing with the ease
Of a grown man. he was happiest when he had
book him. As his nanny says Seems to
now never seen Abe after he was twelve that
he didn't have book some'er round He'd put
a book inside his shirt and fill his pockets with
corn dodgers an go of to pillow or hoe. When
came he'd set down under tree an read
an eat. An when he to the house at night
he'd take cheer back by the chimbly, put his
feet on the rung. set on his backbone and read"
Aunt Sairy'd never let the children poster him
She always said that Abe goin' to be great
some day and she wasn't goin' to have him
hindered."
When Lincoln started out to make living
and name for himself, he learned that life
is not all sunshine for the boy girl who must
accomplish everything by their own hard con-
scientous effort and work Though the situation
often looked exceedingly dark and his work often
resulted in failure, he had friends to help
him than he at first knew. He was wonder
fully strong. What exhausted other men seemed
TO act on him as a tonic Once he was working
in small town where there by the
of Armstrong When to
the place his strength and courage to
be tested with Armstrong The newcomers were
always put through this ordeal and Abe with
the rest. Much to the surprise of both camps
Armstrong defeated. Everybody of the
one opinion that Abe Lincoln the best and
strongest man that broke into the camp. To
show that there pride and boast in this
victory, he became a friend of the Armstrong
family. Mrs. Armstrong soon grew fond of him
that she treated him a relative, and the chill
dren loved to climb onto his knees and brush away
the sadness from his face by hugs and kisses.
Abe Lincoln did have to work long to dis
cover that he exceedingly poor business
man. One failure came after another. These
showed the real strength and character of the
man. He never complained nor fretted because
success was not coming his way.
He was determined, however much luck turned
against him. to be honest and keep his ledger
clean He often told his friends that he preferred
to go without square meal than to lose nights
rest disturbed by an annoyed conscience. The
following story is of the illustrations
hat he lived up to this statement. 1t was while
he was doing business as a merchant that farm
ers wife bought something of him which needed
weighing and computation. She had come some
miles from home. 1t only after she left he
discovered that he had Overcharged her thirty
cents and he walked four miles to correct the mis-
take. A friend hearing OF the incident joked
with him about it, when the humorous Abe an
swered, '"This is not joke, but serious matter
I know that this customer needs the thirty cents
more than do 10
Though this sense of humor natural to him.
he realized when still young boy that pleasant
way and a good joke do wonders for making life
easier and sweeter. He loved to listen to good
joke and loved to tell one He had a wonderful
memory. and this helped him in making other