Rock Island Argus., 1915-02-12

I most learned kept awe All faculties
OF brain and body. Think you a child
ren's home could have done as much
on So iittIe2 For surely this was a
case for the authorities!
/ Barefooted. hungry, bedless Lincoln.
( But death took the delicate young
+ mother. and in her footsteps came the
step-mother. a pattern for all women
. who have the care of others children.
! Lincoln had aueht but praise for the
second wife OF his father. who, may
hap. TO escape the fate OF living round
ON relatives. chose the hard life OF
having "a home of her own" no matter
how barren OF comfort. There is good
reason 70 think that she got more sol
ace out OF the companionship of the
deep-eyed, studious boy than in that
OF her ill-fitting spouse. Thus those
cultural feelings of Lincoln that plac-
ed a halo round the most ordinary
woman received !ts inception in the
love and alteration OF the mother and
the affection and sympathy accorded
him by his step-mother.
Viewing Iincoln's primitive life and
the great heart of oak and brain of
fre-lit intelligence. one is moved al
most 20 jest at the thought OF a lit
eracy test keeping out of its bOundar-
ies such an amount OF manifold worth
should II approach foreign shores.
one Is brought face TO face with a fact
that ought TO be more readily appar
ent: That ignorance is p nightly
mistaken term applied to every man
who may be deficient in the veneer
or schooling. II is not 10 lose sight of
what education might have meant for
a soul Ike Lincoln. but rather to see
how pigmy the badge of university
training uncoupled with largeness of
soul. For, rising above all the Incl
dents OF the grave time in which he
was q leading figure. the things ex-
tolled are his humility. his tenderness,
his sentiment. his honesty. From the 1
ground up he had naturally the un-
attainable. Unattainable for most |
men-men who struggle to thrust
aside the things OF which Lincoln
made his very being.
At one time and place Lincoln said:
IF ] could find church that believed
in the fatherhood of God and the
brotherhood OF man. l would join it.
T. I
who loves children, who pardons the
erring. who has helpful word for the
and takes time to shell
ter helpless creatures. as did Lincoln,
can be irreligious. But what Lincoln
20 see was church where
such deeds. let us say, as those taking
place in a church here in the city
we're done: or where a black man
could listen to a white earthly ambas-
sador of the Lord without causing a
milo sensation as to his fitness to be
here. Some one observed recently
hat there are but few creeds among
churches that allow for the hired girl
% be seen at the same services as
Ter mistress None will deny that II
would cause some concern if Maggie.
he kitchen soprano. should sing in
he choir with Eyangeline, the con-
Iervatory flower. II was not religion
hat Lincoln would not join: Il was
he mistaken trend OF II. Il
Today. in the time of a catastrophe
lincoln never dreamed of. we are all
skiing ourselves. sub rosa or openly.
slT,. after centuries of goodwill to-
rard men, the globe is in a riot of
'loodshed.
Lincoln's favorite song was. why
'hould the Spirit OF Mortal BE Proud
, Ia a hymn of seIf-abnegation and OF
be shortcomings the humble ever feel.
-et the world slogan IS to foster
pir,t of pride or possession in every
hing. even unto the length of ones