The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-02-06

1t was his sense of humor that enabled him to
bear poverty lightly. Elegant surroundings do
not appeal to him; he was as content in the log
cabin where he was born as in the White House
The plainest suite pleased his tastes. Greatness
of wealth was wholly unknown to him; II he was
greedy about anything 1t was knowledge and notn-
ing more. The following story is told about him
and we'll proves this point. He was asked to give
a lecture in the Illinois college for the library
fund. When the lecture was over and the people
passed out he went up to the librarian and SAID;
81 notice that there are not many listeners here
tonight; l don't think we made much on this lee
ture.' In reply the official said: when we pay
for the rent Of the hall, music and advertising and
your compensation there will not be much left TOT
the library" Mr.. Lincoln replied: We'll, boys
be hopeful; pay me my railroad fare and the nity
cents that my supper cost me and you can nave
the rest"
This joviality was largely because he felt the
sorrows and hardships that come to most men
and women, and he did everything in his power
to tighten their burden. AS he said to a friend:
when 1 am dead 1 wish my friends to remember
that / always pluck a thorn and plant a rose when
possible"
He was beloved by thousands and thousands OF
people. Many who believed in slavery appreciated
the grand character of the man. And 1t was his
strong and courageous personality that converted
thousands of men to believe that slavery was
wrong. But no one loved him so we'll as the col
ored people, his words were always on their lips.
An old colored man once said at a meeting IN
South Carolina: "Brederin', you don't know nosen
what you'se talkin' about. Now you just listen to
me. Massa Linkin he's everywhere. He know
eberyting. He walk de earf like de Lord"
When his soul was most troubled he would try
and ease himself by a joke. There was so much
sadness in his makeup that he found this the best
safety-valve.
This sense of humor gave him wonderful faith
and courage. He was one of the last to advocate
drastic measures in deciding the slave question.
But when once begun he never gave up hope
There were times when situations looked ex
tremely dark, he could not see clearly which way
was the best, but when his reason failed him his
sublime faith guided him right. He believed that
God would be on the side of the Just and the right
The Hon. George Curtis tells this story, which
shows the mans sublime faith:
zone day l called on the president with a repre-
sentative from congress, Mr.. Lincoln received
us In his Office, the large room on the second floor
He was dressed In black and wore slippers. on
a table at his side we're maps and plans of the
seat of war, and pins with blue and gray heads
representing the positions of the soldiers on botf
sides.
when we arose to leave he shook my hand witt
paternal kindness and said good-by with a paterna
kindness and evident proud conviction. we shall
beat them, my son; we shall beat them But thu
air and tone with which he said the words were SC
free from any unworthy feeling that the mos
re%solute and confident of his opponents would hav'
been deeply impressed" He believed in prayer, hi
believed 1t eased the troubled mind and soul, ant
changed failure to success as much as does
healthy sense of humor. One day General Sickle
called on him and asked the president If he haC
not been anxious during the battle of Gettysburg?
The president thought some minutes and theI
answered Eyes, but l did not give up my faith
I went into my room one day and locked the doc
and got down on my knees and prayed to hin
nightly for victory at Gettysburg. / told hin
1t was his war and our cause his cause, but tina
fredericksburg or Charlottesville could not hol
out another day. And then l made a solemn voy
to Almighty God that II he would stand by on
boys at Gettysburg 1 would stand by him, and h
did, and I will"
1t was this faith in God and in all his childrel
that made Lincoln work, struggle and die to fire.
the slaves. AS he once told a friend, when b
was making a trip from Louisville to st. Louis b
boat, there was a dozen slaves on board, shackle
He explained: 81 knew that this was all wrong
God had never intended that any of his childre
should be shackled, and I knew the time woul
come when 1 should be given a part in freein
them"
These stories and humorous Incidents help {
analyze a character that might otherwise seer
strange and inconsistent. Lincoln loved his Crei
tor and humanity. He believed that with patienc
all things turned out right in the end, and tha
with humor and love the trials and hardships b.
come easier and far more bearable.