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

make him appear melancholy. No man ever felt
the responsibilities our nation had intrusted to
his care so much as he did, and no president ever
succeeded in acting according to popular opinion
without being swayed by popular whims and
c%aprices, better than did he. Though often COM
pletely weighted down by the cares and trials Of
the nation during the most critical period Of its
history, ne succeeded in cheering himself, those
about him and the people.
There are many charming and humorous stories
intertwined with his early boyhood, several told
by the colored nanny who worked for them.
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
han with his later undertakings. But after he
had worked and struggled and knew he had done
his best, he got up and began to criticize his work.
Den he seq to me many a time, Look at that
will you, Abraham Lincoln. Don't look a blamed
bit like me- And he'd stand an study 1t a SPELL"
Though he did not mind hard work and while
still a young boy could swing an ak with the ease
of a grown man, he was ~happiest when he had a
book near him. AS his nanny says: Seems to
me now l never seen Abe after he was twelve that
he didn't have a book some'er round. He'd put
q book inside his shirt and fill his pockets with
corn dodgers an go off to pillow or hoe. When
noon came he'd set down under a tree an read
an eat. Az when he come to the house at night
he'd take a 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 was goin' to be a great
man some day and she wasn't goin' to have him
hindered."
When Lincoln started out to make a living
and a name for himself, he soon learned that life
il not all Sunshine for the boy or girl who must
accomplish everything by their own hard con-
scientious effort and work. Though the situation
often looked exceedingly dark and his work often
resulted in failure, he had more friends to help
him on than he at first knew. He was wonder
rI XuTI.-A A. 1900
to act on him as a tonic. Once he was working
In a small town where there was a man by the
name of Armstrong. When a new man came to
the place his strength and courage were sure to
he tested with Armstrong. The newcomers were
always put through this same ordeal, and Abe with
the rest. Much to the surprise of both camps
Armstrong was defeated. Everybody was Of the
one opinion that Abe Lincoln was the best and
strongest man that ever broke into the camp. To
show that there was no pride and boast in this
victory, he became a friend of the Armstrong
family. Mrs. Armstrong soon grew so fond of him
that she treated him as 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 not have to work long to dis
cover that he was an 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 a square meal than to lose a nights
rest disturbed by an annoyed conscience. The
following story is one Of the many illustrations
that he lived up to this statement. 1t was while
he was doing business as a merchant that a farm
er's wife bought something of him which needed
weighing and computation. She had come some
miles from home. 1t was 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 II, when the humorous Abe an
swered, This is not a joke. but a serious matter.
know that this customer needs the thirty cents
more than do l."
Though this sense of humor was natural to him,
he realized when still a young boy that a pleasant
way ard a good Joke do wonders for making life
easier and sweeter. He loved to listen to a good
Joke and loved to tell one. He had a wonderful
memory, and this helped him in making other