Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-12-30
COPLPZZH HNZM[

jingl 1t looks as If 1 was going to
have years of study trying to get over
ii. Have you got any work to give
me7 You know 1 can split rails about
as fast as the next man and I'll take
my pay in wheat or corn"
"You may give me all the time you
can spend outside the store" said
Samson.
That evening they had a talk about
the whisky business and its relation to
the character Of Eliphalet Biggs and
to sundry attractions of law and order
In their community. Samson had de-
clared that 1t was wrong to sell
liquor.
"AIl that kind of thing can be safe
ly left to the ommon sense of our
people," said Abe. 1.-THE remedy Is
education, not revolution. Slowly the
people will have to set down all the
items In the ledger of common sense
that passes from sire to son. BY and
by some generation will strike a bal
ance. That may not come in a hun
dred years. Soon or late the major
ity of the people will reach a reckon
ing with John Barleycorn. If there's
too much against him they will act.
You might as well try to stop a gla-
cier by building a dam In front of 1t.
They have opened an account with
slavery, too. By and by they'll de-
eide its fate"
Such was his faith in the common
folk of America whose way Of learn
ing and whose love Of the right he
knew as no man has known 1t.
In this connection the New Eng
lander wrote in his diary:
HE has spent his boyhood in the
South and his young manhood in the
North. He has studied the East and
lived In the West. He is the people
l sometimes think-and about as SLOW
to make up his mind. AS Isaiah says
He does not judge after the sight Of
his eyes neither reprove after the hear
ing of his ears Abe has to think
about it."
In April Abe wrote another address
to the voters announcing that he was
again a candidate for a seat in the
legislature. Late that month Harry
walked with him to P%appsville where
a crowd had assembled to attend a
public sale. At n place there were
men in the crowd who knew Harry's
record in the war. They called On
him for a speech. He spoke on the
need of the means of transportation
in Sangamon county with such insight
and dignity and convincing candor
that both Abe and the audience hailed
him as a coming man. Abe and he
were often seen together those days.
In New Salem they were called the
disappointed lovers. 1t was known
there that Abe was very fond of Ann
Rutledge, although he had not, as yet,
openly confessed to any one-not even
to Ann-there being no show of hope
for him. Ann was deeply in love with
John McNeil-the genial, handsome
and successful young Irishman. The
affair had reached the stage of frank
ness, Of an open discussion of plans,
of fond affection expressing itself In
caresses quite Indifferent to ridicule.
For Ann it had been like warm sun
light on the growing rose. She was
neater in dress, lovelier in form and
color, more graceful in movement and
sweeter-voiced than Eve she had been.
1t is the old way that Nature has of
preparing the young to come out upon
the stage of real life and to act in its
them his best wishes and when he
spoke of Ann it was done very ten
derby. The look of sadness, which all
had noted in his moments of abstrac-
ton, deepened and often covered his
face with its veil. That is another
way that Nature has of preparing the
young. For these the roses have fallen
and only the thorns remain. They
are not lured; they seem to be driven
to their tasks, but for all, soon or
late, her method changes.
On a beautiful morning of June,
1884, John Mcneil left the village.
Abe Lincoln and Harry and Samson
and Sarah and Jack Kelso and his
wife stood with the Rutledges in the
dooryard of the tavern when he rode
away. He was going back to his
home in the East to return in the au-
tumn and make Ann his bride. The
girl wept as If her heart would break
when he turned far down the road
and waved his hand to her.
"Oh, my pretty lassl Do you not
hear the birds singing in the mead
ows?' said Jack Kelso. think of
the happiness all around you and of
the greater happiness that is coming
when he returns. Shame on you'll"
I'm afraid he'll never come back"
Ann sobbed.
Nonsense! Don't get a maggot In
your brain and let the crows go walk
Ing over your face. Come, Wen take
a ride in the meadows and If 1 don't
bring you back laughing you may call
me no prophet"
So the event passed