Evening star., 1922-06-22
LAUDS LINCOLN'S LOVE
FOR BIRDS AND ANIMALS
Flag Day and Memorial Dedication
Remind Writer of His
Tenderness.

To the Editor Of The Star.
June IA marked the passing of an
other Flag day. when special honor
is paid to the starry banner floating
over the land of the free. Just two
weeks before. on Memorial day. a
countrys grateful homage was paid
to him who preserved for this Union
the vast throng present when the
white marble shrine, simple but
grand. was dedicated to the honored
memory OF Abraham Lincoln.
In line with the thought of our nag
IT seems fitting once more to turn our
thoughts upon some of the elements
In the beautiful character of its pre-
server
AS on Memorial day my gaze wan
dered from the Capitol dome in the
distance. past the Washington Monu-
ment mirrored in the clear rejecting
pool, back again TO the memorial
building itself from whose portlco
the President was eulogizing the
faith and principles of the great mar
tyr, ! recalled the deep impression
made upon me when some months be
the structure and read the craven
words from that great Presidents $
lips. Abraham Lincoln's heart
throbbed with kindness. the kindness
kindness that made him great.
He was kind and thoughtful
through his boyhood and youth. Hard
ly one of us in graded school days has
three instances portraying his ten
derness. The following two. quoted
in part from our Dumb Animals.
are worthy of note.
Once, as one of group of country
lawyers riding the circuit" he noted
a tiny bird lying on the ground. fallen
from its nest. The party rode on.
but soon Lincoln. wheeling about on
- n
placed the birding on limb near its
nest. Then. quoting Our Dumb Ami
mails when he joined his compan-
Why did you bother yourself and de
lay us with such trifle as that
Abraham Lincoln's reply deserves to
be remembered. My friend said he.
I can only say this-that | feel better
for it. l could not have slept tonight
if l had left that helpless little crea-
ture to perish on the ground,
fsIed as th1 ,ho,,eh years went, went by this kind
man rose in favor in the eyes, of his
be their nations head.
followed his stroke at slavery. when
his great heart was wrung with the
conflict of brother against brother
over the right to own the black mans
was at stake, even then his compass
sion still extended toward his speech
less kin: Quoting again: "On one Of
his visits to Gen. Grants head
tentiOn was attracted to three tiny
kittens crawling about the floor. The
mother had died. and the little wan
derers in their grief were mewing
piteously. Mr.. Lincoln picked them
up tenderly, sat down on a camp
chair. took them on his knees,
stroked their soft fur, and murmured:
Poor little creatures. Don't cry!
ntt NO
ing to an officer. he said, Colonel.
hope you will see that these poor lit
tie moJherless waits are given plenty
of good milk and treated kindly
Three times the President went to
that tent during his short visit. and
picked up those little kittens, fondled
them. and took out his handkerchief
and wiped their eyes as they lay on
his knee. purrinG their gratitude. II
seemed d strange sight. on the eve of
battle. when every one was thinking
only Of the science of destruction. to
see the hand that by a stroke of tn.