The Holly chieftain., 1922-02-09
A CHARACTER SKETCH
OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

NoK &1k0S A0ASySCO 1tCOs0%hS A'AS
Idol Of the American Nation. Plain
Nan Of the People: such he was
and u and always will be. world
without end
Lincoln, born tn Hardin county.
Ksntueky. Feb. l2. 1909 became sue
eeGsively farm hand, rail splitter.
flatbostmsn, captain in the Black
Hswk way. country merchant. coun'
try lsuyAT. four times elected iegfs-
lstor. rsprssentative In Congress
war president and immortal hero
Of the worfd's greatest renublic
Few man were ever 30 versatile and
saaptabls - he. When we consid'
q the rneagerness of his environ
bent and training. perhaps no man
$ver Hyed who won for himself so
hish q pinnacle In character, ability
and fAms. He was the great Self
Aads.
He was born in little log cabin
s,nchinked, upholstered and sranthv
furnished. Trsnsplanted to India
nA be endured 4 poverty so great
that the family lacked protection
from the rain and the cold. Hern
don says: He rose frsm the low
est depths His origin was in that
unknown and sunless bog in which
history never laid foot print-ar
cssry low down, iiliterate and sup
sfst1tioaA. His surroundings werr
esarsA brutsl and vulgar. Wiz
stortaA rsgk1essness OF living, and
drunken orgies and mental an
moral s1oth was the material Of liz
hy whacb he was sHrrounded-ye'
he saans out gentle. sweet, temper
sts anA unapoaaed He never dranl
u used tobacco. He once said t6
. 6taoA, Il prnmised nv preciou'
mosAle e0l1 . few days before she
dtsa fAat, 8 wound never use Sny
thapg Intoxicating ~ beverage ]
have neveh. tasted liquor In ms
1ife" Whan = candidate for presj
dent and wine wss for 4 upon him
be dsclarsd "Well drink to tn
fortunes Of our party in the best
beverage ever brewed for man.
H0 ehsrscterized intemperance g.
''ope Of the greatest. IL not tho
greatest OF Ill evils among man
kind"
Hh personality was far from pre-
ppsssssinG. An old lady who LIVED
- , child in Springfield, ILL.,. a.
tlsat tins tbs home OF Lincoln. de
oaarss. Z think that all Of US girls
thought lincoln the homeliest mar
that ever lived. We would die
laughing at his awkwardness Wher
We saw him we would say, Did yna
ever see . kreener. gawkier fellow
than hs2' His dress too was ir
keeping with his face. He walked
along Fnd Of slovenly and wa
bent over even IN his earliest years
And yet no tscs in the Hall of Fam
today. IL more impressive and strik
ing. Il ever . strosg, virfe chsrac
ter moulded and enobled man.
features 1t wss most wOnderfullv
seen In the case Of this man.
Hh education was but little. per
haps less than wear in all. but
W was sn avaricious reader and
tndent. Every school boy knows
the story Of his First Purchase
bow he borrowed Weems' Life of
Washington Of Squire Crawford. ran
to hts little log cabin home on Pid-
Eeon Creek anf read till bed time
hy the A&ht Of the blazing hearth
tb0n tucked the book into the
chimney place. only to find it wat
sEsoaksd and ruined In the morn
ing By . night storm. Then he
worked three days in the squire's
deld to pay for it.
Not 20 wcal known. perhaps. is
Ltnaoln's nrst inspiration toward
the law. 10 please an old man
migrating to the west he bought a
baxrsl Of. Junk for half dollar. A
long tiHe later in overhauling it
be uneovAfed . complete edition
Of Dlaekatone,s Commentaries and
m the long interval between GUS
tomsra In the country store he de.
voured the wisdom Of the Law.
Yet be WAS not book lawyer.
Hs law partner afterward sid.
He knew nothing of the rules OF
evtdenea or pleading in practice, as
laid down IN the text books. and
seemed to care nothing for them,
but he had . keen sense Of justice,
and struggled for It. throwing aside
sorna. methods and rules, until the
truth should appear, pure as q ray
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