Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-02-16

To him there was quality of truth,
of possible realization in the famous
document which thrilled and ennobled
him. The real boy Lincoln was the
one who, In those days we call so
hard, carried with him a faith in the
possibility of freedom and opportunity
for all men, a faith which grew as he
toiled.
He is not the one to be pitied. Pity
the boy who, surrounded by all the
thousands Of volumes which rehearse
the making and interpret the meaning
Of the Declaration of Independence,
has never yet caught its vision or felt
the fire of its inspiration.
His Craving for Books.
He must walk far for the book
beg it from neighbors who knew him.
build acquaintance with strangers into
confidence sufficient to borrow. Pity
him for that7 He had to learn a great
thing-that the book is worth the
price-any price. What did he grudge
that brought him Bobby Burns or
Aesop or Plutarch or the Constitution
OF the United States or a collection Of
the strange and changing laws Of men
that brought him anything that dealt
with the workings of mems hearts and
minds?
Pity the book hunter What II the
chase was long, the path hard. the
footwear worn, the coat of homespun
what was all that to him? 1t was
the quarry, not the way, Of which he
thought. A book In hand. he walked
homeward with the man he had found
Jefferson, Shakespeare, Bunyan. De-
foe-and for days, whatever came,
cold, short ratlons, hard labor, Jeffer-
son, Shakespeare, Bunyan, Defoe was
by his side.
No. this boy is not to be pitied, but
rather he who has never longed for a
book, never walked a mile to borrow
one-he who when book Is by his
side can keep his hands from II, who
can live among books daily, injurious.
unacquainted.
The boy Lincoln did not read for
forgetfulness. The book was not a
sedative, a soporific for him. 1t did
not take him out Of Spencer county,
Indiana, but rather helped him to I'M
derstand Spencer county. II interpret
ed to him the thing of which he and
Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks
Lincoln, and all Of these nelghbors and
<~,a I~ -
Read to Remember.
The pioneer life had its excitements
and allurements - discovery, danger,
hope lifted It out Of the common
place. Young Lincoln shared all this
and the book told him, as those about
him could not. the meaning, the rea-
sons, behind II all II traced the path
that long line of forbears had trav-
eled westward their sacrifices, their
hopes Through the book he saw
southwestern Indiana and It's people
as a scene in great and noble drama
saw its relation TO the opening of
the new continent, the upbullding OF
new kind of government, the founding
of something which would admit more
and more men TO the opportunities of
the earth.
The book did something else for
hint helped him to understand hui
man beings His curiosity about them
was insatiate - their ways. their
thoughts. their passions. their mean
nesseS, their nooilities. The boy Lin
coin saw wide ranges of human mate
rial--a few men of education; many
men of patient, steady. daily labor
reverent. believing men he saw those
81 riotous life, and not a few Of men
Of petty living-dirty habits. physical
and mental. Tie Shirked no man. He
was curiOusly impersonal in his con-
facts with men. He sought TO know
them-and the book helped him.
Aesop, Bunyan. Burns, Shakespeare
all Of them helped him understand
the men OF Spencer county, Indiana.
He loved and sought the book because
* the light and understanding 1t gave
to life.
Do not pity him because he had NJ
steadler glow to read By than hat Of
blazing logs-rather rejoice that he |