New Britain herald., 1924-02-18
EVERYMANS BIBLE
 CLASS NEW RECORD
tcoptinued from Preceding Page,

Abraham Lincoln started life in 3
 log hut wearing the clothes that his
 mother made for him, never going to
 a graded school. remembering to his
 dying day the first dollar that he
 earned, the rail splitter and back
 woodsman, yet closed his day in the
 White House.
 Just after the old Whig party had
 died and before the republican party
 had been organized, Abraham Tin-
 coin, riding across the state of Illinois
 with his law partner, said one day. Dead, dead, dead: the whole political world seems to be dead They rode
 on in silence for a moment or two, then Lincoln said to his friend. Did you ever think what an awful thing it would be to live in this world and leave the world no better than you found it?' It seems to me in that brief statement we have an insight into the secret of his success. God had endowed him in mind and heart in such way that made it impossible for him to be at rest except in the Conviction that he was making this old world a better world in which to . live. That was the purpose of his life; that was the great passion of his mind, to do good and to be good.
 That ought to be also the secret and purpose of our lives. There are have the rights and privileges that the American people have. In 177S, II years after the signing of the Declara- ton of Independence. 55 of our fore fathers assembled in Philadelphia. with Washington, their president, to frame the constitution of these United States. Benjamin Franklin was there, then an old man. almost too feeble to read his speeches. often having them read for him by someone else; Ham ilton was there. From May until September they discussed tho consti- tuition of these United States. Finally this instrument is complete and is signed and ready to be sent out for ratification, and then Franklin, that old prophet, that old political seer, arose and said: Gentlemen. through all of these days of discussion have been sitting here looking at the pie tnre of the sun painted on the back of the presidents chair: and I have been asking myself is that a setting snn or is that a rising sun? And now that that instrument is signed and ready for ratification, I know that that is a rising sum-
 "At that time there was not line of electric telegraph in America; there was not q mile of railroad in America then: we had no airplane. we had no wireless, we had no telephone, we had no electric light. We had practically nothing there is in America today and yet that old prophet saw through tho instrument of tho constitution Of these United States that the sun was rising over America. What could be say if he were here today and could sec this great teeming people Of 110 millions, the wealthiest nation in aI tho world, with every nation looking fo America?
 When Franklin went to France as our ambassador, France would hard ly recognize America. No nation car od 10 recognize America. Poor John Paul Jones. the father of the Ameri- can navy, pleaded with France to fire l a salute and recognize the navy of America, and he didn't know whether | they would or not. Benjamin Frank | lin pleaded with them 10 fire a salute | when John Paul Jones sailed into the |