The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-01-31

on the seventh day after she was TAX
en- sick. The mother knew that she
was going to die. She was very weak,
and the children leaned over her while
she gave her last messages. Placing
her feeble hand on Abe's head, she told
him to be kind and good to his father
and sister To both she said BE good
to one another expressing a hope that
they might live, as they had been
taught by her, to love their kindred
and worship God.' Thus, at the age
OF thirty-five, on October 5, 1918, died
this madonna of the backwoods, the
mother of Abraham Lincoln.
Doctor Barton then tells how Abra-
ham assisted his father in saving out
the planks from which he made the
coffin, how they buried her on the hill
beside her foster-parents and how no
funeral sermon was preached over her
grave until months later, when Rev.
David EllSins came that way and con-
Quoted services. First there was an
opening hymn with David Elkins elm
ing out, two lines at time" then a
simple and heartfelt eulogy of the
dead and stern admonition to the
living" and finally a closing hymn
with it rose the courage and faith of
those who sang"
Then came the word Of blessing, and
Thomas Lincoln took the hands of his
two weeping children and led them
back to his desolate home. The feet
of millions of pilgrims have walked
and will walk that path. They will
stand within the granite temple that
now enshrines the log walls within
which, at Hodgenville. the maternal
pain of Nancy Hanks gave to the world
her son Abraham; and they will tread
revently through the leafy aisles of
the State park at Gentryville, where a
massive granite stone now marks the
spot which Abraham Lincoln in his
boyhood watered with his tears.
He loved his mother while she lived,
and he loved her memory afterward.
1t was "a pathetic memo9y, and had in
1t elements concerning which he was
properly reticent:s but as to his inherit
lance through her of the qualities
which he deemed to be some of the best
within him, he spoke with deep feel,
Ing, God bless my mother. All that
! am or hope to be I owe to her." AL
though in this utterance, her son spoke
of the mental traits he thought him
SelI 10 nave inherited from her, rath-
er than her direct influence over him,
it was of her mind and character. he
spoke when he said that however un-
promising her early surroundings
might have been ''she was highly in
tellectual by nature, had a strong
memory, accurate judgment, and was
cool and heroic"
To him, as he looked back upon It
from the standpoint of later expert
ence, it seemed her life had been a
tragedy. But we are not sure that
she so regarded it, She had sad ex-
periences, and times of depression, but
she had lived and learned and loved.
She had known the joys of wifehood
and motherhood. She shad never suf-
fered hunger or neglect. Always there
were those who cared for her and for
whom she cared To her it may not
have seemed that hers had been sad
life; and she left that which perma-
nentiy frightened the life of humanity.
Though the world has acclaimed
Abraham Lincoln as one of the great
est men who ever lived, they were
simple people. this mother and this
son. So the simplicity of his char
acter is stressed by the architect.
Thomas Hibben Of Indianapolis, in his
design for the main building Of the
proposed Lincoln memorial.