ABRAR AM LINCOLN.
(To rus Eorroz OD WEI " 8rEcTATos."
513,—Lord Cromer, in his masterly sketch of the character of Abraham Lincoln in the Spectator of August 19th, says that " his manner', though always dignified, were tinged with rusticity." If Lincoln's education was, as he himself described it in a Congressional handbook, " defeotive," it at any rate included instruction in " manners " :—
"Under the auspices of his new mother [his step-mother], Abraham began attending school again. The master was one Crawford, who taught not only reading, writing and arithmetic, but manners.' One of the scholars was made to retire, and re-enter as a polite gentleman enters a drawing-room ' ; after which he was led round by another scholar and introduced to all the young ladies and gentlemen.'"
The above is from a paper on " The Early Years of Abraham Lincoln," by Goldwin Smith, originally contributed to the Toronto Mail, and reprinted in his volume of Lectures and Essays. Perhaps you may be able to find room for another short extract from the same paper :— "That Abraham Lincoln should have said, when a bare-legged boy, that he intended to be President of the United States is not remarkable. Every boy in the United States says it ; soon, perhaps, every girl will be able to say it, and then human happiness will be complete.'1
Previous page
