Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ABRAHAM LINCOLN What is that tow'ring vision bright, Reflected in supernal light? "Pis Lincoln, Lincoln's noble frame; O, Lincoln, thrice immortal name! Amid the stress of civil strife, Thine proved the real hero's life; True friend and patriot, sturdy soul, Our Union was thy cherished goal. In all the coming ages, Man shall exalt thy fame, And on historic pages Illuminate thy name, With honor and with glory, Thy noble work was done; Thy spirit, borne to victory, Protect our Union's throne! How intensive, immediate and personal is the influence of those Ideals of the people, George Washington, the Father of the Republic, and Abraham Lincoln, the martyr of duty. Both' knew in their own persons all the aspirations of their people. Both understood what it was to feel the iron grip of misfortune ; but they never permitted it to bow their dauntless spirits. No wonder that every American feels himself one with these men, blood of their blood, and bone of their bones. Well may the teacher in the school tell the story of Washington and Lincoln, to implant in our children the first seeds of patriotism, and so to prepare the ground for the influence of these two ideals of American citizenship and manhood to assert itself. It will strengthen healthy ambition; it will encourage in distress, warn in the hour of temptation, and comfort in the hour of death. We should be grateful to Providence for such ideals, for we certainly need the inspiration and support which they can give us. Noble, inspiring, self-sacrificing in thought and in deed, always ready and seeking to serve, rather than to be served, hewing close to the line, and wholly devoted to conscience and duty. Their work is done, "But while the races of mankind endure, Let their great examples stand Colossa... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.