Farmington High School - Laurel Yearbook (Farmington, ME)

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'lr LAUREL ir by betting on the low-combed one also. When the high-combed cock won, he said he knew he wouldg but it wouldn't have been fair to tell before the fight. This was true of Ken- tucky. Sandburg sympathetically describes Lincoln's ability to use homely illustrations by the fol- lowing: To illustrate a shifting political policy, he said a father instructed his son to steer toward a pair of oxen in order to plow a straight fur- row, The oxen began to move, and the boy ended with a circle instead of a straight line. Once after one of the numerous setbacks suf- fered by the Union forces, Lincoln, with almost a feeling of despair asked one of the men to recite that famous passage from Macbeth which begins: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrowf, What a difference between these two characters, but did they have a kindred feeling in those moments of their lives? This book was very easy reading, I would like to recommend it especially to those who predict the downfall of our government in these trying times today. Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight by Vachel Lindsay fPoetryb This is a poem written during the World War I using Abraham Lincoln as the spirit of liberty and freedom from slavery so dear to every American. This poem is composed of eight stanzas. The stanza form is the quatrain, the rhyme a b a b and the meter iambic pentameter. The author based his writings on the facts that Lincoln loved the common people, for he was one himself, that he hated tyranny, both of the slave-holder and the war-lord, that he was of poor birth and his sympathies with the poor peasants of Europe, and that Lincoln as a man could not bear to watch either man or beast suffer. This poem was written in a dignified style as may be seen from the first line: It is por- tentous, and a thing of state . The tone, I think, is sorrowful, almost solemn. Abraham Lincoln cannot sleep because It breaks his heart that kings must murder still, A 24 That all his hours of travail here for men Seem yet in vainf' In this poem Lincoln is pictured as a sorrow- ful man, there is none of the humour found in most Lincolniana. Nevertheless there is a very good description of Lincoln: A bronzed, lank man! His suit of ancient black, A famous high top-hat and plain worn shawl Make him the quaint great figure that men love, The prairie-lawyer, master of us all. Perhaps these lines show a desire of the author for a better world, or at least a more peaceful one: A league of sober folk, the Worker's Earth, Bringing long peace to Cornland, Alp and Sea. I think that this poem is, with the exception of Markham's, the greatest written about Lincoln. A Man for the Ages by Irving Bacheller fNovelD This is the story of Abraham Lincoln's young manhood as told by Iosiah Thaylor who, as a young boy, knew Lincoln when he lived in New Salem and then in Springfield. The story begins with the trip west ffrom Vermontj of Samson Thaylor, his wife Sarah, and their two children, loc and Betsy. The author tells how they happened to settle in New Salem and the many exciting things which occurred in what was then a frontier town, New Salem, Ill. From here on the story centers around Abraham Lincoln. By means of the diaries and letters of Samson Thaylor and his son, and Iosiah's memory, Mr. Bacheller has presented a very clear picture of Lincoln as a young man. Some of the out- standing facts are Lincoln's struggle to rise from a poor lawyer, clerk, postmaster and sur- veyor, of the unfortunate death of his sweet- heart, Ann Rutledge, of his association with Douglasg of his strange courtship of Mary Todd. This book contains nothing of the War between the States or the life of Mr. Lincoln while president. From these facts Mr. Bacheller has woven a very interesting novel, much more moving because it is based on fact and on one of the greatest men of our history. This book is written in informal style. The author has used the simple facts. Here is Lincoln's interpretation of Clothes speak for

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i' LAUREL 'lr Abraham Lincoln, The Prairie President Harry M. Beardsley The Life of Lincoln Charles Carlton Coflin The Lineage of Lincoln William E. Barton Abraham Lincoln, Labor Leader Lyman Abbott The Boyhood of Abraham Lincoln I. Rogers Gore Abraham Lincoln, Man of the People Norman Hapgood The Boys Life of Lincoln Helen Nicolay Abraham Lincoln Anthony Gross Abraham Lincoln Harriet Putnam Abraham Lincoln Henry I. Raymond Grant, Lincoln, and the Freedmen Iohn Eaton Abraham Lincoln, His Life and Public Services Mrs. P. A. Hanaford Abraham Lincoln in Photographs, Stefan Lorant Abraham Lincoln Wilbur F. Gordy Mary Todd Lincoln Honore Morrow G. Cutler '43, E. Bosworth '43. APPRECIATIVE REVIEWS Abraham Lincoln: The War Years by Carl Sandburg fBiographyj For my first book, I chose Abraham Lin- coln: the War Years by Carl Sandburg, a well-known poet and writer. This is the biography of our Civil War President during his term of office, that is 1861-1865. It is corn- posed of four volumes, the one I used was Volume III 118671 The author tells of the corrupt policies and petty jealousy practiced by Congressmen, cabi- net members, and even military men, and then shows what a difficult task Lincoln must have had to conciliate these factions. I think Carl Sandburg has impressed upon his readers what an enormous burden one of our greatest of presidents had thrust upon his shoulders, and how a man with less patience, less tact might have destroyed our ideal of government during these trying times. The author has also inserted touches of Lincoln's private life, if a president may have such a thing. In one chapter the author reveals the president's sorrow at the death of one young son. It is an accepted fact that his home life was DOI pleasant. Three of his four sons never lived to maturity, and his wife was not mentally well. The author has used very minute detailg for instance, he gives the number of yeas and nays on the question 'f Should we eliminate the S300 clause in draft law? and the names of the senators who voted for or against the bill and those who did not vote. Mr. Sandburg often quotes from the Harpers Weekly and the New York Times , besides the Congressional Record . Some of the other papers which he quotes or refers to are the Bureau Country Patriot of Illinois, Leslie's Weeklyf' and Washington Chron- ic1c,'. These, together with the many illustra- tions, portraits, cartoons, and reproduced letters, give us an excellent view of the public opinion of that period. They also reveal the endless research Carl Sandburg must have spent on the biography. The author has presented his material in a sympathetic, informal style which, together with Lincoln's humor, make very interesting reading. Here is an example of the author's straight- forward manner and a little of Lincoln's philos- ophy. Once the president dropped a few kind words about the enemy. They were human beings. One could not be completely remorseless, even in war. The line must be drawn somewhere. His remarks to this effect were overheard by an elderly woman in the reception room. She flashed forth a question of how could he speak kindly of his enemies when he should rather destroy them. What, Madam? he said slowly as he gazed into her face. Do I destroy them when I make them my friends? I' This type of anecdote gained circulation in both England and America, giv- ing tone to his policies toward reconciliation. Lincoln often used an anecdote to illustrate a point or an argument. This one he used to answer the question of whether Kentucky was loyal or disloyal to the Union. In a small town there was a high-combed cock which was sup- posed to be the best fighter in the country. One day a stranger came to town, claiming that his low-combed cock was a better fighter. There lived in this town a squire who could always pick the winner before the game, therefore all the gamblers kept their eye on him. First, he bet on the high-combed IOOSZCT, but retaliated

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'k LAUREL 'lr the man . Lincoln needed a new suit to go to legislature. He decided upon blue jeans, as this was the only thing that would fit his pockethook. Eli Frendberg, the Iewish merch- ant, remarked that clothes speak. He ought to buy something stylish that would make a speech for him. Abe agreed provided Eli let him recite the speech. This is it: I would like my clothes to say in a low tone of voice: 'This is humble Abraham Lincoln about the same length and breadth that I am. He don't want to scare or astonish anybody. He don't want to look like a beggar or a mil- lionaire. just put him down for a hard work- ing man of good intention, who is badly in debt '. He got the blue jeans. I do not know whether the dialect of the Iew is authentic or not, but it is unique in sentence order and spelling. De odders hate me becas de butcher haf mein fadder bein and Nobody likes me not. The author wrote this epigram which might be applied to all high school students too. Women are like children in their love of humour. Here is a part of the authoris philosophy of life, a comparison which seems very true. Did you ever ride a horse sitting backwards -when you are going one way and looking another and you don't know what's coming? Isn't that the way we travel in this world? We cannot tell what is ahead. We see only what is behindf, The author used a little of prophecy in one instance. When Lincoln left Springfield as President-elect, he said, The years of prepara- tion are ended and those of sacrifice begunf, of pathos is out- of Ann Rutledge, in a letter. Finally, the author's use standing. After the death Samson Thaylor wrote this I saw Abe when he came out of the tavern that day. He was not the Abe we had known. He was difierent. There were new lines in his face. It was sorrowful. His steps were slower. He passed out --out of his young man- hood. When I spoke to him, he answered with that dignity now so familiar to all who knew him. From that hour he was Abraham Lincoln. And again the pathos of the assasination is unforgetable. At the end after Lincoln had been taken from the Ford Theatre, Iosiah Thaylor was at his bedside. The doctor put his ear against Lincoln's breast and said, He is gonef, Whereupon Secretary Stanton came to the side of the bed and pronounced those memorable words, Now, he belongs to the agesf' Eunice Hammond '43. Assignment: Imaginative theme with a trend of philosophy. NIGHT THOUGHTS OF A PUPPY EE, Christmas, it's still. Not a man nor mouse stirring and certainly not'a po' lil' puppy. Iust heard the clock strike three times, and it has to strike six before the Master gets up to build the fires. Let's see-three, four, five, six-three from six is four-no, three, no -oh well, pups aren't s'posed to know anything about arithmetic anyway. Look at that patch of moonlight on the fioor. Man, wouldn't I like to jump out of this chair and chase my tail and bark at iti Yeah, if I did Mistress would sail out through here like a straw hat in a gale and smack me with a rolled-up Collier's. She's got ears like a rabbit's. Well, I got a bark like a fog-horn. That's what the cross old guy across the street yelled over the phone to Master Iohn when I was out hav- ing a good time night before last. Guess I'll have to confine myself to meditation and prayer. That's it, meditation and prayer. H'm, probably Iill have to meditate for a long time tomorrow when I'm lenshed to the kitchen stove leg after Mrs. Iohn finds out about that slipper I chewed up. I 'spect I'd better pray now. Dear Master of all dogs: I thank thee for a nice master and mistress and two little boys to play with, even if they do drive me nearly nuts at times I'm thankful that I can sleep in the big chair instead of in a sissy basket with a blue Hannelette blanket prinked up with bows the way that stuck up lady pup next door does. I'm thankful I haven't got a little girl to give me baths and douse me with her Mum's cologne so Iill smell like a walking flower gar- den. I oughta be thankful that I'm getting such kind, firm, patient training that'll make me grow up into a nice dog--but I ain't. Mistress says I'll grow in wisdom as I grow in years just as men do, but I'm not so sure about that.