Show THOUGHTS ON A GREAT AMERICAN rummaging through our scrap book for some references to abraham lincoln whose birthday we will observe next monday we found several items which we would like to pass on to you whenever observance of the birth date of any great personage is in order it is because of some great achievement of that man or woman which de deserves remembrance or because of the manner in which that person lived throughout the span of life granted unto him in which to acco accomplish malish the real purpose of his entry into life it was the humbleness of spirit of lincoln that E endeared him to all and the manner in which he performed the talu very vly difficult tasks set before him during the period of civil warfare he never lost sight of god and prayed constantly for guidance and for the power which he knew came only from god he recognized that without this power he would fail to carry through the great work he was given to do if only all of our leaders today would pattern after this great man as a few of them do there would be a different story to tell now and in the future the following clipping may be of interest since it proves another point of great importance one that marks all the difference between a man who thinks he is great and one who IS great althou although gh F he may be considered of little account in the eyes of those who may think they are the greater ones from the following invitation came the famous gettysburg address invitations to be present at the dedication of the gettysburg cemetery were dispatched to all members of congress to the president and to his cabinet most of these declined the committee was surprised when lincoln agreed to come should they ask him to speak they had not in in tended to do so objections were raised he would not have time to prepare besides even if lincoln did have time to prepare did he have the ability true he could handle himself well in debate and in a cooper union address but no one had bad ever heard beard him deliver a dedicatory address i this was a grave and solemn occasion they ought not to take any chances finally a fortnight before the event i they sent Lin lincoln colna a belated invitation to make a few ap prop remarks dale carnegie public speaking i it was president william H taft who said of lincoln 1 1 we never had in public life a man whose sense of duty was stronger whose bearing towards those with whom he came in contact whether his friends or political foes was characterized by a greater sense of fairness a man who took upon himself the woes boes of the nation natian and suffered in his soul from the weight of them as he did not in all history is there such a man A few outstanding remarks of the great lincoln are fitting to close this column and may well be practiced by everyone in these uncertain days these references appeared in one of the monthly news letters offered to the patrons of the clifton cafeterias in los angeles as a tribute to abraham lincoln who said be sure that you put your feet in the right place and then stand firm if you intend to go t to work there is no better place than right where you are 1 I am not bound to win but I 1 am bound to be true I 1 am not bound to succeed but I 1 am bound to live up to what light I 1 have I 1 having chosen our course without guile and with pure purpose let us renew our trust in god and go forward without fear and with manly hearts 1 I do not wish to die until the world is better for my living the greatest man is he who chooses right with the most invincible resolution who resists the sorest temptation temp tion from within and without who bears the heaviest burdens cheer fully who is calmest in storms and most fearless under menaces and frowns whose reliance on truth and virtue and on god is most unfaltering seneca roman philosopher and statesman 65 A D the ablest men in all walks of life are men of faith most of them have much more faith than they themselves xe realize aliz e bruce barton |