72 On the Campus 



teach reading and writing and arithmetic. Yes, yes! 

 And then she begins to read, "that government of the 

 people, by the people, for the people shall not perish 

 from the earth ! ' ' Who wrote that ? Was he rich ? Did 

 he have money and stocks and houses and farms? Did 

 he have castles in Europe and dwellings in California? 

 Oh, no; he was poor; so poor that when a boy he could 

 not go to school, but lay on the floor in the light of a 

 fire-place in a prairie cabin, and wrought out his arith- 

 metic on the smooth surface of a wooden shovel, polished 

 in the winnowed grain at the threshing floor where by 

 day he toiled. The children learn his name. They read 

 the story of fifty years ago. They see old men moving 

 about the streets, a copper badge their only decoration. 

 Can they believe it that these were young once, as are 

 they; that boys heard the voice of Abraham Lincoln; 

 that thousands rose to his summons, heard no call to 

 wealth; heard but the voice of duty; disappeared in 

 Southern forests and along the swampy, sedgy rivers, 

 and came back no more? These remain forever young, 

 and the teacher reads again : 



"Blow, trumpets, all your exultations blow! 



For never shall their aureoled presence lack: 

 I see them muster in a gleaming row 

 With ever -youthful brows that nobler show; 



We find in our dull road their shining track." 



Who wrote that ? Was he rich ? Was he great ? Did 

 he have castles in Europe and palaces in New York? 

 Ah, no, he was poor; poor as men count wealth to-day, 

 but rich, rich, as you see, in all nobler thoughts and ways. 



Even so the Republic shall be safe. That teacher is 



