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His lai'icestry. ~1t was of the hour blast, poor and obscure; practically wanting in all that the World regards as essential conditions of success, and honor. The true aristocracy traces its ancestry hack to the Norman conâ€" quest. in 1006. or the times of the Plantagenetsz or the Tudors at least. But Lincoln had home Born in Hardin county, Kentucky, some 40 to {)0 miles south of Louisville. he sprang. as it were, (out of the ground, unknown utterly to the world. His birth and childhood \ produced no more eipectation or impression of any kind on the world than did that of the humble-3t child in all the world. mer. semi-deifying the man, albeit he was human like the rest of us. But our thought is of Lincoln. He was born 83 years ugowtoday, Feb. 12, 1809. Gladstone was born in the same year, but in December. The great English statesman, wall things considered the greatest of the cen- tury the wide world over «is still with us,and quite vigorous, while Lineolnpussed away well nigh five and thirty years ago. Our sainted father Bingham. who lies in his "PrOphet’s chamber," patiently but anxiously waiting for the summons. “Come up higher." ’was born two .years earlier than these two historic heroes. These are the things I wish to gay today about Lincoln. Hiszsuecess. â€"In spite of lack of ancestry. in spite of poverty, in spite of want of education, Lincoln early saw. what Webster coined into form of human speech.~ “There is room at the top," and bent every energy of body. soul and spirit. for long, weary, wearing years to reach the higher table lands of human achieve- . ment, where stand the great and the good. And he succeeded. But in winning that. success, how much of Obloquy and opposition: how many sneers and obstacles: how constant the nagging and persecutionrâ€"but hereuched the lofty pedestal with only one human [figure beside; the Father of His Country; the. invisible God.the creator. the inspirer and the crowner of both. makes up the trinity. ' outlines‘of the grand possibilities of greatness which lay wrapped in the folds of hisvbeingjust as when Rob- ert Walpole made his first speech in parliament against the bitter im- peachment of the just Somers, in -5901; the old heads ”smiled, with ill- concealed contempt, but Mr. Main- wuring. who heard him, said he would one day make his mark in that body. Today Walpole is known alongside Chatham and Pitt and Palmerston and Gladstone as the ablest premiers of English history. But all the latent ability; undevel- oped possibilities and regal manhood of Lincoln, were buried beneath the burden of this poverty. “Slow rises worth by , poverty oppressed,” said old Sam Johnson, or as the “Wise Man of Israel’s glorious history puts it,“The destruction of the poor is his poverty.“ The Lesson. Lincoln 'did succeed. so gramlly and enduringly. What I imntour school pupil: to see and dacidu is how (lid he do it. for what purpose was hisrsuccessfitn inspiring cause. who helped. and liow did ‘he trout. those who tried to hinder and bufih. ” What 15 his position in the heirts of the Arnericanpeople toda) and what. will be his permanent po- sition in the world's hiatory‘.” Lincoln. And it was not lifted to any great extent when the family moved to Indiana. Still I think there must have been among all who saw the child and uncouth lad, faint THE ‘HIGHLAND PARK NEWS. as a practical philanthropist. Her address will probably come March 9th. Prepare to hear Miss Addams and learn how to help your fellows-a. There was an informal meeting Saturday evening at the Young Men‘s Club to discuss the Electric Railway, chiefly to help to help Sup. Fletcher to know what the people thought and wished about the road outside the city limits. Mr. Fletcher rightly wanted to know how the people felt before he went to the special super visors' meeting the next day to de- cide on a franchise for the road by the county authoritiesl In other Words, llt‘ prolxmes to know what the people want before he goes ahead. We again commend in the highest terms this course of lectures. The next one will be In Miss Jane Ad dams of Hull house fame. a young woman who m a very few years has made for herself a world wide fame As a lecture, it was a fine thing, full of bristling points. The delivery was defective in that many complain. ed of not being able to hear it all. his voice seemed to fall too low to“ ward the close of some sentences. It was without manuscript; fulfbf force and vigor and at times rose to eloquence. Perhaps it was a little above what some people wanted or expected, though we think the Park folks are rather brainy. The Doc- ter’s 'general topic might be styled “Character Building." and he struck some sledge hammer blows. His description of the spirit and wisdom of the agnostics' was superb, and the shallowness of mere negations was handsomely exposed. soften; , I The things 1 would do seemed bcy'ond ll]'_\' powers. And fryitless all the toil of tedious hours. When suddenly. my long- time mute canary.~ « ~\s if divinely taught my mood to 'vary. Essayed to sing, and from his treasures olden Brought forth hIs sweetest notes and measures golden. My eyeswereupened,and the lesson. heeded~~ Gave to my burdened heart the balm it needed My caged bird could sing-his thanks express The wintry mom was dark wnh clouds. and dreary: And I had risen with heavy; heart. and weary. Forgetting mercies past, eabh day repeated;- Aud mourning gifts withheld,~though of! entreated. Repining and ungrateful thus 1 pondered ()‘er past endeavom vain, and sadly wondered Why disappointment crossed my path so often. And irksome tasks. â€" with little change to ing For bread and water sures-his daily blessing.â€" Aud I could “praise." in my small rorner hid- , den. . And do the little things my Lord had hidden Higfiland Park. 11!. M. L. B. The garment of pmlu for the uplrll of Heaviuees.‘ A». lxl. 3. DR. M’PHERSON'S LECTURE. THE GARMENT 0F PRAISE.