As today is Presidents day, I thought I'd tell a couple stories about Abraham Lincoln. As a child he was one of my heros, and as an American History Teacher he was my favorite president to learn about, and then to teach about. I think it's a shame we don't spend more time delving into the character of great men. We could learn much more from who they were than what they did.
Abraham Lincoln had charity. Remember the scriptures that tell us what charity is: meek, kind, long suffering, not puffed up, seeketh not her own? Two simple stories I'll never forget about Lincoln set that example for me, which I try to follow.
Abraham Lincoln was married to Mary Todd. She was a good woman, and he loved her dearly, but she had a fiery temper which she often lost when dealing with her husband. They came from two different worlds, and sometimes the things Mary felt were extraordinarily important Lincoln didn't really care about. His homespun manners offended her, she hated it when he answered the door in shirtsleeves or greeted guests in shabby carpet slippers. It especially bothered her when he littered her front room with papers and books. When Mary lost her temper the neighbors heard her. She would scream and shout, but Lincoln would not argue back. He would simply open the door and walk out of the house, giving Mary a chance to calm down while he went for a walk.
Another story that I loved happened while Lincoln was President. If I remember right, his Secretary of State, who did not always approve of what Lincoln did, once said Lincoln was a fool. Reporters picked up on this and plastered it all across the newspapers. Expecting fireworks, they quickly descended on the president, wanting to see what his reply would be. When they asked Lincoln what he thought about Sewards comments, he looked at them for a few moments, then said something like, "Did Mr. Seward really say that? Well, I've known him for a long time, and he's never been wrong about anything, so if he says I'm a fool, I probably am."
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