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52
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
the sorrow in the land. In the homes of rich and poor, the white man and the black, could be heard the sobs of women and children. Even strong men were not ashamed to weep.
The friend of all creatures, whom God had given to this country in its greatest need, had been suddenly taken away. The booming of the cannons and the tolling of bells could tell but little how great was the loss. The humble rail-splitter, the youth to whom a dollar had once seemed a fortune, had climbed alone, step by step, from the lowland of poverty and ignorance to the very summit of the mountain of progress. He had become a savior and a martyr.
