20 WEBER LITERARY JOURNAL acutely, no word could be distinguished. It seemed as if almost instantaneously, silence held sway beyond the walls. It was broken ere long by a sudden crack and creak and the footsteps resumed their steady pace. The gate opened ever so little, but it was Rodriguez that stepped forth. "Friends, it is my sorrow as it is yours, to tell you that Juan Tijara died last night in his cell, with only the consolation and companionship the priest could give him." That was all; the crowd turned, and with heads down, some weeping, some muttering, walked back to the tiny village, and to their various occupations. But still, and he is a very old man, poor, half-witted Juarez tells that as the gate opened to allow the General to step forth, he saw a limp figure hanging from the scaffold within, and as a half-wit would do, avers that the figure was Juan. They Who Know By Leslie J. Christensen. "But half the world," the sages say, "Knows what the other half is doing." But is it strange? For tho it's day, Upon one-half and it can know (or may), Upon the other senseless sleep's renewing. WEBER LITERARY JOURNAL 21 Lincoln and The Beatitudes By Helen Hinckly. BLESSED are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." How many times have we heard these beautiful words, together with the rest of the divine beatitudes, quoted as the laws of a supreme Master? How many times have we heard the same words read as an example of the beauty of the poet, Jesus? Yet have you ever thought of the beatitudes as a measure by which the works of our modern heroes may be judged? I have endeavored to use this silver yard-stick many times as a help to the understanding of the aims and purposes of men, and of all of the men who have won national fame and world-wide honor, I have chosen Abraham Lincoln, the great emancipator, as the man who most nearly reaches the notch that Christ set as the measure of a pure and perfect life. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Surely you will not say that Lincoln was a jester, a jovial backwoodsman, or that his spirit was never as low as the ebbing tide, when you drop the thought of his witty tongue and twinkling eyes and call to mind the picture of him as he went about his duties as President of a divided and war-scarred nation. The horror, the gloom, the waste of war all these things he knew, yet these were not the things that changed him from an Illinois statesman to an immortal leader. It was his clear vision of the needs of his country and his many priceless efforts to brighten the dimmed and dull vision of his subordinates, that brought the lines of care to his face, the tears to his eyes and the load of sorrow to his heart. It was his faultless logic and his deep sympathy that made him a man indeed "poor in spirit" and worthy of the kingdom of Heaven and the comfort that is promised to them that mourn. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Lincoln never forgot the dignity of his office, yet he did not consider pomp and show as necessary to a happy life. "He who would be no slave must have no slave," was his favorite axiom. It was the proof of his meek and humble spirit. He did not show himself as a dictator. After hearing a long talk by a prominent minister on "God Is on Our Side," Lincoln bowed his head and said, "That bothers me but little. What