Excerpts from the 2021 book by Amor Towles, "Lincoln Highway":
Woolly learned one sentence after another until he could recite the speech in its entirety.
After his cousin Edward had recited from the Declaration of Independence and received a friendly round of applause, Woolly assumed the privileged spot.
He had never recited it in front of anybody else.
Not once had he recited it in an itchy blue blazer with a red-and-white tie gripping at his throat.
Woolly stood up straight, took two deep breaths, and began:
Four score and seven years, he said. Four score and seven years ago.
Remembering that Sarah had said if he got nervous he should look over the heads of the family.
Four score and seven years ago ---- he began again.
Our fathers brought forth, Sarah softly prompted.
Our Fathers brought forth, Woolly said.
Our fathers brought forth on this countenance.
-- On this continent
On this continent a new nation. A new nation ----
-- Conceived in Liberty, said a friendly voice.
Only it wasn't Sarah's voice. It was the voice of Cousin James.
And this time, when Woolly renewed his recital, Sarah and James joined in.
Conceived in Liberty, the three of them said together, and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Then other relatives who in their time had been tasked with reciting Mr. Lincoln's Address added their voices.
Then joining the chorus were members of the family who had never been required to recite the Address, but who had heard it so many times before that they too knew it by heart.
Soon, everyone at the table - including Great-grandpa, was reciting.
And when all together they said those grand and hopeful words that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth - the family burst into a round of cheering like the room had never heard.
Surely, this was the way that Abraham Lincoln had meant his Address to be recited.
Not as a boy standing alone at the head of a table in an itchy coat - but as four generations of a family speaking together in unison.
Sherry, this is an interesting article, causing reflective thinking. You take us to bring us forward to the question that challenges many people to day - what do we believe
Excerpts from the 2021 book by Amor Towles, "Lincoln Highway":
Woolly learned one sentence after another until he could recite the speech in its entirety.
After his cousin Edward had recited from the Declaration of Independence and received a friendly round of applause, Woolly assumed the privileged spot.
He had never recited it in front of anybody else.
Not once had he recited it in an itchy blue blazer with a red-and-white tie gripping at his throat.
Woolly stood up straight, took two deep breaths, and began:
Four score and seven years, he said. Four score and seven years ago.
Remembering that Sarah had said if he got nervous he should look over the heads of the family.
Four score and seven years ago ---- he began again.
Our fathers brought forth, Sarah softly prompted.
Our Fathers brought forth, Woolly said.
Our fathers brought forth on this countenance.
-- On this continent
On this continent a new nation. A new nation ----
-- Conceived in Liberty, said a friendly voice.
Only it wasn't Sarah's voice. It was the voice of Cousin James.
And this time, when Woolly renewed his recital, Sarah and James joined in.
Conceived in Liberty, the three of them said together, and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Then other relatives who in their time had been tasked with reciting Mr. Lincoln's Address added their voices.
Then joining the chorus were members of the family who had never been required to recite the Address, but who had heard it so many times before that they too knew it by heart.
Soon, everyone at the table - including Great-grandpa, was reciting.
And when all together they said those grand and hopeful words that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth - the family burst into a round of cheering like the room had never heard.
Surely, this was the way that Abraham Lincoln had meant his Address to be recited.
Not as a boy standing alone at the head of a table in an itchy coat - but as four generations of a family speaking together in unison.
Thank you very much - Rick
Thanks for the provocative question.
Sherry, this is an interesting article, causing reflective thinking. You take us to bring us forward to the question that challenges many people to day - what do we believe
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