The author of this latest book on this world character is a prominent clergyman and man of letters, living in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, the state in which Abraham Lincoln won his reputation, and from the capital city of which he went to Washington to assume the heavy responsibilities of Chief Magistrate. Dr. Barton was graduated from Berea College, Kentucky, the native state of Lincoln. As a student, teacher and preacher he spent seven years of his youth and early manhood in that region. He has ever since followed with intimate personal knowledge and careful historical investigation the career of Lincoln in his successive environments. While well aware that he is "dipping his net into a stream already darkened by too much ink." the author recognized that the fact that there are so many books on the religion of Abraham Lincoln la the chief reason why there should be one more., His effort was to provide adequate historical background for each of the successive periods of Mr. Lincoln's life. So far as appears, he has assembled all the essential evidence concerning the most disputed aspects of Mr. Lincoln's religious life and opinions. His work is divided into three parts. The first considering the conflicting testimony about Mr. Lincoln, an explanation of the reasons for the diffctences in the numerous bio-~ graphies, and a careful examination of his environment in Boyhood, in young Manhood, in Springfield, and in Washington.
Part Second analyses in. detail the evidence," occupying the 13 chapters, a method which, while involving some more or less inevitable repetition, gives perhaps the fairest, most reasonable, the most comprehensive treatment of the subject anywhere to be found.
The concluding part is both negatively and positively constructive, showing what Abraham Lincoln was not; why he did not join any church, and epitomizi from original sources his real Creed. There are Appendices, a sufficiently comprehensive bibliography, and a good Index.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.