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INTRODUCTION: Herndon's Life Of Lincoln gives a first-hand account of the President-elect about to give his first inaugural address: "He was completely metamorphosed - partly by his own fault, and partly through the efforts of injudicious friends and ambitious tailors...black dress coat, instead of the usual frock, black cloth or satin vest, black pantaloons, and a glossy hat evidently just out of the box. To cap the climax of novelty, he carried a huge ebony cane, with a gold head the size of an egg. In these, to him, strange habiliments, he looked so miserably uncomfortable that I could not help pitying him. Reaching the platform, his discomfort was visibly increased by not knowing what to do with the hat and cane; and so he stood there, the target for ten thousand eyes, holding cane in one hand and hat in the other, the very picture of helpless embarrassment. After some hesitation he pushed the cane into a corner of the railing, but could not find a place for the hat except on the floor, where I could see he did not like to risk it." Someone came to the rescue and stepped forward to hold the president's hat. That someone had been a vitriolic antagonist of Lincoln's in a series of famous debates. Now he was a friend and supporter who offered a small act of kindness to ease an awkward situation - Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln always remembered the kindness of Douglas' character and loved him for it. The book of Ruth is a captivating story that fleshes out the meaning of true love. In chapter one we learned that true love is loyal. Now in chapter two we will see that true love is kind. Kind love has three facets.
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