Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-12-28


THE LIFE OF MR.. LINCOLN.
Mr.. w. II. Herndon, who was for many |
years the law partner, and through all his
life the intimate personal friend of Abra-
ham Lincoln, is engaged in writing his BIZ
ography. Some months ago he delivered
a lecture upon his life and character
which was marked by very striking an
alysis of his intellectual and moral quail
ties, and indicated very remarkable
knowledge of the man. Mr.. Hernden has
recently delivered another lecture on the
same subject, of which we have received
copy in western paper. 1t is very
long and very curious, not SO much for its
contents as its character not for the facts
it narrates so much as for the state of
mind it reveals on the part of the lecturer
in regard to the subject of his discourse.
Mr.. Hernden opens his lecture thus:
Ladies and Gentlemen am about to
deliver lecture tonight on Abraham
Lincoln, Miss Ann Rutledge, New Salem,
Pioneering, and the Poem commonly call
ed Immortality or,
'Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be
proud ?"
He next announces that Lincoln loved
Ann Rutledge better than his own life, y
and promises TO give the history of the
poem as connected with the two. The
facts of this history, he says, lie in frag-
ments in the desk at my office, in the bu-
reau drawers at my home, and in my
memory; in the memories of men, women
and children all over this broad land and
especially in the counties of Menard and
Sangamon, covering an area Of sixty
miles square" After long passage of
apology, explanation and protestation of
the absolute truth of all he proposes to
relate--marked by great deal of feeling
Mr.. Hernden thus states the facts which
he says will " throw stray footlight on
the path of Abraham Lincoln from New
Salem through Springfield, to and through
Washington to the grave" He says:
Ladies and gentlemen, friends, enc
mics, too, give me the good, kind, and
tender corner of your hearts tonight, rot
forgetting your heads. Ann Rutledge was
beautiful girl of New Salem from 1914
to 1886. She was born in Kentucky, Jan.
6, 1913. She was a grand-child of the
liberty-loving, patriotic Rutledges of South
Carolina. Her father was born in South
Carolina amid the echoes of the cannon's
Revolutionary roar. Mr.. Lincoln lived in
New Salem from 1880 to 1887, and
boarded awhile with Cameron, who was
the partner of Mr.. Rutledge. Mr.. Lin.
coin soon changed his home. He went
and boarded with Mr.. James Rutledge
about the years 1830-1834, and there be.
came acquainted with Ann Rutledge. He
may have known her before this. / have
no space here to give description of thi:
beautiful, amiable and lovely girl of nine
teen. She was gifted with good mind
Three good and influential men of the lit
tie village of New Salem, simultaneously
fell in love with this girl; A. Lincoln
Mr.-and Mr.. The third man she
quickly rejected. He was gentleman
so was Lincoln; so was -. All thes,
were strong men, as time demonstrated
Circumstances, fate, Providence, the iror
chain of sweeping events, so willed it tina
this young lady was engaged to Mr.. Lin
coin and Mr.-at the same time. N
blame can be attached to the girl, an,
none to the men in their honor and fideli
ty to her. 1t all SO happened, or was de
, cided by fate. 1t shall, in truth, b
explained hereafter, to the satisfaction @
all. II is a sad, thrilling story. TIL
young girl saw her condition. Her wor
of promise was out to two men at the sam
time both of whom she dearly loved. TIL
consciousness of this, and the conflict c
duty, loves promises and womanly en-
gagements, made her think, grow sad an
become restless. She suffered, pined, at
not and slept not. Time and struggle, a
supposed by many, caused her to have
raging fever, of which she died on the 25t
of August, 1885. She died OH farr
near New Salem and Petersburg, Illinois.