, 1866-12-23
LINCOLN.
The 8sofT OF Abraham Lincoln nnu
fAnu Ruticdge.

-Bos1os, December I, 1865.
10 the Editor OF tho Boston Advertiser.
journey through tho State oi i'll. |
nois. While there, It WAS matter Of rome
vexatlon aud annoy that cauld In no
wlso LIZ hold Of Boston paper. When a
few hours since, paragraph isom the Da1S
.Adr7ise7. headed " 4 Singular story OF MI
feeling was one Of intense thankfuluess tha;
II all probability t would never meet ~.
uerudou's eyes. Did 1t co1carn any one but
Lin, whose name thrills through eScfy.
American leart-WeFe Mr. Herndon himself
well known in Neg England might tru -
sink INTO natussi oblivion. But Mr. HeIu-
don il to write the only life Of Abraham LID.
coin which will command the attention at
poste1ity, it is to be published b. Boston
house. and an not willing thst there
should be any doubt asto hts qualifications
Abraham Lincoln was great enough to see
his own relationa to hts' tlmes, his personal
circumstances, And bis God, and to be VII
ling that the world should see 1t also. IF he
vas not great enopn the ai, ststH 9a 9aaa Ino ,1s
trusted William Henry Herndon, It demand
ed at once that this man should write his
life. Too impatient to walt for the slow md
faithful work which Is the only work that
Mr.. Herndon can do, epringtiela demanded,
uCHu"IuE< u AtN lES<AAE9.
There are two millions Of peop1e ia the
State of Illinois. and large portion Of them
known in some fashion In all the facts these
i've lectures treat. 1t was Mr.. HeFndon's
business to put these into au order which
would force them to illustrate each other;
he is 10 publish; they are only studies
I toward It. The lecture which the idrsT-
tistr has criticised is, I believe, the fourth Of
the aye, and supplies necessary link IN the
history: It could NO more BE- I'm ont Of :
| true life Of Lincoln than Darte's lore for
Beatrice, or Petrarch's love for Laura: OF
Shelley's divorce from his first wife, could bo
| omitted in the biographies Of those poets.
and still leave them tnteilieible. For thirty
years after the period It describes, bis ter.
| many times ont Of himself and It Is the only
explanation Of many significant facts. The
poem which Is inseparah1y connected With
bis memory became precious to him simply
for Ann Rnt1edge's sake.
There is tho story, and ". Herndou
no more to do with 1t than hare as tell It
Ann Rusledsc was q iady-one OF the verJ
few who had penetfated to Illinois as ear]J
a. 1sa3. OF family educated and aristo
cratic, hnt broken down, she was eefEothe!
merchant. Iu those days Illinois was =.
far from New York as kamschatka now Is
! They wese soon to he married when ths
Scotehr an went for business purposes to
Ahat city, For mouths nothing Waa heard o
him; It was supposed that be was dead u
that he lay Ill Of dalitious fever at q small
waykidt town. In this state Of things, whll
Arms mlnd was hrtured By suspense an
disappointment, Mr. Lincoln went to he
father's house to boatd. In time sort Q
circumstances ID both lives that depresse
and palntd; they learned to hold each othe
very dear. Upon this state Of things brok
the tunor Of the recovered Scotchman's re
turn. The delicate nature of the woma
broke under It. Betrothea TO two-both {
whom she 1orcd-she had no choice but t
die; fhe did not 1--we 10 see>hin enter Me-
: | Salem. lIow be- who had been absent lore
! | her, let the sequel show. he bought tt
farm for her sake, and lives there, still
! bachelor. It was his quirerfng hand tbs
!, pointed out 10 Mr. Herndvn the spot wbes
i Ann Rutledee died.
! That This story Is trne, know, for hay
} read every line Of the autograph letters o
: which 1t depends, That IL !. he lfu,A. q
which the future life OF Mr.. Lincoln turne,
j Mr.. HeFnaon viii sometime show US. Ha
Ann lived to be bis wife. It Is the opiuion
r ali liz Western friends that he never Eoul
. have sought political life. His tastes WEI
!; quiet and domestic. But this trial unhinEe
him. made hin for years reckless. dcspalrln
!, athetstfc. It was very gradually that
. came to conquer the resolt Of his Owl sou
1t Was that work we'll done that fitted hi
) to conquer other men. dare not pursue Il
D subject further than to say that Mr. Hesndt
, has task befurc him which for dellcacy 81
magnitude exceeds any nf which have ev
I dreamed. Mr.. Lincoln left no blood rc1atiu
i but his sons. None Of Ann Rutledge's 81
vive her. The unhappy Scotchmap, who I
8 turned to End her dead, saw every line Of Il
!. lecture, which the Adrertiser criticised beto
: 1t was l,riuted. I think few authors Of mo
:. crn ti1nes would have been honorable euoul
to ask bis consent, since he WAS not to
i named In It.