The Portland daily press., 1867-01-03

'oi""on AeSPeeIihS us carry life. The ex
planation Of the situation which the lectura
rather obscurely reveals, is said to be this.
the young lady who found herself through no
fault OF her own, engaged to two men at once.
supposed her former lover to be dead before
she came to know Mr. Lincoln. After she
had become engaged to Mr.. Lincoln, his RI
val reappeared. 1t has been conjectured that
Mr.. Herndon was himself the rival In the case,
but that is a mistake. His acquaintance with
Lincoln began sometime after the affair which
he thus relates:
Ladies and gentlemen, fiends-enemies,
too-give me the good, kind, sad and tender
corner OF your hearts tonight, not forgetting
your heads. Ann kutledge was a beautiful
girl OF New Salem from 1924 to 1885. She
was porn In Kentucky, January Z, 1873. She
was glandchiid OF the liberty-loving, patti
otic Rutledges Of South Carolina, Her father
was born in South Carolina amid the echoes
OF the cannon's revolutionary roar Mr. Lin
coin lived In New Salem from 1890 to 1897.
and boarded for a while 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 1888 and 1884, and then and there first
He may have known her well before that time
have no space here to give a description of
this beautiful, amiable and lovely girl,of nine
teen. She was gifte1 with a good mind.
Three good and influential men OF the little
village OF New Salem simultaneously Ietl in
love with this girl-A. Lincoln, Mr.. -
and Mr.-. The third man she quickly
rejected. He was gentleman; 80 was Lin
coin; so was -. All these were strong
men, men of power, as time demonstrated.
Circumstances, tate, providence, the iron chain
OF sweeping events, so willed it that this
young lady was engaged to Mr.. Lincoln and
Mr.. - at one and the same time No
earthly blame can be attached to the girl, and
none 10 the men in their fidelity and homer to
her. 1t lall so happened, or was decided by
fate. 1t shall in truth be explained hereafter
to the ttisfaction of all.
1t Is sad, thrilling story. TIE young girl
saw her own condition. Her word of prom
ise was cut to two men at the same time,
both of whom she loved, dearly loved. The
consciousness Of this, and the conflict of du-
ties, loves promises, and womanly engage
ments. made her think, grow sad, become rest
less and nervous. She suffered, pined, ate not
and slept not. Time and struggle, as sup
posed and believed by many, caused her 10
have raging fever, OF which she died Au-
gust 25, 1856. She died on tarm seven miles
north, bearing little west, Of New Saiem,
and now lies buried in the Concord graveyard
six miles north, bearing a little west
OF New Salem, and four mules from Peters
burg, Ta ll.
ADraham Lincoln loved Miss Ann Rut-
ledge with all his soul, mInd ami strength
She loved him as dearly, tendefly anu anec-
tionately. They seemed made in heaven Tor
each other. As before remarked, sne was ac-
cidentally, innocentiy aud honestly engaged
to A. Lincoln and Mr.. - at one anu the
same time. 1t is said and thought that the
young lady was conditionally promised TO Mr.
Lincoln, to be consummated upon her release
from her first engagement with Mr. The
primary causes, facts and conditions which
led to this complication shall be rel1ed TO you
at another time and place. There is no dis
honor in it to any of the three. In her con-
tiicts OF honor, duty, love, promises and wo
manly engagements-she was taken SICK
She shrugged, regretted, grieyed, became Der-
vous. Sue ate not, slept not, was taken sick
OF brain fever, became emaciated, and was
fast sinking Id the grave. Lincoln wished W
see her. sac silently prayed To see hm. The
friends OF both parlles at tlrsE refused the
wish and prayer OF both; still the wishes anu
prayers OF both prevailed. Mr.. Lincoln aia
90 to see her about August 10, 1885. The
meeting was quite as much as either coulu
bear, and more than Mr. Lincoln, with all his
coomess AID philosophy, cOuid endure. Tie
voice, the features OF ner, the love, sympathy
and interview, fastened themselves on his
heart and soul forever. Heaven only knows
what was said by the two. God only knows
what was thought. DIR. Jason Duncan, O,
New Salem, about September, 1888, hau
shown anu placed in MIR. Liacoms hands, the
poem called, in short, now, 'lmmortaity,' or
properly, ~, why should the spirit or mortal
no vl-..rI kfroa s<nft ri "A
on August %, 1885, and was buried In the
Concord cemetery, SIX miles north, bearing a
little west OF New Salem, as stated before.
MIR. Lincoln has stated that his heart, sad and
broken, was buried there. He said in addl-
ton. to the same TREND, II cannot endure the
thought that the sect and storm, frost and
snow OF heaven, should beat on her grave"
He never addressed another woman, III my
opinion, 'yoms aiiectionaIely," but signed ms
name, your friend, A. Lincoln Abraham
Lincoln was by nature, more or less in ten
dency, abstracted, ind had the power OF con-
tinuous, concentrated thought. 1t may be, As
alleged, that he was warm, ardent, and
more or less impulsNe man before l and
OF this l give no opinion. ... .s -
He never did cafe Tor teod-eating mechan-
ically. He sorrowed and grieved, rambled ov-
er The hills aud Though tile forests, day aud
night. He suffered and bore it tor while
iiAe a great mana philosopher. He slept
not, he ate not, joyed not. This he did unLu
his body became emaciated and weak, and
| gave way. lis mind wandered from its
throne. In his imagination he muttered
words to her he loved. His mind, his reason
somewhat deLhroned, walked out of itselI
along the uocolumned air, and kissed aud en-
| braced the shadows and Illusions OF the heated
brain. Love, future happiness, death, sorrow
grief and pure and perfect despair, the want
OF sleep, the want OF food, a cracked and ach-
ing heart, severe and intense thought, soon
worked a partial wreck OF body and mind. Ii
has been said that Mr.. Lincoln became and
was totally insane at that time and place..
This is not exactly the truth. The dethrone
ment OF bis reason was only partial, and could
alone be detected by his close friends anc
sharpest observers, through the abruptness u
his sentences, and the sharp contrasts of hi.
ideas and language.
The friends Of Mr.. Lincoln--men
women and children-begged him to quit hi.
home and place of business. They coaxef
and threatened him by turns in order 10 pet
him to quit the places and scenes OF his sor
rows and 9liefs. His women friends trief
their arts on him. Men begged and held oul
strong Inducements to go into the country.-
The boys and girls OF the town and neichbor
hood aided and assisted the older people all
l
man the whole people so dearly loved. Bolip
Green ard some of his and Lin
coins special friends, at last tried their DOW.
ers. They succeeded in throwing Lincoln of
his guard by robbing him of his suspicions.-
Mr.. Lincoln, in September, went down to DO.
lin Green's in consequence Of the pressure
thrown on and around him, and in the space
of a week or ten days, by Bolins humor, gen.
erosity and hospitality, his care and kindness
aided by the womanly sympathy, gentlenes
and tenderness OF his wife, Lincoln soon rose
up a man once more. He was visited daily BY
men, women, boys and girls, whose conversa-
tion, stories, jokes, witticisms, fun and sport
soon reused up the man, thus enabling him
to momentarily throw off sorrow, sadness
grief, pain and anxiety. They walked owe,
the hills with him, danced for HIM, read TO,
him, laughed for him, and amused him in .
thousand ways. He evidently enjoyed all al
man scarcely ever enjoyed two weeks since
He got well and bade adieu, for short season
to Bolins kind roof and generous hospitality
Mrs. Bolin Green still lives, God bless hei
and survives her own husband, and their ware
and guest. Mr.. Lincoln went back to New
oaiem, as thought, changed, a RADICAL,
changed man. He went to New Salem abou
the last oil September A. d. 1885. He nov
once more picked up, took up, and read an,
reread the poem called immortality CT
"Oh, why should the spirit of mortal b
pr-udT" He saw new beauties in 1t. Fl
Seized 1t, and it seized him-a mutual seizur
and arrest. He learned 1t by heart, commit
ted 1t to memory, and repeated 1t over and ov
er to his friends