Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-06-14
HIS EARLY LOVE.

ledge, she was probably the most refined
woman with whom he had ever spoken
"a modest, delicate creature, fascinat-
ing by reason of the mere contrast with
the rude people by whom they were both
surrounded. She had secret, too, and
sorrow,--the unexplained and painful
absence of McNamar-which no doubt
made her all the more interesting to him
whose spirit was often more melancholy
than her own. McNamar, her unfortu-
nate lover, says, " Miss Ann was gen.
tie, amiable maiden, without any of the
airs of your city bellies, but winsome and
comely withal blonde in complexion,
with golden hair, cherry-red lips, and
bonny blue eye." Even the women of
the neighborhood united with the men to
praise the name of this beautiful but un-
happy girl. Mrs. Hardin Bale "knew
her well. She had auburn hair, blue
eyes, fair complexion; was slim, pretty,
kind, tender, good hearted woman; in
height about FIVE feet three inches, and
and weighed about hundred and twen-
ty pounds. She was beloved by all who
knew her. McNamar, Hill and Lincoln
all courted her near the same time. She
died as it were of grief Miss Rutledge
was beautiful" Such was Ann Rutledge,
the girl in whose grave Mr.. Lincoln said,
"My heart lies buried" Her father,
James Rutledge, was born in South Car
olina, and was of the illustrious Rut-
ledge family of that State. From South
Carolina he emigrated to Kentucky, and
thence to Illinois. In 1928 he settled at
New Salem, built the mill and laid out
the village in conjunction with Mr.. Cam
eron, retired minister of the Cumber-
berland Presbyterians. Mr.. Rutledge's
character seems to have been pure and
high for wherever his name occurs it is
almost invariably coupled with some ex-
preston of genuine esteem and respect.
At one time, and along with his other
business-which now appears to have
been quite extensive and various-Mr.
Rutledge kept the tavern, the small
house with four rooms on the main street
OF New Salem, just opposite Lincoln's
grocery. There Mr.. Lincoln came to
board late In 1882, or early in 1873
The family consisted of the father, moth
er and nine children; Ann was the third
child. She was born on the 7th of Jan
uary, 1913, and was about 19 years of
age when Mr.. Lincoln came to live IN
the house.
Mr.. Lincoln was always welcome at
the little tavern, at Shorts ON Sand
ridge, or at the farm, half mile from
Shorts, where the Rutledges finally
abode. AIMS father was his devoted
friend, and the mother he called affec-
tionately Aunt Polly" All her adult
relatives encouraged the suit which Lin
coin early beganto press and as time,
absence, and apparent neglect, apparent
ly told against McNamar, she listened
to him with augmenting interest, until
in 1885, we find them formally and SOL
emnly betrothed. Ann now waited only
for the return of McNamar to marry
Lincoln. AT length, however as McNa-
mars temperance became more and
more hopeless, she took different view
of it, and then thought she would be
Abe's wife as soon as he found the means
OF decent livelihood. Ann told me
once, >, says James M. in letter to r. B.
Rutledge, in coming from camp-meeting
on Rock creek, chat engagements made
too far ahead sometimes failed that one
had failed (meaning her engagement
with McNamar), and gave me to under
stand that, as soon as certain studies
were completed. she and Lincoln would
be married" In the summer of 1885
Ann showed unmistakable symptoms of
failing health, attributable, as most of the
neighbors believed, to the distressing atti-
tude she felt bound to maintain between
her two lovers. On the 25th of August,
in that year, she died of what the doctors
chose to call brain fever" A few DAYS
before her death Lincoln was summoned
to her bedside. What happened in that
solemn conference was known only to
him and the dying girl. But when he
left her. stopped at the house of John
Jones, on his way home, Jones saw signs
of the most terrible distress in his face
and his conduct When Ann actually
died, and was buried, his grief became
frantic; he lost all self control, even the
consciousness of identity, and every friend
he had in New Salem pronounced him
insane, mad. crazy. "He was watched
with especial vigilance" as William
Green tells US, during storms, fogs,
damp gloomy weather, for fear of an ac-
cident." Atsuch times he raved piteous.
ly, declaring, among other wild express
ions of his woe, can never be recon-
ciled to have the snow, rains and storms
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