New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-01

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McNamar She wrote him in vain, as she had waited
in vain for his coming; and 1895 abe died. say
OF brain fever induced by her anxiety OF mind In her
grave Lincoln was wont to declare his heart lay buried
A few days before her death he was summoned
TO her bedsde but what happened In that solemn con-
ference was known only to him and the dying girl. But
when he left her and stopped at the house OF John jones'
on the way home, Jones saw signs OF the most terne
distress In his face and his manner When Ann actually
died and was buried his grief became frantic; he lost all
seconro even the consciousness Of his own identity,
and all his Newsaem friends pronounced him insane
He was watched with especial vigilance during storms
fogs damp and gloomy weather. for rear OF an ACCIDENT
At such times no raved pteously, declaring, among
other wild expressions OF his woe, can never be recon
ced 10 have tho snow rain and storms beat upon her
graveD His friend, Bowin Greene, took charge OF h'
and IL was several weeks before 1t considered safe
10 let him 60 back 10 his old hauns and his old employ
ments. He was never precisely the same man again.
He had always subject to periods OF great mental
depression but after this they were more frequent ana
alarming II was then that he began to repeat the poem
which Door I'm ITSELF immortazed by HIS adoption OF
it-'Oh why should the spirit Of mortal be proudP
few weeks after the death Of Ann Ruedge her other
lover McNamar returned TO New-saem; and he seems
TO have ourned for her deeply If not as wildly as did
Lincoln.
One would perhaps expect Of grief like that OF Lin
coin as passionate cOnstancy; but dead ia dead' III
his heart yas3n AIMS grave he, himself, walked the
earth in those boots Of his, very real and not
an ideal man. In 1885, little more than year after
Ann Rutedges DEATH he saw again Miss Mary owens,
whom he had met and somewhat admired three years
before She was q large handsome, matronly-loohng
woman OF % or ga very different type OF person from
the GENTLE sensitive Ann. Miss Owens seems TO nave
prided herself much her education which she says
was different from that Of Lncon but her letters are
written in hghnown, inflated style, which is far from
converting an impression OF superior intellectual power
Lincoln asked her to marry him. but she waited awhile
in order TO become thoroughly acquainted with him. and
then refused him. she did not think him coarse or cruel
but she did think him thoughess careless not alto
gether as polite he might be; In short, as she
herself expresses IT, deficient in those little links which
make nm the great chain of womans happiness" The
"ute links being OF great Importance to her, she
doubtless decided wisely After this decision Lincoln
was guilty Of the meanness Of " life OF which, but
for the researches of the bographer we should nave
been spared the knowledge. He wrote letter to
Mrs o. H. Browning, telling the story OF his acqualnt
ance with Miss owens in n manner most unfair aud
most humiiatng TO the lady. M Lamon speaks OF Its
publication as panful duty" 1t would have been,
think more honored in the breach than In the o0serV
ance but let US tell the truth IL the heavens fa seems
TO have been his motto Mr Lincon's final conclusion
was that he should never marry since he should never
be satisfied with any one who would be oiockhead
enough TO have him"
keep him very long from the tolls spread by feminine
fingers In 1850 Miss Mary Todd to live with her
sister, Mrs. Ninan W. Edwards, at Springfield where
Mr. Lincoln was then established She was young, Just
o. well connected and, according to Mr. Lamon, "hgh-
bred proud brilliant, witty, and with viii that bent
every one else to her purpose She seems 10 have taken
captive the future President tho moment she made up
her mind it would be expedient TO do So
"Mr Lincoln was a rising politician, fresh from the
people ana possessed OF ereSt Love nus hio
To lead through the awful portals OF good society
WhOmsOeyer they chose 20 cOuntehance IL was lhousuI
benefits TO both parties Mr. Edwards thought so Mrs.
Edwards thought so and i was not long before Mary
even before she left Kentucky announced her belief that
she destined TO be the wife Of some future Presl-
dent For little while she cOured by Douglas as
well by Lincoln; but she Is said TO have refused the
Little Giant on account OF ms p94 in h beiIs
wered one has the best chance OF being Prcst
dent she decided I'm favor OF Lincoln and IN the Op.n
ION OF some Of her husbands friends aided TO no small
extent in tie fuldnent OF the prophecy when The be-
| stOwal OF her hand implied"
Mrs Edwards Miss Iodds sister, says that Lincoln
was charmed with Mary's wit aud fascinated with her
quick sagaclty her nature and culture" They woro
speedily engaged AMI their marriage was only ques-
ton OF time. But somehow the Lincoln love affairs seem
never 10 have been altogether satisfactory Miss Ma
tda Edwards presently made her appearance She was
the sister Of Mr. Nnan Edwards fresh young beauty.
whom Lincoln saw, and seeing, loved. Tho affair with
Miss Todd according 10 the Edwardses, according TO
Stuart according to Herndon, according to Lincoln him
SELF was policy match" but this love. Gcntle
ghost Of sweet Rutedge, did your spirit ewes grow
sadO Mr. Edwards tried to marry his sister to Speed,
but she preferred Mr.. Schuyler Strong, and presently
married him. Lincoln had been restrained by sense
! Of honor from declaring his passion, though
! any words OF MS Wouu pIouupy, INV
been uttered in vain. But now conscience assaiet him
ic doing uary Todd grcvous wrong were nc to marry
! her when his heart had thus wandered from her. He
She released him from his engagement and then some
parting eudcarnents followed, and as the natural result
Of those endearment5 reconciliation tNoral-Nhen
you wish 10 break of your engagement with woman,
never kiss her goodbyeJ Lincoln and Mary were again
lie supuer M. Lincoln failed 10 meet lis engagement,
the cause being insanity. His friend speed took him to
Kentucky and kept him thCr0 until no recovered. Dir.
Herndon believes that Lncolus insanity grew out OF
most extraordinary complication OF leehngs-ayerslon
10 the marriage proposed cOunteIatachment TO Miss
guu 81 Ann R1ficde MT Alter his recovery
ricd Miss Todd She told him that though she had re-
osoJ MIN from the agement her own feeling for him
| rama med UNCHANGED Ho went to his friend j. III.
Matheny. and said to him, jim, shall have 20 marry
mat grin At another time Lincoln told him that he
| " was driven into the marriage-that II a thing
| planned by the Edwards family" However through
Eealness or through tenderness no TO have sub
mitted 10 his fate and in 1912 Mary Todd became Mrs.
lincoln, such Is the complicated story OF the Loves of
IncO,u lir. LamOn has succeeded quito tOerably In
proving him weak, ncOnstaut, and unchivalr0us. He
bestows equal energy in proving him 70 have been I'M
christian. lie prints various letters from his friends
rccounting the iuhdel sentiments and speeches OF
| Iincoln's youth, aud be concludes that "while 1t is
very clear that Mr.. Lincoln was at all times an
| nndel in the orthodox sense OF the word
n also very clear that he not at all times equally
willing that everybody should know It, Heneyer offered
10 purge or recant but he willy politician aud did
not dsaln to regulate his religious manifestations with
| some reference TO his political interests" The bog-
raphers of Washington have been f0nnd fault with for
leaving the human nature out OF tho story OF his LIFE
giving him kind Of literary apothcOss Assuredly Mr.
Iamon will be accused Of having failed similarly
m serving up Mr.. Lincoln for posteriy. When read
flat this man. whom all loved, over whose grave
| n nation wept, was q selfish politician, "a man apart
from the rest of his kind unsOcia cold npassiye, neither
good hater nor FOND friend, but " morbid, moody,