The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-08-11
nScOLS's CouRTsmIP.
"Reminiscences Of MS Engagement 90 Mar,
Todd.

The body Of Mrs. Lincoln lay peace.
fully in the little room at her aster's
house, and just within the door lead.
ing 10 the room wbeIO the marriage
ceremony was performed which made
her the wife OF the martyr President,
whose tomb, at Oak Ridge Cemetery,
is the Mecca Of so many patriotic pill
grims.
The curious circumstance Of the
courtship, poarriage and death occurring
in the same house, has already revived
some curious rcminiscences. An old,
lifetime friend Of Lincoln's says the
story in Some respects is amusing in
others very sad. I. is substantially this:
MGy TODD had step-mother at her
home in Lexington, KY, with whom
she could not agree, and consequently
she came, in 1889, To live with her
sister in this city, the wife Of Hon.
Ninian w. Edwards. Mr. Lincoln was
then rising Ia the legal profession, and
10 the political field he bad no local
superiors. Miss Todd vas aristocrat, a
KentuckiAn through and through, and
il became a common opinion among the
neighbors that they would make splen-
did match. Soon Miss Todd came TO
tho samO conclusion the neighbors bad
already reached. Stephen A. Douglas
was one of her suitors a, this time, Lut
she objected TO his morals, and said
that, at any rate, she wanted to marry
some one who bad chance Of being
President
Finally, she aud Lincoln were engag.
Ell and their marriage Mas understood
70 be only question oi time, awaiting
the arrival of convenient season, when
a sister Of Dir. Edwards came TO pay
him a visit. She was a confessed
beauty, and before long Lincoln wal
bead over cars in love with her. lin
coin tried TO fgh. against the new fame
but i. burned in his heart as on ar
altar. At las. he wrote n letter tC
send 70 Mary, telling har the state oi
bis feelings bnt tbe late Joshua +
I Sresd, the most intimate friend Lin.
coin ever had, got the letter from him
aud made bim agree to go 10 Mary
like a man, and tell her the trouble
She heard bis story aud promptly
sgrerd TO release him from bis engage
rpsnt, but the lease-taking was cAthel
tender, aud broke Lincoln all up. IL
returned u his Office, but could not g
to work lie dropped about for sever
al days, and shortly Mr. Speed dis
covered that he Vas probably in dan
ger Of committing suicide. Mrs Ell
wards says that for time this low
affair actually drove him crazy, and il
order 10 wean him from his melancholy
Speed closed out bis own business i
Springfield, and he and Lincoln wen
together to Kentucky aud spent almoI
q year there before the latter recoyere
his ordinary cheerfnlness and equanin
} ity.
Some days kefore starting on I'll
trip, Mr. Lincoln wrote a curious artic
on tho subject of Suicide and put
lished il in Illinois State Journal.
search in the bound files of that pap'
/ rsveales the fact that the article
nearly all cut out, ani it is suTmist
: that, later In his lite, Mr. Lincoln his
himself undertaken to destroy It, /
: that it might be forgotten
On Mr.. Lincoln's retura from IL
Kentucky trip, the courtship went {
quietly-some say clandestinely for
3 time, and on the afternoon Of Never
+ Der 4, 1912, he said to his friend j.
t Matheney (still living in this city
I "Jim, Pm going to marry that girl
and they were married that evening.
t indianapolis Journal.
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