The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-08-12
MRS. LlNCoLN's AMBITION.

MRS. LINCOLN'S AMBITION.
A woman correspondent ofthe Phila-
delphia Times writes from White Sui
phur Springs as follows: ttAithough
Mrs. Lincoln's illness was not known
here, her name was mentioned IN
pleasant parlor conversation between
ladies one evening last week, and
some interesting "reminiscences OF her
were gwen by Mrs. William Preston,
Of Lexington, KY, who when a
young girl, Miss Wickliffe, was we'll
acquainted with Mary Todd, for both
were then living in Lexington. Mrs.
Preston said that Miss Todd had al
ways insisted when quite young girl
that her husband would be President
of the United States, and as she did not
then appear to be one who would at
tract the attention of young men, not
being SO handsome as most of her COM
panions, many of the latter would
laugh at her, prediction. While she
was still young she got into a girlish
pet with her family and announced
that she was going away to make her
home with her sister, Mrs. Edwards,
In Springfield, ILL.,, ana declared that
she would yet be the wife of the Presi-
dent of the United States and triumph
over those who had opposed her.
ssShe went, and was courted by both
Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham
Lincoln, and accepted the latter.
After becoming engaged to him she
wrote to her friend Miss Wickliffe, a
playful description of the man of her
choice, mentioning his unprepossess'
ing appearance and awkwerdness, and
with a merry appreciation of the
humor of the prediction, again said :
uBut L mean to make him President
of the United States ali the same. You
will see that, as always told you, 1
will yet be the Presidents wife,"
uYears afterward, In fact not more
than ten or twelve years ago, in look
ing over the papers of his father-in-
law, Governor Wickliffe, who had just
died, General Preston came across a
letter Endorsed in Governor Wickliffe' g
handwriting, the most remarkable let
ter ever written by ono girl to
another" This proved to be the iden-
tlcal letter written by Mary Todd in
regard to her Observation-Disclosures
Lincoln. When General Preston
showed it to his wife she said she sup
posed that after reading it she had
thrown it carelessly down on her
fathers desk, attaching no Importance
to it, but he, picking it up, was so i'm
pressed by it that he Endorsed it as
quoted above, and laid it away among
his papers, to be found after the girlisl
prophecy had been fulfilled.
"Mrs, I.incoln's talent for match
making did not end with herself, for il
was she who picked out Mary Harlan,
the daughter of the Senator from Iowa,
for her son Robert, and seeing her one
evening Mt the opera, remarked: 81
should like Robert to marry just such
a girl as that" Her husband who
heard her say it, then observed to Mr..
Summer; "My wife is Il great match
maker. She will make match be-
tween Harlan's daughter and Bob; see
if she don't"
subsequently Mrs. Lincoln sent
Miss Harlan IL bouquet and began Guilt
waiting her acquaintance and throwing
her son and the young lady together.
Meantime the young people had met
at hop at the National hotel, in
Washington, and soon became inter
ested in each other. That was in the
spring of 1865. Their marriage, how
ever, did not occur until September,
1867 or 1868, think the latter year,
and the only time Mrs. Abraham Lin
coin has visited Washington since her
removal from the White House after
her husbands assassination was when
she attended her sons wedding there.
She has always been fond OF his wife,
even since she has been offended with
him, and Mrs. Robert Lincoln visited
her last winter, and has done so every
year when her mother-in-law has been
in this country. President Lincoln
was also attracted by Miss Harlan, and
I was told by one who knows and wht
spoke of it to me in Washington in thu