The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-08-09
Molly Todd's Long-Legged Amhj
tlOn.

Mrs. Grundy." who gathers fashlona
bic gossip for the Philadelphia Times,
writes from White Sui phur Springs, the
following "reminiscences of Mrs. Abe LIN
celn, by her old school mate. Mrs. Col.
VIM. Preston, formerly Miss Wycliffe, OF
Lexigton, KY
Mrs. Preston said that Miss Todd had
| always 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 attract the
attention OF young men, not being as
| handsome as most of her companions,
many of the latter would laugh at her pre-
diction. While she was still young she
got into girlish pet with her family and
| announced that she was going to make
her home with her sister, Mrs. Edwards,
in Springfield, ILL.,, and declared that she
would yet be the wife of the President OF
the United States and triumph over those
who had opposed her.
| She went, and was courted by both
| Stephen A. Douglass and Abraham LIN
coin, and accepted the latter. After be-
coming engaged to him she wrote to her
friend, Miss Wickliffe, "a playful descrip-
! ton of the man of her choice, mentioning
| his unprepOssesslng appearance End awk-
wardness, and with a merry appreciation
| of the humor of the prediction, again
said but mean to make him Presl-
| dent Of the United States all the same.
| lou will see that, as | always told you, |
! will yet be the Presidents wife Years
afterwards, In tact not more than ten OF
| twelve years ago, In looking over the pa
| pers of his fatber-in-law, Governor Wick
| life, who had just died, General Preston
came across letter indOrsed In Cover oI
Wickliffe's handwriting, 1.-The most re-
markable letter ever written by one glr
to another" This proved to be the lden
| tical letter written by Mary Todd In re-
gard to her betrothed-A Abraham Lincoln.
| When General Preston showed it to his
wife, she said she supposed that after
reading it she had thrown it carelessly
down on her fathers desk, attaching
no Importance to it, but he was SO I'M
pressed by it a. he indorsed it as quoted
above, and LAID 1t away among his papers,
been fulfilled. Mrs. Lincoln's talent tor
matchmaking did not end with herself,
for it was she who picked out Mary ! lar
/
Iowa, tor her son Robert, and seeing hel
one evening at the opera, remarked, i
| should like Robert to marry lust such a
girl as that" Her husband, who heard
her say it, thea observed to Mr.. Sumner,
My wife is great match maker. She
will make "a match between Harlan
daughter and Bob; see if she don
subsequently Mrs. Lincoln sent Miss
| Harlan bouquet and began cultivatln9
her acquaintance ana throwing her son
and the young lady together. Mean
time the young people had met at & hop
at the National Hotel, in Wash Egton.
and soon became interested in each
other. That was in the spring of 1868
Their marriage, however did not Occur
until September, 1867 or 1868 i think
| the latter year-and the only time Mrs
Abraham Lincoln has visited Washing
ton since her removal from the White
IIeuse after her husband S assassination
was whom she attended her sons 3 wed
ding there. She has always cen fond Of
his wife, even since she has been offended
with nim, 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 Linco' u
also was attracted by Miss Harlan, and
[ WAS told by one who knows, and who
spoke of it to me in Washington in the
spring, that he had before his death de-
cided to take MIR. Harlan into his cabinet.
and it was playfully said that it was the
possibility of match between their
children which first suggested the idea
to him. Miss. GRUNDY.