The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-11

Something About the Wives and Sweethearts
Of Our Rulers

Oh our bulefS
Article by Frank G.. Carpenter (ssCarp'') in Lippn
colts Magazine.
President Lince1n's first love was a golden
haired blonde. who had cherry lips, a clear blue
eye, a neat figure, and more than ordinary intel
fectual ability. Her name was Anne Rutledge.
She was the daughter of tavern-keeper In Sar
lem ILL., Mr.. Lincoln met her when he was
about twenty three and, after romantic court
ship, became engaged TO her. She died before
they could be married. and Lincoln was so much
affected by her death that his biographer, Ward
Lamon, says his friends pronounced him
crazy for time He was watched carefully, and
became especially violent during storms, fogs
and damp and gloomy weather. At such times
he would rave, declaring. among other wild ex
pressions IT can never be reconciled to have the
AZ this time he began to quote it is said. the
poem which is so we'll identified with him, be-
ginning
90 why should the spirit of mortal be proud?'
It is supposed that he was thinking of his first
love during the times be so often repeated it.
Years afterwards, when he had become famous.
he wasasked by an old friend as to the story of
his love for Ammo Rutledge, and he said, Iloved
her dearly. She was handsome girl, and would
have made good and loving wife"
Lincoln's next love was a tall, fne-looking
woman, named Mary Owens, with whom he be-
came acquainted about year after Anne Rut-
ledge died. Upon her rejection of him, he wrote
a letter to his friend, Mrs O. Fl. Browning. say
ing that he had been inveigled into paying his
addresses to Miss Owens. but on being refused
he found he cared more for her than he had
thought, and proposed again. In this letter he
says:
Il most emphatically in this instance have
made fool of myself. have come to the con-
clusion never more to think of marrying, and for
this reason-tnat | can never be satisfied with
any one who would be fool enough to have me-"
Still, it was not long after this that he was en-
gagged to Miss Mary Todd, a well educated, rosy
brunette, of Lexington, Ky, who was visiting at
Springfield, where Lincoln was a member OF the
Illinois Legislature Both Lincoln and Stephen
A. Douglas proposed to hsr She refused Doug
las and accepted Lincoln. Lincoln became sud
denly Ill, and it was more than year before
the marriage was consummated. 1t took place
finally in Springfield, and the couple began their
| married life by boarding al the Globe Hotel at
81 week. Lincoln was thirty-three years old
at this time and Mary Todd was twenty one.
number of the Presidents have been in love
pangs OF love unrequited Washington Irving
says that General Washington had serious pas
sion at fifteen for some unknown beauty, which
made him really unhappy for time. The son
of President Tyler. who is distantly related to
the Washington family, tells me that the General
tried to win the daughter of Colonel Cary, of
DENLY Warwick county, Virginia Colonel
Cary was very wealthy, and Washington, who
paid attention to none but prospective heiresses
was much attracted by one Of his daughters He
was d pour uldJUF tileu, duu u0 TOU0 Oh uOTS0-
back to Warwick county and called upon Colonel
Cary. Cary, a stiff old gentlemen with a ruffied
shirt and much dignity, asked Major Washing
ton, as he alighted from his horse:
MAY inquire, sir, what has caused you to
honor with visit at this timer
Major Washington blushingly replied that he
had come TO ask permission to pay his addresses
to Miss Cary with vieN to marrying her.
stWell, sir" responded the stately Colonel, IT
would have you understand that my daughter
ri IN w n hak ba
business you may as we'll mount your horse, sir,
and return"
Miss Cary afterwards married a man named
Amber, member of one of the noted families
of Virginia She was present at the celebration
which took place after the surrender at York
town, and it is said that when she saw Washing
ton so highly honored she tainted away in the
realization of the great mistake she had made in
not marrying him.
A year or two after this, when Washington
mad become a colonel 1T twenty-three years Of
age, he fell in love with May Phillips, rich
New York heiress, at whose house ne spent
week. The authorities are divided as to
whether he proposed to her or not All concede,
however, that he was sighted and went away
very angry, and it is charged that he carried his
anger to the extent of aiding in the confscation
Of thePhiips estate after the Revolution had be-
come success and his love had married his
rival
John Adams's love affairs were numerous, In
1894. the year in which he was married, he writes
in his diary:
81 was of an amorous disposition, and very
early, from ten to eleven years of ace, was very
fond of the society of females. shall draw no
characters nor give any enumeration of my
youthful flames It would be considered as no
compliment to the dead or the living. This
will say: they were all modest and virtuous girls
and always maintained their character through
life. No virgin or matron ever had cause to
blush at the sight of or regret her acquaintance
with me- These reflections, to me con-
solatory beyond expression. am able to make
with truth and sincerity and presume / am in
debted for this blessing to my education"
Jefersons first love occurred when he, youth
of nineteen years, was going TO college at Will
iamsburg His inamorata was Rebecca Burwell,
and his letters Of this date full of her and his
love. He devotes many pages to his grief over
losing watch-paper which she had cut for him,
and Christmas day, 1862 he wrote letter about
his sweetheart to his friend John Page, which
would have filed, says Parton, twelve modern
sheets of letter.paper He was continually COM
pairing her to the loves of the poets, and copies
of love songs written by Jefferson at this time
are still in existence. He sighed for year be-
fore he preached the subject of marriage in a
stammering way at a ball. Miss Burwell did
not give him an explicit reply and a short
time afterwards he found she was engaged to an
othar