Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-05
PRESIDENTIAL LOVES.
something About the Wives and Sweet
hearts of Our Rulers.

hearts OF our RuierSs
President Lincoln's first love was
golden-haired blonde, who had cherry
lips, clear blue eye, neat figure, and
more than ordinary intellectual ability.
Her name was Anne Rutledge. She was
the daughter OF a tavernkeeper in Salem,
Ill. Mr.. Lincoln met her when he was
about %, and, after a romantic court
ship. became engaged to her. She died
before they could be married; and Lin
coin was SO much affected by her death
that his biographer, Ward Lamon, says
his friends pronounced him crazy for a
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 expressions. 81 can
never be reconciled to have the snow,
rain, and storms to beat upon her
grave" At this time he began to quote,
it is said. the poem which is SO well
identified with him, beginning
Q, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
1t is supposed that he was thinking Of
his first love during the times he so often
repeated it. Years afterwards, when he
had become famous, he was asked by
an old friend as to the story of his first
love for Anne Rutledge, and he said, IL
loved her dearly. She was handsome
girl, and would have made good and
loving wife"
Lincoln's next love was tall, fine
looking woman, named Mary Owens,
with whom he became acquainted about
n year after Anne Rutledge died. Upon
her rejection of him, he wrote letter to
his friend Mrs. o. ii. Browning, saying
that he had been inveigled into paying
his addresses to Miss Owens, but on be-
ing refused he found he cared more for
her than he had thought, and proposed
again. In this letter he says: 81
81 most emphatically in this instance
have made a fool of myself. l have
come to the conclusion never more to
think of marrying, and for this reason
that l 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 engaged to Miss Mary Todd. a
well-educated, rosy brunette of Lexing-
ton, KY, who was visiting atSpringfeld,
where Lincoln was a member of the
Illinois Legislature. Both Lincoln and
Stephen A. Douglas proposed to her.
She refused Douglas and accepted Lin
coin. Lincoln became suddenly i'll, and
il was more than year before the mar
riage was consummated. Ii took place
finally in Springfield, and the couple
began their married life by boarding at
the Globe Hotel at 81 week Lincoln
was 80 years old at this time and Mary
Todd was q.
A number of the presidents have been
in love more than once, and several
have suffered the pangs of love unre-
Quilted. Washington Irving says that
Gen Washington had serious passion
at 10 for some unknown beauty which
made him really unhappy for time.
The son of President Tyler, who is dis.
family related to the Washington fami.
ly, tells me that the general tried to win
the daughter of Col. Cary of DENLY,
Warwick county, Va. Col. Cary was
very wealthy, and Washington, who
paid attention to none but prospective
heiresses, was much attracted by one of
his daughters. He was poor Major
then, and he rode on horseback TO War;
wick county, and called upon Col. Cary.
Cary. a stiff old gentleman with ruffled
shirt and much dignity, asked MAI.
Washington, as he alighted from his
horse:
MAY inquire, sir, what has caused
you to honor me with visit at this
timer"
Maj. Washington blushingly replied
that he had come to ask permission to
pay his addresses to Miss Cary with a
view to marrying her.
''Well, sir" responded the stately
Colonel, 81 would have you understand
that my daughter rides in her own car.
riage; and ifthat be your business you
may as well mount your horse, sir, and
return
Miss Cary afterwards married man
named Amber, u member of one of the
noted families of Virginia. She was
present at the celebration which took
place after the surrender at Yorktown,
and it is said that when she saw Wash
ington 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 Wash
ington had become a Colonel, at %
years of age, he fell in love with May
Phillips, rich New York heiress. at
whose house he 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 confiscation of the Phillips
estate after the Revolution had become
a success and his love had married his
rival.
John Adams love affairs were numer-
Gus. In 1854, the year in which he was
married, he writes in his diary:
Il was of ian amorous disposition, and
very early, from 10 to II years of age,
was very fond of the society of females.
| shall draw no characters nor give any
enumeration of my youthful flames. II
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 consolatory beyond expression, am
able to make with truth and sincerity
and presume / am indebted for this
blessing to my education.
Jefferson's first love occurred when
he, youth of 10 years, was going to
college at Williamsburg. His anamo
rata was Rebecca Burwell, and his let
tiers of this date are full of her and his
love. He devotes many pages to his
grief over losing a 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 filled, says Parton,
| twelve modern sheets of letter paper.
He was continually comparing 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 q
year before he preached the subject OF
| marriage in stammering way at ball.
Miss Burwell did not give him an ex-
plicit reply, and a short time afterwards
he found she was engaged to another.
-Frank G. Carpenter ("Carp"), in
LipptncotfS Magazine.