Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-22
LINcoLN's PROPOSAL
\ Love Letter which Has Not n Word
I<nva in

Love Letter Which Has Not q Word Of
Love In 1t.
Abraham Lincoln's offer of marriage
was q very curious one, and, siugularly
enough, it has but recently come tc
light. Numerous as his biographers
have been, and closely as they have
CLEANED for new facts and materials, it
was left for the latest one, MIR. Jesse
Weik. of Greencastle. to discover this
unique and characteristic production
OF Mr.. Lincoln's almost untutored
mind The letter is one of several
written. presumably. to the lady he af-
terward married. Addressed to my
dear Mary" it read as follows:
You must know that I not see you or
think OF you with entire indifference; and get
1t may be that you are mistaken in regard 10
what my real feelings toward you are. II
knew you were not, 1 should not trouble you
with this letter. Perhaps any other man would
know enough without further information: but
consider 1t my peculiar right to plead igro-
rance, and your bounden duty to allow tn plea
want in all cases to do right. and most par
ticularly so in all cases with women. want
at this particular time, more than any thing
else. to do right with you: and il I knew it
would be doing right, as I rather suspect it
would. to let you alone, ! would do IL. and,
for the purpose of making the matter as plain
as possible, now say you can drop the subject.
dismiss your thoughts-if you ever had any
from me forever, and leave this letter ur an
swered without calling forth one accusing MUIR
muir from me. And will even go further, and
say that if it will add any thing to your COM
fort or peace of mind to do SO, it Is my si1cere
wish that you should. Do not understand by
this that wish to cut your acquaintance. I
mean no such thing. w hat I do wish is that
our further acquaintance shall depend up
yourself. II such further acquaintance
would contribute nothing to your happiness. I
am sure 1t would not to mine. II you feel your
self in any degree bound to me, am now will
ing to release you, provided you wish it; while.
ON the other hand. am willing and even anx-
ious to bind you faster, If I can be convinced
that 1t will in any degree add to your happiness.
This, indeed. is the whole question with me.
Nothing would make me more miserable than
to believe you m iserable; nothing more happy
than to know you were so. In what have now
said think can not be misunderstood; and to
make myself understood is the only object OF
this letter. II it suits you best not to answer
this, farewell. A long life and q merry one at
tend you. But IL you conclude to write back,
speak as plainly as 1 do. There can be neither
harm nor danger in saying to me any thing you
think, just in the manner you think it. Your
friend, LINCOLN.
Probably this is the queerest love
letter on record. and the most remark
able offer of marriage ever made. 1t
is a love letter without word of love
and a proposal of marriage that does
not propose. Every line of it breathes
admiration, affection. devotion. unsel-
fishness desire for the lady's happi-
ness. the writer's sense of unworthi-
ness and his genuine alteration of the
lady he was addressing. but it does not
mention love.-Indianapolis Journal.