Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-08-15
LINCOLN'S PROPOSAL
a Love Letter Which Has Not a Word
Iowa I'm t.

a Love Letter Which Has Not q Word Of
Love In 1t.
Abraham Lincoln's offer of MARRIAGE
was very curious one, and, singularlv
enough, 1t has but recently come to
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, Mr.. Jesse
Welk, 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 1 not see you or
think of you with entire indifference; and vet
it may be that you are mistaken in regard 10
what my real feelings toward you are If
knew you were not, 1 should not trouble you
with this letter. Perhaps any other man would
know enough without further information; but
iconsider 1t my peculiar right to plead igno-
rance, and your bounden duty to allow tn e 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 knew it
would be doing right, 1 rather suspect it
would. to let you alone I would do it, And
for the purpose OF making the matter as plain
as possible, Row say you can drop the subject,
dismiss your thoughts-if you ever had any
from me forever and leave this letter unan-
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 sincere
wish that you should. Do not understand by
this that wish to cut your acquaintance. I
mean no such thing W hat 1 do wish is that
our further acquaintance shall depend up
on yourself. II such further acquaintance
would contribute nothing to your. happiness I
am sure II 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, il 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 iserabe; 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. If it suits you best not to answer
this. farewell. long life and a merry one at
tend you. But if you conclude to write back
speak ds plainly as 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 love letter without a word of love
and proposal of marriage that does
not propose. Every line of it breathes
admiration, affection, devotion. unset
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 ve.-Indianapolis journal.