The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-06-14

left my home In Now York There was
no rivalry between us on that score. on
the contrary, / had every reason to be-
lieve him my warm personal friend. But
by and by was left so far behind in the
race did not deem my chances worthy
of notice From this time forward he
made rapid strides to that imperishable
fame which justly fills world"
A Pathetic Event.
Lincoln began to court Miss Rutledge
in dead earnest AS he pleaded and press
ed his cause the Rutletges and all New
Salem encouraged his suit. McNamar's
unexplained absence and apparent neglect
furnished outsiders with all the argu'
ments needed to encourage Lincoln and
convince Anne. Although the attachment
was growing and daily becoming an in
tense and mutual passion, the young lady
remained firm and almost infexible. She
was passing through another fire.
A long struggle with her feelings fol
lowed, but at length the inevitable mo-
ment came. She consented to have Lin
coin, provided he gave her time to, write
to McNamar and obtain his release from
her pledge The slow moving mails car
ried her tender letter to New York Days
and weeks, which to the ardent Lincoln
must have seemed painfully long, passed,
but the answer never came. In half
hearted way she turned to Lincoln, and
her looks told him that he had won. She
accepted his proposal. Now that they
were engaged he told her what she al
ready knew-that he was poverty ITSELF
| She must grant him time to gather up
funds to live on until he had completed
his law studies. After this trifling delay
nothing on Gods footstool argued the
emphatic lover could keep them apart To
this the thoughtful Anne consented. 10
one of her brothers she said, AS soon as
his studies are completed we are to be
married. But the ghost of another love
would often rise nnbidden before her.
Within her bosom ragged the conflict which
finally undermined her health Late in
the summer she TOOK to her bed. fever
was burning in her head. Day by day she
sank until all hope was banished. Dur
ing the latter days OF her sickness her ply
stefan had forbidden visitors to enter her
room prescribing absolute quiet. But
her brother relates that she kept inquiring
for Lincoln so continuously, at times de-
manding to see him, that the family at
| last sent for him. On his arrival at her
| bedside the door was closed, and he was
VOWS and revelations were made during
this sad interview, were known only to
him and the dying girl. A few days after
ward she became unconscious and remain
ed so until her death on the 25th day of
August, 1885 She was buried in what is
known as the Concord graveyard, about
seven miles north west of the town of Pc
tersburg.
The most astonishing and sad sequel to
this courtship was the disastrous effect of
Miss Rutledges death on Mr. Lincoln's
mind. 1t operated strangely on one of his
calm and stoical makeup. AS he return
ed from the visit to the bedside of Miss
Rutledge he stopped at the house of a
friend, who relates that his face showed
signs of no little mental agony. He was
very much distressed, " is the la1 guage of
this friend, land l was not surprised
when it was rumored subsequently that
his reason was in danger" One of Miss
Rutledge's brothers says: 1.-The effect upon
Mr.. Lincoln's mind was terrible. He be-
came plunged in despair, and many of
his friends feared that reason would desert
her throne. His extraordinary emotions
Were regarded as strong evidence of the
existence of the tenderest relations between
himself and the deceased - The truth is
Mr.. Lincoln was strangely wrought up
over the sad ending of the affair. He had
fits of great mental depression and wan
dered up and down the river and into the
woods woefully distracted, at times in
the deepest distr S. If, when we read
what the many credible persons who knew
him at the time tell US, we do not con-
clude that he was deranged, we must ad
nit that he walked on that sharp and mar
row line which divides sanity from insan
ity. To one friend he complained that the
thought that the SHOWS and rains fall
upon her grave filled him with indescriba-
BILE grief He was watched with especial
vigilance during damp, stormy days I'M
der the belief that dark and gloomy wealth
er might produce such a depression of
spirits as to induce him to take his own
life His condition finally became so
alarming his friends consulted together
and st Mt him to the house of kind friend, |
Bowlin Greene, who lived in a secluded |
spot hidden by the hills mile south of |
town. Here he remained for some weeks |
under the care and ever watchful eye of |
this noble friend, who gradually brought |
him back to reason, or at least a realiza-
ton of his true condition. In the years
that followed Mr.. Lincoln never forgot
the kindness of Greene through those
weeks of suffering and peril. In 1912,
when the latter died and Lincoln was Sc
lected by the Masonic lodge to deliver the
funeral grafton, he broke down in the
midst of his address. His voice was
choked with deep emotion. He stood
few moments while his lips quivered in
the effort TO form the words of fervent
praise he sought to utter, and the tears ran
down his yellow and shriveled cheeks
Every heart was hushed at the spectacle
After repeated efforts he found it impOs-
sible to speak and Strobe away, bitterly
sobbing, to the widows carriage, and
was driven from the scene.
Immortality"
1t was shortly after this that DR.. Jason
Duncan placed in Lincoln's hands poem
called Immortality" The piece starts
put with the line "Oh, why should the
'piTst of mortal be proudl'' Lincolns love
ior this poem has certainly made it i'm
mortal He committed these lines to |
memory, and any reference to or mention
u Miss Rutledge would suggest them, as
1 to celebrate grief which lay with con-
lnual heaviness on his heart. - There is
10 question that from this time forward
Mr. Lincoln's spells of melancholy became
more Intense than ever. In fact, tinge