The herald., 1895-05-18
SKETCHES FROM THE LIFE OF LINCOLN

The whole basis of all yonr reasoning OH
the ubjects After you and had once been
at the residence did you rot go and take
me all the way to Lexington and back for
no other purpose hut to get tn see her
again on onr return ON that evening to
take a trip for that express objcctt"
The next paragraph is significant as af-
fording us an idea of how tho writer per
haps viewed Miss Todd's Irritation with
Douglas: What earthly consideration,
he asks, would you take to find her scout
ing and dcspising you ard giving herself
up to another? But of this you need have
no apprehension, and therefore you cannot
bring it home to your feelings"
Feb 3 he writes again, acknowledging
receipt of a letter dated Jan. 25. The OBJ
ject of Speeds affection had been ILL., and
her condition had greatly intensified his
gloomy spirits, Lincoln proffers his sym
pathy, Il hope and believe" he con-
tinues, that your present anxiety about
her health and her life must and will for
ever Danish those horrid doubts which
know you sometimes felt as to the truth
of your affection for her. If they can once
and forever be removed (and almost feel
presentiment that the Almighty has sent
your present afIiiction expressly for that
object), surely nothing can como in their
stead to fill their immeasurable measure
of misery"
More Words OF Comfort.
The next letter, Feb. 10, was written on
tho cvo of Speeds marriage After assur-
ances of his desire to befricnd him in ev-
crything he suggests: But you will al
ways hereafter he on ground that have
never occupied, and consequently, II ad-
x-;o I ,ieyb vi
do fondly hope, however, that you will
never again need any comfort from abroad
1 incline to think it probable that your
nerves will occasionally fail you for awhile
but once you get them firmly graded now
that trouble is over forever. If you went
through the ceremony calmly. or even
with sufficient composuro not to excite
alarm in any present, you are safe beyond
question, and in two or three months, to
say the most, will be tho happiest of men. "
Meanwhile Lincoln had been duly in
formed of Speeds marriage, and on the
25th he responds: Yours of the 16th an
nouncing that Miss Fanny and you are
no more twain, but one flesh, reached ME
this morning. l have no way of telling
how much happiness l wish you both,
though believe You both can conceive 1t.
l feel somewhat jealous of both of you
now. You will be so exclusively concerned
for one another that shall be forgotten
entirely. 1 shall be very lonesome with
out you. How miserably things seem tc
ho arranged IN this world! If we have no
friends, we have no pleasure, and II wo
have them we are sure to lose them and
be doubly panied by the loss.
Speed having now safely married, Lin
coins mind began to turn on things near
er home. His relations with Mary Todd
were still strained, but reminders of his
period of gloom the year before began now
to bring her again into view. In letter
to Speed March 27 he says:
1T cannot be told how 1t thrills me
with joy to hear you say you are far hap
pier than you ever expected to be- That
much, 1 know, is enough. l know you
too we'll to suppose your expectations were
not at least sometimes extravagant, and
If the reality exceeds them all l say,
Enough, dear Lord am not going be-
yond the truth when tell you that the
short space it took me to read your last
letter gave me more pleasure than tho
total sum Of all have enjoyed since that
fatal 1st of January, 1S41. Since then it
seems to me l should have been entirely
happy but for the never absent idea that
there Is one still unhappy whom l have
contributed TO make so. That kills my
soul. 1 cannot but reproach myself Of
even wishing to be happy while she is
otherwise. She accompanied large party
on the railroad cars to Jacksonville last
Monday and ON her return spoke, SO that
heard of 1t, Of having enjoyed the trip
exceedingly. God be praised for that!'
Bit of Sentiment.
Meanwhile tho coldness that existed be-
tween Lincoln and his Mary" was grad
ually passing away, and with 1t went all
| of Lincoln's resolution never to renew the
engagement. In letter, July 4, he says:
Il must gain confidence in my own abil
| ity to keep my resolves when they are
made In that ability once pridcd my
self as the only chief gem of my character.
| That gem l lost how and where you
know too we'll. I have not regained it,
and until I do cannot trust myself in
any matter Of much Importance. believe
now that had you understood my case at
the time as we'll as 1 understood yours
afterward, by the aid you would have Civ
en- me I should have sailed through clear,
but that does not now afford me sufficient
confidence to begin that or the like of that
again. always was superstitious. be-
| lieve God made me one of the instruments
of bringing Fanny and you together,
which union have no doubt he had fore
ordained. Whatever he designs he will
do for me yet Stand still and see the sal
walton of the Lord, is my text just now.
If, as you say, you have told Fanny oil, 1
should have no objection to her seeing
this letter, but for its reference to our
friend here let her seeing it depend upon
whether she has ever known anything Of
my affairs, and if she has not do not let
her. do not think l can come to Ken
tucky this season. am so poor and mako
so little headway in the world that drop
back in a month of idleness as much as
gain in years sowing"
| Tho last letter, and the one which closes
this series, was written Oct. 8, 1S42. In
it he simply announces his duel with
Shields and then goes on to "narrate
the particulars Of the duelling business,
which still RACES in the CITY,"
A Secondhand President.
No doubt Mr.. Lincoln sufficiently ap.
preciated the good qualities Of ex-Presi
| dent Fillmore then living. but a mention