The herald., 1895-04-25

Uuring the warm, dry summer months
Lincoln kept up the love siege without
apparent diminution of zeal. He was as
assiduous as ever, and in August was anx-
tous to force a decision. On the 10th he
had a meeting with her which terminated
much like drawn battle-at least it
seems to have afforded him but little en-
couragement, for on his return to SPRING
field he Immediately INDUCED in an epis-
tolary effusion stranger than any that pre-
ceded 1T:
FRIEND MARY-You will no doubt think it
rather strange that should write you letter
on the same day on which we parted, and
can only account for 1t by supposing that see
ing you lately makes me think Of you more
than usual, while at our late meeting we had
but few expressions of thoughts. You must
know that cannot see you OF think Of you
with entire indifference, and yet it may be
that you are mistaken in regard to what my
real feelings towards you are. If ! knew you
were not, should not trouble you with this
letter. Perhaps any other man would know
enough without further information, but I
consider 1t my peculiar right to plead igno-
rance and your bounden duty to allow the 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 anything
else, to do right to you, and if knew it would
bedoing right, as l rather suspect it would,
10 let you alone, would do it. And for the
purpose of making the matter as plain as pos
sible now say that 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 70 further and
say that If it will add anything 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 What l do wish is that
our further acquaintance shah depend upon
yourself. If such further acquaintance would
contribute nothing to your happiness, am
sure 1t would not to mine. If you feel yourself
IN any degree bound to me- am willing
TO release you, provided you wish it, while, ON
the other hand, am willing and even anxious
to bind you faster if l can be convinced that it
will in any considerable degree add to your
happiness. This indeed is the whole question
with me- Nothing would make me more mis-
cradle, nothing moro happy, than to know you
were so.
In what have said think cannot be mis-
understood, and to make myself understood is
the sole object of this letter
II 1t suits you best to not answer this-fare-
well-a long life and merry one attend you
But IL you conclude to write back speak as
plainly as / do. There can be neither harm
nor danger in saying to me anything you think
Just in the manner you think it. My respects
70 your sister. Your friend, LINCOLN
A Ludicrous Letter.
For an account of the final outcome Of
this affaire du occur the reader is now re-
ferred to the most ludicrous letter Mr..
Lincoln ever wrote. 1t has been said, but
with how much truth do not know, that
during his term as president the lady to
whom it was written, Mrs. o. H. Brown
IL IN - Al.
iature, before giving copy of 1t to a BIZ
ographer, wrote to Lincoln asking his con-
sent to the publication, but that. no an
swered warning her against it because it
was too full Of truth. The only biographer
who ever did insert it apologized for its ap-
pearance in his book, regarding it for
many reasons as an extremely painful
duty. "If it could be withheld he la
ments, land the act decently rcconciled to
tho conscience of biographer protesting
to be honest and candid, it should never
see the light in these pages. Its grotesque
! humor, it's coarse exaggerations in describ-
ing the person of lady whom the writer
was willing to marry, its imputation of
toothless and weather beaten old age to a
woman really young and handsome, it's
utter lack of that delicacy of tone and SON.
timent which one naturally expects a
gentleman to adopt when he thinks proper
to discuss the merits of his late mistress
all these and its defective photography it
would certainly be more agreeable to sup
press than to publish. But, if we begin
by emitting or mutilating document
which sheds so broad light upon one
part Of his life and one phase of his char
acter, why may we not do the like as fast
and as often as the temptation arises? And
where shall the process cease?"
prefer not to take such a serious view
Of the letter or it's publication. My idea
is that Mr.. Lincoln got into one of his IT.
sesistible moods of humor and fun-a
state of feeling into which he frequently
worked himself to avert the overwhelming
effects of his constitutional melancholy
and in the inspiration of the moment pen
ned this letter, which many regard as an
unfortunate composition. The class who
take such a gloomy view of the matter
should bear in mind that the letter was
written by Mr.. Lincoln in the fervor of
early manhood, just as he was emerging
from most embarrassing situation, and
addressed to friend who, he supposed,
would keep 1t sacredly sealed from the
public eye. AS matter of fact, Mr.. Lin
coin was not gifted with a ready porcep-
ton of the propriety of things in all cases.
Nothing with him was intuitive. To have
profound Judgment ard just discrimina-
ton he required time to think, and If facts
or events were forced before him in too
rapid succession the machinery Of his
Judgment failed to work. A knowledge
Of this fact will account for tho letter. and
also servo to rob the offense, If any was
committed, of half its severity.
How He Got Out of 1t.