The sun., 1896-10-18

without internisslon, phe dared not read the
| newspapers lest she should come suddenly on
| some of these libels.
| The public is sometimes swayed bya species
| OF hypnotsm and In such cases when notion.
true or false. has once been nstnuated into M its
multitudinous head, the suggestion pecomts lHr
the tme dominant Idea, transforming and col.
oring all opposing Ideas, no matter how correct
or certain Hence to serve the interests Of truth
history is continually unrn Sde as well m made;
In this way, H. may have been, tho tll-natnred
gossip about Mrs. Lincoln had its origin and ac-
During Mrs. Lincoln's later years. II should
be said, Ill health increased her sensitiycness
TO misreprest ntRtinn. ami In turn perhaps, as u
was not unnatural, multiplied her detractors, TO
whom she was personally unknown; A case IN
point occurred within my own kn9wledge: ,,o. r
visited the family OF Col Taylor IN Chicago.
Before leav!n. Louisville. Ky, my home, WAS
sure. during my visit, to call on Mrs. Lincoln,
who was then in Chicago l,expresstd come re.
my infancy and being. to tell tho truth. some
what impressed Ivy the stories about her; but
my guardian and his excellent wife, who rated
these stories at their trne value, insisted that
owed 1t to them, and above all, to tho memory
Of my parents, to 60 to see her; and promlsed:
advised me against calling, declaring that she
had refused TO receive or return the calls or the
ladies OF Chicago who had offered To pay their
respects, and had treated the people of Chicago
In general with such Indifference, not to say
rudencss. that popular movement for present
Ing TO her the magnificent residence OF Col.
Taylor In the city had been abandoned by COM
mon consent. was discouraged, but resolved
TO fulfil my promise, and accordingly called at
her hotel aid sent up my card. To my agree
able surprise she not only rcceived me. hut de-
lsined me far beyond the conventional limit:
that. When | cal ed subsequently did not see
her indeed but she sent me card. saying she
and asking me to come to SEQ, her the following
day at specified hour, which did. In short,
she bore herself throughout as the warm
hearted. whole. ..ouled. high-splrited Kentucky
woman she was.
The, simple truth is that Mrs. Lincoln at this
period was in astate of health which incapacl-
tated her for apnreciating. much more for rrcip-
rocatlnr. the cviiitieN OF ths public Her recent
experiences. acting on her shattered nerves, had
mrde her morhidly suspicious. causing her to
fear in each stranger an enemy. us
Tho bird that hath been lined in bush,
Widowed In the most tragic circumstances.
bounded IN the midst of her grief hy the press
almost the world over, attacked alike in private
and In public, and pursued by anldnnncs and
wonder that her mood. under this terrible and
cruel strain. was over-sensitive, with oil that
In these circumstances she naturally did less
than Justice to the motives Of tho Chicagonns;
@ hpp '@eS coSditon HT THo md s was
mutual but unhappiy The consequences OF 1t
fell on her alone, and fell IL the familiar form
of the circumstances
The multitude set n high estimation on the
homage they pay to indiviiuals and wne to tho
object OF that homage who no matter how
innncently. falls to acknowledge IL. In this
capital point OF popularity 1t was Mrs. Lincoln's
fate to fail, but the failure was in no proper
Bense her fault.
have said thus much Of Mrs. Lincoln purely
in the interests OF justice. for, although ahe
was the friend OF my pnrents and or others
dear TO me. and my own friend, have no In
tersst in her at variance with that supreme
one. Indeed, | might have said nothing. even
under stress of this high motive. had not re-
Gently been asked, not only by her contein-
porares. but by members Of the Using genera
tion. II this. that. and the other thing concern
ing her were true or not. | hayo therefore felt
1t duty to saw what have said.
SnhjOined are two letters from Mrs. Lincoln
to me. and hurried note of farewell. Part Of
one Of the letters is repeated in fac srnile. Tho
handwriting and the composition may he eH-
amnrd with interest by those accustomed to
regard her as deficient in education, feeling.
and refinement. A graphnlogist. II | mistake
not, would trace in her chirography n character
very different from that too often associated
with her name ALICE ID. SHlPMAS.
EDGEwATEK PARK, y. j.. Oct. 1G.