Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-07-10
LlNcoLN's FIRST LOVE.
Mrs. BOyce's Story of How She Re.
fused to Be the Wife of a President.

fused to Be the Wife of a President.
The woman who was Abraham Lin
coins first love, ard refused to marry
him, has been long resident of Calls
toga, Cal. Now she is Mrs. Susan
Boyce, but when she was Lincoln's
sweetheart she was Miss Susan Reid, OF
New Salem, on the Sangamon river, in
Illinois.
my father was one of Lincoln's best
friends" she said in speaking of her
acquaintance with President Lincoln.
HE was Lewis {. Reid, and 1t was he
who took Lincoln to Springfield and
introduced him to William +. Seward,
from whom he borrowed the first law
books he ever read. Mr.. Lincoln and
my father belonged to the same polit-
ical party, and they used to talk politics
by the hour. first met him in 1886 at
the house of neighbor named Able.
There was quite party of young peo-
pie there, and l remember that he
seemed very bashful. lie soon began
to pay me good deal of attention,
which pleased my father more than 1t
did me, for my father liked him very
much and had great faith in him. MIR.
Lincoln often took me out horseback
riding and to singing school and
church. He was Spirituaist and he
believed in dreams. He often told me
his dreams were prophetic. He also
talked of the stars great deal, and
l remember l thought him queer
kind of a fellow. Still, he was very
entertaining, and he studied hard all
the time.
"He was not as ardent lover as I've
seen since, but he kept his case going
pretty lively, and pressed me hard for
an answer. He told me | was the first
woman he ever loved, and that he was
sure he could never love anyone else
as he did me, and l believe he meant
what he said. did not want to marry
him, because l didn't love him, and SO
invented a story about being engaged
TO young man back in Kentucky,
where we had come from. That cooled
his ardor for little while, but he soon
began coming to see me again, and
finally he told my father that he would
call on certain day for my final an
swer. When the day came | made it
u point to be away from home, and
Lincoln didn't get over the way treat
ed him. My father lectured me aboutit
@n1l I Ia pf
self, but my mother took my part, and
said that if | did not love him ought
not to marry him.
"While Lincoln was counting me we
were one night at little party where
the young folks were trying their for
tunes with Bible and door key. MIR.
Lincoln was always very much inter-
ested in such things and at once he
wanted to know all about the game.
1t was explained to him that the key
would be placed on verse in the open
Bible and when questions were asked
the key was supposed to turn by super
natural power. Lincoln asked: will
Susie marry man whose name begins
with L?' and the key did not move.
Then he asked: viii she marry man
whose name begins with By and the
key whirled. A young man named
Brooks was then paying me some at
tention, whenever Lincoln gave any
opportunity, and he was the one re-
ferred to, for did not then dream Of
Mr.. Boyce, whom l afterward married.
II never heard MIR. Lincoln make a
speech, and never saw him after 1887
My father scolded me SO much for re
fusing his offer that l married rathe
sooner than l might otherwise hav,
done, in order to escape being lectured.,
Ny husband was friend of Lincoln's,
and they fought side by side in the
Black Hawk war. draw pension now
by reason of the injuries he received
there.
my husband and l went to Texas in
1s49, where | knew Sam Houston well,
and in 1852 we came to California. N.
Y, Sun.