Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-09-14
Abraham Lincoin's First Love.


A correspondent of the New York
sun, writing from Calistoga, CAL, writes
that the woman who was Abaham Lin
coins first love, and refused to marry
him, has been long resident OF that
town. 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 Hill
nois.
"My father was one of Lincoln's best
friends" she said, in speaking of her
acquaintance with President Lincoln.
He was Lewis C. Reid, and it was he
who took Lincoln to Springfield and
introduced him to William E. Seward,
from whom he borrowed the first law
'soks he ever read. Mr.. Lincoln and
Ay father belonged to the same polit-
cal party, and they used to talk poll
tics by the hour. l first met him in
1886 at the house of neighbor ramed
lble. There was quite a party of
young people there, and / remember
that rs seemed very bashful. He
soon Eegan to pay me good deal Of at
tention, which pleased my father more
than 1t did me, for my father liked him
very 2auch and had great faith in him.
Mr.. Lincoln often took me out horse
back riding and to singing school and
church. He was spiritualist, and he
believed in dreams. He often told me
his dreams were prophetic. He also
ko1l nf ctar n
remember l thought him queer kind
of a fellow. Still, he was very enter
tanning, 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 any one else
as he did me, and I believe he meant
what he said. did not want to marry
him, because didn't love him, and so
invented story about being engaged
to a 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 ne told my father that he would
call on certain day for my final an
swer. When the day came / made it
a point to he away from home, and
Lincoln didn't get over the way treat
ed him. My father lectured me about
It, and told me / had made a Ounce Of
myself, 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 a Bible and a door key. Mr..
Lincoln was always very much interest
ed 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 a 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 LIP and the key did not move.
Then he asked, will she marry man
whose name begins with B?' and the
key whirled. A young man named
Brooks was then paying me some at
tention, whenever Lincoln gave him an
opportunity, and he was the one re.
ferred to. for l did not then dream
of Mr.. Boyce, whom / afterward mar
ried
81 never heard Mr.. Lincoln make a
speech, and I never saw him after 1887.
My father scolded me 50 much for re-
fusing his offer that / married rather
sooner than / might otherwise have
done in order to escape being lectured
My husband was friend of Lincoln s.
and they fought side by side in the
Black Hawk war. l draw a pension
now by reason Of the injuries he re-
ceived there.