The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-23

gently few hundred feet beyond the front
yard, and said:
81 can truthfully say that have never
heen sorry that l married Mr.. Boyce
rather than Abraham Lincoln. You ask
why. perhaps? Well iii tell you why.
have always been believer in love, in ro-
nance, in ideaism. l have been novel
reader and lover OF poetry. l believe,
too, in fate. 1t was not fated for me TO
marry Lincoln. He was an honest young
man, but did not love him. Why? !
don't know, but do know this, love is q
thing that you can't force. In the first
place he was homely, very awkward and
very superstitious. He was spiritualist
and believed III dreams. He often told
me his dreams were prophetic. l did not
like this very WELL He was only a com-
mon rail-splitter when l knew MIN, but
he studied hard in his little cabin, and b.
was very entertaining. 1 never saw him
after 1887 and l never heard him make u
speech.
'He used to talk of the stars a great
deal, and he seemed to me q very queer
fellow. | was only a girl when | knew
h m, FOR | was born in 1916 in Kentucky,
and l first met Mr.. Lincoln in 1886 at the
home of a neigh Dor named Able. We
were both guests at the house for the day.
There were many young folks there, and
Temem Der that Lincoln was very bashful.
My father was at that time one of Lin
coins best friends. His name was Lewis
c. Reid, and he took Lincoln to Spring
field and introduced him to William E.
Seward, from whom he borrowed the first
law books he ever read He and my
father were OF the same political faith,
and they often talked politics by The
hour.
But the smooth-faced and awkward
young man whose memory the nation has
long revered soon began 10 pay me more
attention than he did my father. and this
pleased my father more than It did me
In those days there were no buggies TO
speak OF, and the way young folks courted
very often was to go out on a horse back
ride together. Mr.. Lincoln often took me
out horseback riding, and though he was
not as ardent wooer as I've seen since he
kept his case going pretty lively and
pressed me very hard for an answer. He
pretended that he never loved girl before
and would never love anybody as be loved
me, and | think he meant what he said
but did not want 10 marry him, much
as I liked his common-sense, his absence
OF airs and his great honesty, so 1 in
vented a story.
II told him l was engaged to a young
man in Kentucky, but he did not give up
for this, though 1t cooled his ardor a little
for time. Finally ne told my father he
would call one day for his final ans wer,
but made 1t point to be away from
home and he never got over #. My father
lectured me severely for my conduct. He
wanted me TO marry Lincoln and he after
wards told me what a little Ounce I'd
made OF myself, but my mother took my
part, for she believed love was a thing for
each individual 10 settle in his or her own
heart. l can say that [ have never for one
moment regretted that l did not marry
Mr.. Lincoln, for if l could not give man
my whole heart I'd never marry him for
money or position"
Mrs. Boyce tells of an interesting incl
dent that occurred at party one night,
where dozen young folks were trying to
tell their fortunes with the aid Of COM
mon doorkey and Bibe.
tMr. Lincoln was always interested in
such things she said, land he at once
wanted to know all about the game. so
somebody explained it. 1t was this:
The Key was placed on a verse
OF the open Bible and when ques-
tons were asked the key was sup
posed 10 turn by supernatural power. I