The times., 1899-05-12

and in getting ready to go out his gun
was accidentally discharged. and his wife,
who was sitting near talking to me. was
shot right through the neck. / saw the
blood squirt out OF each side of her neck,
her hands futtered for moment; then /
flew out of the house and hurried home
and told Annie and Mr.. Lincoln what had
happened l can never forget how sad
and shocked they looked, after having been
so merry over their work just moment
before.
You have doubtless heard of the gram
mar that Lincoln heard of and walked six
miles to buy. l studied that very gram
mar afterward, when | went to school;
Lincoln and Annie studied it together. and
he gave it to her, and it then descended
to my brother, and then to me. 1t was an
old Kirkham, the hardest grammar, |
think. that anybody ever studied. / al
ways kept it, and it was in my possession
until my brother. Captain Ruthdge. went
TO Springfield TO assist at Lincoln's burial.
He wrote to me for it, as they were col
lecting Lincoln relies for that occasion.
Ny brothers family has 1t now. Many
time have l seen Lincoln walking along
the street studying that grammar. | have
seen him, when apparently engroSSed in
study, pick up my youngest brother. tuck
him under one long arm, and with the
book in the other hand plod along uncon-
cernedly repeating rules, and Robert yell
ing and kicking vigorously. After awhile
Lincoln would pretend that he had just
discovered that he had a boy under his
arm, walking off with him. Every child
in New Salem loved him. and enjoyed his
quaint jokes and pranks as thoroughly as
| he himself seemed to. He used to have
Billy Green, his partner in the store,
hold the grammar of an evening while he
recited rules, and after he was elected
President he did not forget his friend of
! former years, but had him on his left at
the inaugural banquet and the dignified
| Secretary Seward on his right. Lincoln
presented the two men to each other, say
ing. Secretary Seward. this is Mr. Green,
| of Illinois, Seward bowed stiffiy, when
Lincoln exclaimed: oh. get up, Seward,
and shake hands with Green; he's the
man that taught me my grammar
Many of the things which have been
written about Annie are not true. One of
them is that she died of broken heart
because OF a former lovers desertion. She
was engaged to John McNeil-McNamar
was his real name-when she was about
seventeen years old. He was an excellent
young man, but his father having failed in
business in the East, the son, feeling nor
titled at the misfortune. came West and
changed his name from McNamar to Nc
Neil. as he did not want his identity TO
be known. In 1882 he left New Salem on
horseback to visit his father In New York
Annie had at least one letter from him
after he arrived there. telling OF his
fathers death. which had detained him.
Then his letters ceased and he did not
return. His family and friends thought
perhaps he was not worthy, his change OF
name being suspicious circumstance
That. however. was proved 10 be incor-
rect, for he returned to New Salem after
her death and satisfactorily explained his
! and begged my mother for some article
which had been hers for a memento. He
/ lived and died near New Salem.
"In the meantime. however, Annie and
Mr.. Lincoln were constantly thrown to-
gether. and he declared his love and was
accepted, for she loved him with more
mature and enduring affection than she
! had ever felt for Mr.. McNamar No one
| could have seen them together and not
IL convinced that they loved each other
| truly. They would have been married, but
| decided to walt a year. as Annie wanted
| to go TO school a while longer. and. though
| Lincoln was beginning to have high aspir-
ations. be was very poor. and both wished
| to better equip themselves for the posi-
! ton they would eventually occupy.
Then Annie was taken sick. and the
doctor said the disease was brain fever.
! do not know whether he diagnosed it cor
! rectly or not, for several other people in
/ the neghborhood had the same fever. but
! I am sure her death was not caused by a
broken heart or disappointed hopes.
When she realized that she could not
| get we'll she wanted to see Lincoln and
Brother David. who was attending school
in Jacksonville. Bowling Green. a brother
of Lincoin's former partner in the store
was sent to Springfield for him. and Nc
| Grady Rutledge. our cousin. was sent for
| David I can never forget how sad and
| broken hearted Lincoln looked when he
came out of the room from the last inter-
| view with Annie. No one knows what
was said at that meeting. for they were
alone together, except that he told friend