The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-02-10
LINCOLN AS A LOVER
His Courtship of Annie Rutledge
at New Salem in 1885.
SORROW OVER HER DEATH
Mrs. 'Prewitt, a Surviving Sister,
Tells a Pathetic Story.
Drscribes Lincoln's Affection for Annie
- and His Conducty at the Rut-
ledge Home.

~ FAIRFIELD, iowa, Feb. .1t-Mrs. Nancy
iRutledge Prewitt, to whose sister, Annie Rut-
ledge, the great emancipation, Abraham Lin
coin, was engaged to be married. gives an in
neresting account of the latters first love at
fair and courtship.
Mrs. Prewitt, now well-preserved woman
of 65, visited relatives who still live in the
vicinity of New Salem, I'LL, last summer.
There were picnic parties and excursions
formed to take her to Their many places Of in
terest There is no town where New Salem
once Stood 1T having been moved to Peters,
burg, few miles away, but she visited the
very spot where her fathers house stood, the
old mill site, and the many well-remembered
places. Only few crumbling logs mark the
spot where Lincoln kept store" She also
field, and saw the relics gathered there,
among which she mentions the old saddle
bags and surveying instruments.
II was only child when he boarded at
our house in New Salem" she said, land yet
remember just how. he looked and talked, as
well as if it were only last year.
"Homely? Yes, I suppose he was but
never thought of that then. I remember
his tall, lank ungainly figure, and his big
ears and mouth, but when he talked one
never thought of that. He was so good-na-
tured and full of life and fun, and everybody
loved him so well that they never thought Of
his looks. I can see him now, just as he
looked, sitting by the big; old fashioned fire.
place, absorbed in book or chatting merrily
with Annie or one Of my brothers. He al
ways came and went just as one Of the family.
"Once when I was sitting alone before the
Hire, the rest of the family being at supper, Mr..
Lincoln came stalking in at the door, and
Selling chair as he came, sat down by me.
and looking at me teasingly, sang:
When in death shall calm recine
Oh bear my heart to my mistress dear;
Tell her it lived on smiles and wine
or brightest hue while it fingered here.
Bid her not shed one tear of sorrow,
To sully heart so brilliant and light
But balmy drops of the red grape borrow,
10 battle the relict from morn till night.
1T was the only time ever felt offended
at him. and although did not just under
stand what he meant by the words, his quiz
zical look, and all, distressed me so that
got up and left the room, feeling very much
, embarrassed"
'Whatda queer song said. I do not
'tyo2der that it puzzled and annoyed you -
Yes, IT. Is queer, but that is it word for
word. l, have the. very book he and Annie
used to sing that and many other songs from
together" and Mrs. Prewitt showed me an
old green-backed singing-book called 1.-THE
Missouri Harmony from which l copied the
words The song is entitled "Legacy.' The
pooh WAS uoeu Ill singing -SCuOOlS ulCy or
sixty years ago, and has many of our old ia
m1liar hymns and anthems such as THE
Beautiful City of Zion" and when Shep-
herds Watched Ger Their Flocks by Night"
but that was the only quaint love ditty that
/ noticed.
were square, some round, some triangular,
and some diamond shaped.
YES" continued Mrs. Prewitt, "they were
called patent notes.
Having observed that she habitually spoke
Of him as Mr.. Lincoln, I said: II suppose
you called him Abe them"
"No. we did not, though most Of our neigh
bors did. Father and mother always in
sisted that VIC must not address any one out
side Of our own family so Familiarity. They
, considered it dsrespectful," and any one
seeing her delicate face and manner and hear
ing her say this, would conclude at once
that Lincon's first love was of refined, in
telligent and well-bred family.
Tragedy in Herndon Family.
Sister Annie" continued Mrs. Prewitt,
was small, with dark blue eyes, light brown
hair, and a very fair complexion. Every one
said she was pretty. She was the oldest
girl in our family and very houseWifely and
domestic. l have seen Lincoln help her about
her homely household tasks when there was
lifting or something requiring strength to do.
He went at it. aWKwardly, but always jok-
never forget, because of the tragedy connected
with it. My mother has since told me that
in a romp and scuttle the night before Mr..
Lincoln and my, oldest brother, who, I sup
pose, occupied the same bed, had broken the
BEDFORD and the former said he must help
Annie when she went to fix it the next morn
ing. They were engaged in repairing dam
ages when they found they needed a wrench
and sent me to Row Herndon's, our near
lest neigahor, to, borrow~one. When arrived
there Mr.. Rerndon was loading his gun to
go hunting, and in getting ready to go out
his gun was accidentally discharged, and his
wife, who was sitting near, talking to me, was
rishot right through the neck. / saw the blood
squirt out of each side of her neck, her hands
|fluttar for a moment; then flew out of the
house and hurried home and told Annie and
Mr. Lincoln what had happened. Il can never
forget1how sad and shock 6they looked, after
having been so merry over their work just a,
moment ;hefore.
''Nouihave doubtless heard, of the grammar
that Lincoln heard Of and walked six miles
to buy. studied that very grammar after
ward, when / went to school; Lincoln and
Annie studied 1T 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. always kept it, and 1T was in my
possession mntil my brother, Captain Rut-
ledge, Went to Springfield to assist at Lin
'SoAAA
were collecting Lincoln relics for that &C.
casion. My hrurher's family has it now. Many
a time have seen Lincoln walking along the
street studying that grammar. / have seen
him, when apparently ,engrossed in study,
pick up my youngest brother, tuck :h1sn under
Lone long arm, and with the hook in the other
hand plod along Mnconcernedly repeating
rules, and Robert yelling and kicking wigor-
rtously After awhile Lincoln would pretend
that he had just discovered that he had a boy
under his arm. walking off with him. Every
-chkd in New Salem loved him end enjoyed
-5Ehis quaint jokes and pranks as thoroughly as
Ehe himself seemed to- He used to have
Billy Green, his partner in the store, hold
sGhe grammar of an evening, while he recited
rules, and after he was elected President he
ibid not forget his. friend of former years, but
had him on his left at the inaugural banquet
land the dignifed Secretary Seward on his
right. Lincoln presented the two men to
leach other, saying. Secretary Seward, this is
INF Green Of Illinois, Seward bowed stiffly,
when Lincoln exclaimed oh, get up, Sc
ward, and shake hands with Green: he's the
man that taught me my grammar
Death OF Annie Rutledge.
"Many Of the things which have been
written about Annie are not true. One of
chem JIG that she died Of q broken heart be-.