Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1907-04-18

none! But you say you reasoned yourself
Into 1t. What do you mean by that?
Was 1t not that you found yourself I'M
able to reason yourself out of it? Did
you not think and partly form the pur-
pose of counting her the first time you
ever saw or heard of her? What had
reason to do with it at that early stage?
There was nothing at that time for rea-
son to work upon. Whether she was
moral. amiable. sensible or even Of good
character you did not nor could then
know. except perhaps you might infer the
last from the company you found her IN.
All you then did or could know Of her
was her personal appearance and deport-
ment. and these, if they impress at all.
impress the heart and not the head.
Say candidly, were not those heavenly
black eyes the whole basis of all your
early reasoning on the subject? After
you and I had once been at the residence
did you not go and take me all the way
to Lexington and back for no other pur-
pose but to get to see her again-on our
return on that evening to take trip
for that express object?
What earthly consideration would you
take to find her scouting and despising
you and giving herself up to another?
But of this you have no apprehension.
and therefore you cannot bring it home
to your feelings.
shall be so anxious about you that I
shall want you to write by every mail
Your friend, LINCOLN.
Springfield ILL.,. Feb. g. 1912.
Dear Speed-Your letter of the 25th of
January came to hand today. You well
know that do not feel my own sorrows
much more keenly than do yours. when
I know Of them. and yet I assure you ]
was not much hurt by what you wrote
me of your excessively bad feeling at the
time you wrote. Not that I am less capa-
BILE of sympathizing with you now than
ever, not that I am less your friend
than ever. but because hope and believe
that your present anxiety and distress
about her health and her life must and
will forever Danish those horrid doubts
which I know you sometimes felt as to
the truth of your affection for her. If
they can once and forever be removed
(and I almost feel presentiment that the
Almighty has sent your present affliction
expressly for that objecD. surely nothing
can come in their stead t, fill their i'm
measurable measure of misery. The
death scenes Of those we love are surely
painful enough but these we are pre-
pared for and expect to see; they happen
to all. and all know they must happen.
Painful as they are. they are not an
unlocked for sorrow. Should she. as you
fear, be destined to an early grave, it is
indeed a great consolation to know that
she is so we'll prepared to meet it. Her
religion. which you once disliked so much,
I will venture you now prize most highly.
But I hope your melancholy holdings as
to her early death are not we'll founded.
I even hope that ere this reaches you
she will have returned with improved and
still improving health and that you will
have met her and forgotten the sorrows
Of the past In the enjoyment of the pres
ent. I would say more If I could, but 1t
seems that I have said enough. It really
appears to me that you yourself ought to
rejoice. and not sorrow, at this indubita-
BILE evidence Of your undying affection for
her.
Why. Speed, If you did not love her,
although you might not wish her death,
you would most certainly be resigned to
it, Perhaps this point is no longer a ques-
ton with you and my pertinacious dwell
ing upon it is a rude intrusion upon your
feelings. If so, you must pardon me. You
know the hell I have suffered upon that
know I do not mean wrong. l have been
quite clear of hypo since you left, even
better than I was along in the fall
have seen - but once. She seemed very
cheerful. and so I said nothing to her
about what we spoke Of.
Old Uncle Billy Herndon is dead. and
it is said this evening that Uncle Ben
Ferguson will not live This, believe, is
all the news and enough. at that. unless
it were better.
Write me Immediately on the receipt of
this. Your friend as ever
LINCOLN