The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1907-03-06
CHAPTER XIII.
Marriage to Mary Todd and His Ad-
,n,. In CnaaI

sanity grew out of most OK
traordinary complication of
feelings aversion to the marriage pro
posed. counter attachment to Miss
Edwards and n new access of unspeak-
able tenderness for the memory of Ann
Rutledge--tlle old love struggling with
n new one, and each sending to his
heart a sacrliicial pang as he thought
of his solemn engagement to marry
third person. In this opinion Mr.. Speed
appears to concur, as shown by his let
ter below. At all events, Mr.. Lincoln's
arrangement was nearly IL not quite
complete. 1--WE had to remove razors
from his ROOM" says Speed, take
away all knives md other dangerous
things 1t was terrible" And now
Speed determined to do for him what
Bowlln Greene had done on similar
occasion Mt New Salem. Having sold
out his store on the 1st of January,
1871, he took Mr.. Lincoln with him to
his home In Kentucky and kept him
there during most of the summer and
fall or until he seemed sufficiently
restored TO he given his liberty again
at Springfield. when he was brought
back to his old quarters. During this
period "he was at times very melan-
choly" and, by his own admission, 'al-
most contemplated self destruction"
! 1t was about this time that he wrote
some gloomy lines under the sIid of
Suicide" which were published In the
Sangamon Journal. Mr.. Herndon re
Inembered something about them, but
| when he went to look for them in the
| Office file of the Journal he found them
neatly cut out, supposed to have been
DONE" says he, "by Lincoln Speeds
mother was much panied by the deep
depression" of her guest and gave him
n Bible, advising him to read II, to
ndopt its precepts and pray for Its
promises. He acknowledged this at
tempted service after he became presi-
dent by sending her n photograph OF
himself. with this inscription; 40 my
very good friend, Mrs. Lucy G.. Speed,
from whose plous hands l received an
Oxford Bible twenty years ago" But
Mrs. Speeds medicine, the best ever
offered for n mind diseased. was Of no
avail In this case. Among other things.
he told Speed, referring probably TO his
inclination TO commit suicide, "that he
had done nothing to make any human
being remember that he had lived and
that TO connect his name with the
events TRANSPORTING in his day and gen
Grafton and so impress himself upon
them as to link his name with some
thing that would rebound to the inter
est of his fellow man was what he de
sired to live for" Of this conversation
he pointedly reminded Speed at tbs
time or just before the time he ISSUED
the emancipation proclamation.
What took place after his return L
Springfield cgnnot be better told thar
In the words of the friends Of botl
parties. "NIr. Edwards ard myself
says Mrs. Edwards, "after the frs
crash OF things. told Mary and Lincoll
that they had better not ever marry
that their natures, minds, education
raising, etc. were so different tina
thev could not live happy as man AM
wife; had better never think Of tn,
subject again. All at once we hcar'
that Mr. Lincoln and Mary had score
meetings ut Mr.. s. Francis, editor o
the Springfield Journal. Mary salt
the reason this was so-the cause VII,
II was-was that the world, womal