The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1907-02-20
Lincoln's
Love Affairs
And His Early Expert
ences as a Lswmaker
BY WARD HELL LAMON,
Lincoln's Friend and Bodyauari
Lincoln's Friend and Dodysuara

aud nome frienT BowIrn Greene. Dur
ing this period Of his darkened and
wavering intellect, when accidents
were momentarily expected, It was dis
covered that Bowlln Greene possessed
power TO persuade and guide him
proportional to the affection that had
subsistcd between them In former and
better times. Bowlin Greene came for
him, but Lincoln was cunning and oh.
stinate. 1t required the most artful
practices Of general conspiracy Of all
his friends TO "disarm his suspicious
and induce him to go and stay with his
most anxious and devoted friend. But
at last they succeeded, and Lincoln
remained down under the blur for two
or three weeks, the object of undis
guised sollcitude and of the strlctest
surveillance At the end of that time
his mind seemed to be restored, and It
was thought safe to let him go back
TO his old haunts-to the study of law.
to the writing of legal papers for his
nelghbors, to pettifogging before the
justice of the peace and perhaps to n
little surveying. But Mr.. Lincoln was
never precisely the same man again.
At the time of his release he was thin,
haggard and careworn, like one risen
from the verge Of the grave. He had
always been subject to fits Of great
mental depression, but after this they
We're more frequent and alarming. 1t
was then that lie began to repeat, with
n feeling which seemed to inspire ev-
cry listener with awe and to carry him
to the fresh grave of Ann at every one
of his solemn periods, the lines enti-
tied Immortality; or, Oh, Why Should
the Spirit of Mortal Be Proud?' None
heard him but knew that he selected
these curiously empty yet wonderfully
sad, impressive lines to celebrate q
grief which lay with continual heavi-
ness on his heart, but to which he
could not with becoming delicacy dl-
rcctly allude. lie muttercd them as he
rambled through the woods or walked
by the roaring Sangamon. He was
he slipped into the village at nightfall,
after long walk Of six miles and m
evening visit to the Concord graveyard.
and he would suddenly break out with
them In little social assemblies after
noticeable periods Of silent gloom.
They came unbidden to his lips, while
the air Of aflictlon in face and gesture,
the moving tones and touching modu-
iatlons of his voice, made IL evident
that every syllable of the recitation
was meant to commemorate the mourn
full fate OF Ann. The poem Is now his.
The name OF the obscure author is for
gotten, and his work Is imperishably
associated with the memory of n great
man and interviewer with the history
of his greatest sorrow. Mr.. Lincoln's
adoption of II has saved It from merit.
ell oblivion and translated II from the
poets Corner" OF the country news
paper to place In the story OF his own
life, n story that will continue to he
written or written about ms long ms our
language exists.
Many years afterward, when Mr..
Lincoln, the best lawyer of his section,
with one exception. Travelled the cir
cult with the court and crowd of his
Jolly brethren, he always rose early.
before any one else was stirring. and
rnlIing together n few glowing Goals on
the hearth. he would sit looking into
them, muslng and talking with him
self, FOR hours together. one morning
In the year Of his nomination his com