The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-12
CHAPTER xII.
Abraham Lincoln. Las. Love Affairs
Are Complicated.

w T must by this time be clear to the
~ reader that Mr.. Lincoln was ney.
H er agitated By any passion more
intense than his wonderful thirst
Tor distinction. THERE'S good evidence
that 1t furnished the feyerlsh dreams
sc Ills boyhood, and no man that knew
lin well can doubt that II governed
III hls conduct from tile hour when he
.tstonished himself by bis oratorieai
success against Posey and Ewing in
the back settlements of Macon county
to the day when tie assassin marked
him as tie tirst hero of tie restored
Union, reelected to his great Office,
surrounded by every circumstance thar
could ml2lster to his pride Or rxalt his
Sensibilit!es-a ruler whose power was
only iess wide than his re:;5wn. He
never rested in the race Re had deter
mined to run. He was ever ready to
be honored. He struggled iacessantly
for place. There is no ! tntnnce where
IN important Office seemed to be with
in his reach and lie did not try to get
It Whatsoever he did In politics, at
the bar. in private life. hsG more or
less reference to this great object of
his life. II Is not meant to he said
that he was capable of any shameful
net. any personal dlshonor. any surren-
der or concealment Of political convic-
tio,ls. In these respects he was far
better than most men. 1t was not in
Ills nature to run away from the ilght
rr 10 desert to the enemy. but he was
quite willing to accept his full STARE of
the fruits of victory.
3orn In the humblest circumstances,
nseducated, poor. acquainted with fat
beats and groceries, but a stranger to
the drawing room, II was natural that
he should seek In q matrimonial ALI.
ance those social advantages which he
felt were necessary to his political ad-
vancement. This was, In fact, his own
view Of the matter. but II was strength
ened and enforced by the counsels of
those whom be regarded as friends.
In 1880 Miss Mary, daughter Of Hon,
Robert s. Todd OF Lexington, KY.
came to live with her sister, Mrs.
Ninian W. Edwards, at Springfield.
Like Miss Owens, Miss Todd had a
stepmother, with whom she failed to
agree" and for that reason the Ed.
wardses offered her home with them.
She was young-tust twenty-one-her
family was of the best and her con-
necttons in Illinois among the most re-
fined and distinguished people. Her
mother having died when she was
little girl. she had been educated un-
der the care Of French lady, "oppo-
site Mr.. Clay's." She was gifted with
rare talents. had keen sense Of the
ridiculous, ready insight Into the
weaknesses Of Individual character and
a most tiery and ungovernabie temper.
Her tongue and her pen were equally
sharp. High bred, proud, brilliant. wit
~ md with a will that bent every one
else to her purpose. she took Mr.. Lin
coin captive the very moment she con-
sidered 1t expedient to do so.
Mr.. Lincoln was rising politician,
fresh from the people and possessed OF
great power among them. Miss Todd
was Of aristocratic and distinguished
family, able to lead through the awful
portals Of good society" whomsoever
they chose to countenance. It was
thought that union between them
could not fail Of numerous benefits to
both parties. Mr.. Edwards thought SO,
Mrs. Edwards thought so, and It was
not long before Mary Todd herself
thought So She was very ambitious
and even before she left Kentucky an
nounced her belief that she was 'des-
tined to. be the wife OF some future