The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-16
LINCOLN COURTSHIPS.
CBy James a. Edgerton.)

ICopyrighted 1905 by the American
Press Association
Continued from Saturdays State Journal
Yet there are beautiful things and
such as can be spoken of with all pro-
priety and respect in the love affairs
and the home life Of Abraham Lin
coin His despair at the death Of Ann
Rutledge, his agony over the SHOWS
beating on her grave" the fears of his
friends for his sanity. which went to
the length OF their taking precautions
against his possible suicide-aH this
presents a touching and pathetic pic
ture.
As for the affair with Mary Owens,
there is nothing in it worthy a pass
ing notice except that 1t showed fine
sense of honor on the part Of Lincoln
and an unselish thOughtfulness for
the happiness of his future wife.
About the courtship with the woman
he finally married and about his home
life with her there has been more or
less dispute Herndon's exploded sto-
~ that Lincoln ran away on his mar
riage night has already been men-
toned With quite as much particu-
larity Lamon states that at this time
Mr. Lincoln was really in love with a
Miss Edwards. who lived in the same
house with his fiancee, and that this
fact accounts for his detection, which
was then more pronounced than usual,
and also for the long delay in his mar
rage to Miss Todd. So far as the
writer is aware no other biographer
mentions the alleged infatuation for
Miss Edwards.
That Mr. Lincoln was to some extent
unhappy In his married life is a fact
disputed by none. The degree Of this
unhappiness has probably been exag-
Rerated. Moreover, there have been so
many sighting references to Mrs. Lin
coin that I feel like taking up the
cudgeIs in her behalf That she had q
temper is probably true A temper IS
not necessarily a bad thing. Mr.. Lin
coin himself had a prodigious temper
when it was aroused So had Wash
Gngton. So has every man OF woman
that amounts to anything.
But there is this much to be said for
the wife of Abraham Lincoln She
loved him, as was shown by the fact
that she married him despite his long
delay. While Herndon's story about
the marriage night dereliction is prob
ably untrue, there was some kindred
happening at about that time. An
other thing that can be said in Mrs
LfncoInis behalf is that she showed
enough discrimination to prefer Abra-
ham Lincoln TO Stephen A Douglas.
Under the circumstances this required
true insight into character. Douglas
when he paid court to her was already
q great man, which was not so ap-
7 oil
brilliant, polished and had a most
winning manner, while Lincoln was
more or less uncouth and shy in fem
mime society. Miss Todd was the
daughter of leading man OF Kentuc-
Ky, and thus Douglas belonged to her
own social class in those outward
things which make up class distinc-
tious. while Lincoln did not Never
theless she chose Lincoln. She IS en-
titled to honor for both her vision and
her heart.
Miss Todd always said that she
would marry i president Of the United
States. No ordinary woman would
have had the courage to say that in
the face Of the ridicule it would occa-
sion, and no one but a very extraor-
binary woman would have had the
ability to pick the winner.
Is it not just possible that some OF
Lincoln's biographers have overdrawn
his unhappiness at home just as they
have unduly emphasized his poverty
and have done positive injustice to his
father? Is it not possible that there
was some resentment due to the f I
that Miss Todd belonged to an aristo-
cratic family and did not share her
husbands views On slavery7 And is
IL not more than possible that there
has been an undue prying into the
private affairs Of both Mr. Lincoln and
his wife7
Lincoin's great love for his childr Z,
which caused him TO err, If at all,
the side OF too great indulgence. wo :