Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1913-02-07
7Hy
OWSH

made the journey and duly returned, sister III
company sure enough Lincoln was as'
ished. The bride proposed appeared 10 hiin
trife too willing, but he gave ner the peneH'
of the doubt.
There were other objections to her; 1or one
thing that while her face was attractive sne
had no fgure-she was uncommoniy Blu
For another his own financial condition. ne
had settled at Springfield, capital of the state
and began here the practice OF law, Without'
however, substantial result as yet. But he
had told her sister, he says In letters quo'eu
by Miss Tarbell, that he would take the iaoy
for better or worse, and this he must do since
it was point Of honor with MIN 10 SUCK "
his word particularly where, as In TINS case
others had been induced to act upon IT,
He corresponded with this lady, and was
firm in his resolution to marry her ana even
planned how he might get along after the
marriage He took the precaution to write
her from Springfield and gave her STRONG hih'
of the poverty of his resources, asking her at tne
same time to deliberate maturely. AS tnis'
however. drew from her decision, after wait
inp three months he wrote again, putting the
matter between them squarely up to her what
I wish" said he, "is that our further acquaihl-
ance should depend upon yourself"
Miss Owens had the discernment to perceive
his feelings. She answered, declining MS oHer OF
marriage She found him, she said, deficient In
those little links which go to make up the chain
of a woman's happiness" Lincoln was "morti.
fed" so he wrote friend; his vanity wounded
by the reflection that he had been too stupid to
understand her. WHILE at the same time never
doubling that he understood her perfectly.
The Third Affair.
1t was in 1889 or 1S40 that Lincoln met MISS
Mary Todd of Lexington KY, whom he afterward
married. Their courtship was interesting and
rather animated. One Of Its incidents was a
broken engagement, and that, according to one
authority on the very day set for the wedding.
Lincoln was thirty thirty-one when Miss
Todd came to Springfield, and had been practic
ing law In that place for some three or four years
The lady was the daughter Of Robert S. Todd,
prominent Kentuckian and was living. when
Lincoln made her acquaintance. with her sister.
Mrs Ninan w. Edwards, the wife of one of the
notables of Springfield. She was handsome,
stylish, witty and spirited, and soon after her
arrival in the Illinois capital began to cut fig
ure In its society and to draw in her train the
more prominent beaux of the town. among others
who afterward to distinction. besides Lin
coin Stephen A. Douglas the Little Giant" lat
er of the stump and senate, and Shields, hero of
the Mexican war and one OF the most plctur'
esque figures in American life.
Ere long 1t began to be apparent that among
these suitors and frequenters of the Edwards
mansion Lincoln was her favorte AS the inti-
macy with him grew her relations protested he
was not of their sort; they were wealthy and
well-bred and looked him as of the plebeian
cast, as one socially inferior. He of the
humblest origin crude and unpublished IN man
ners and worst Of all, was poor Miss Todd
however was unmoved by their objections She
loved him. believed in him, seems to have di
vined his quality and had faith In his future
In 1910 they engaged to marry.
But as the proverb has It. "the course OF true
love never did run smooth" So, at least It turn
ed out In their case. It 10 not perhaps strange
considering the difference In their tastes the
{ ideals and breeding that they did soon fall out
Miss Todd was exacting sweetheart; Mr., Lin
coin careless.