El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-05-09
Famous Loves of Famous Americans

, in taking her up in his arms and carry
! ing her as If she were a child
Lincoln Is Postmaster.
! With their enga cement everything
/ seemed 10 brighten for Lincoln. He
I was appointed postmaster, he began to
! make a little money doing surveying
work. and in the fall he was elected
/ The Young couple decided TO get
married IN the spring. Ann, anxious
/ TO complete he- education, determined
! to 20 to Jacksonville TO attend an
] academy there during the winter.
! Meanwhile. Lincoln went to Spring
field to attend cuc session Of the legis-
larure, continue his law studies and
prepare for his admission 10 the bar
He was in Springfield when he got a
message that nearly broke his heart.
Ann Rutledge was dead At the aCad-
cny she contracted FEVER and died
in o few days Lincoln was pre1lS-
posed TO nclancholia. The death Of the
woman he loved so much almost
upset his reason He never really re-
covered from his grief Forever after
he held the name of RutledSe in tender
memory. Even when he was president.
he spoke at times Of the girl whose
death mad been the first great sorrow
of his lie. I often think of her now"
he said. I loved her; I loved her"
A queer Engagement.
Ann RutIedge had been dead two or
y
gagged again. In Springfield there
lived a Mrs Able, with whom he was
well aCuuainte She had q sister.
Mary owens of Kentucky, who visited
Springfield for a short time and to
whom Lincoln had been introduced
Mary Owen was bright clever and
buXOm. She returned to Kentucky and
Lincoln probably forgot her But one
day Mrs. Able informed him that she
was going TO Kentucky and then in a
spirit OF banter. she said to Lincoln:
I'll bring Mary back II you'll agree
to marry her"
Marry herr I'd be delighted said
Lincoln.
Mrs Able went away and month
or so later she was in Springfield
again and she had her sister with her.
Lincoln went to call When he saw
Mary Owens he Sasped- The girl had
grown enormously. She had become
OutrageOusly fat.
We'll I've brought her back for you
TO marry according TO promise said
Mrs. Able.
she was joking. but Lincoln wasn't
sure whether II was a Jest or whether
she was serious and was cloaking her
feelings in the light manner in which
she spoke He called regularly upon
Miss Owens and paid her all the at
tentiOn he thought an engaged man
should II was not pleasant. however,
for she was enormous in size To make
the situation still more absurd, he was
very tall and very thin The contrast
between the two was enough to make
any person smile, no matter how
gloomy he might be.
Lincoln worried greatly over the sit
uatiOn- He felt that he was in honor
bound to marry the lady, but he
dreaded the taking Of such step.
LineOIn's COmicaI Predicnment.
There was one woman. far away
from Springfield, to whom he wrote a J
year or so later. telling all about his /
Rredicament This was Mrs. o. H /
Browning He didn't spare himself in 1
these letters
e. Of course. accepted the PROPOSE 4
ton" he said in his first letter to Mrs
Browning, flor YOU know I could not 4
have done otherwise had I really been /
2verse to it But privately, between
you and me, I was most COMPOUNDED
displeased with the prospect I had
seen the sister some three years be
fore, thought her intelligent and Z
agreeable, and saw no good objection ]
to plodding through life hand in hand 4
with her.
Time passed on. the lady took her
journey and in due time returned. I
sister in company sure enough. This Z
3stOunded me a little. for il appeared
to me that her coming so readily
showed that she was a trifle too will
ing But on reflection it seemed to me !
hat she might have been prevailed on {
BY her married sister 10 come without !
anything concerning me ever having !
leen mentioned TO her. And so I con- (
luded that If no other objection pre- !