El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-05-09

J was the wife OF Ninian W Edwards.
one OF the most prominent men OF
Springfield. Miss Todd was bright.
witty. highly educated. ambitious and
at once became the belle of Springfield.
Few young women have had more
great men suitOrs for their hand than
had Miss Todd within one month OF
her arrival Among those who paid
ardent court to her were Stephen A.
Douglas James Shields. who later was
senator from three states and who
made a glorious record in three wars,
Abraham Lincoln and dozen others.
The Edwards family protested
against Miss TOdds Partially for Lin
coin They thought his family was
pleheian, they thought. too. he was
too grave n man. But Miss Todd loved
Lincoln and they became engaged.
Not n Happy Engagement.
They were not altogether happy in
their engagement Miss Todd was
Jealous and eEactiug- She loved halls
and parties, frivOlities of all sorts that
are SO dear to women. Lincoln did not
care much for those things and was
shOclIngly thOughtless and inattentivs
for an engaged man. When there was
some merrymaking. If he didn't want
to 90. ne didn't think she'd care She.
however. thought it a slight. She
complained that ne neglected her
Then, to make him feel badly about 10,
she would so with Shields or Douglas.
There were tears. reproaches, quarrels
They would make up and fall out
again
An this had a very bad effect upon
Lincoln He became extremely morbid
He began TO search his soul to answer
the question as TO whether or not he
would make the Woman's life unhappy
They were TO have been married on
January 1, 1872 Something happened
and the wedding did not take place
mere was a story, which was credited
70 w r. HerndOn. that Lincoln failed
TO appear. but this has been pronounced
untrue by those who ought TO know
II IS more likely that one OF their
many quarrels led TO the break between
Some Of LincoIn's letters written
aDout thls time disclose his sufferings
In one Of them he says
e. am now the most miserable man
living II what I feel were e0uai1r-
distributed 10 the whole human fam
lly. there would not be one cheerful
race on the earth Whether I shall
ever De better, 7 cannot tell fear 7
shall not To remain as 1 am is i'm
possible"
Reconciliation and Marriage.
one Of his friends in Kentucky IN
ElIed MN there in the hope Of cheer
INF him up He had a hard time arous-
ing Lincoln from his melancholfs- bnt
ne finally succeeded in manner he
never expected The friend fell in love
ulLlselL ana began 10 feel Cua1rnfsb as
20 whether he would make his beloved
happy He became so rniserabl ove-
ms doubt in this regard that lincoln
tl-eu 70 cheer him up. and in irvine n
GEeer ms friend Lincoln cheered m
W men Lincoln returned TO Illinois he
VS. mucn better He and Miss Todd
met and there was a reconciIfatfo7
Lnen II happened that Miss Todd in
Inc llghtness OF her spirits got lin
com lnFolFed IN a difficulty that for
TINE threatened TO be serious.
she wrote some stuff for one OF the
newspapers happening Shields That
gentleman was irish and therefore,
nigh spirited He made some inquiry
as TO the authorship Of the article and
an ne could learn was that Lincoln had
something TO do with IT, Therefore. he
challenged Lincoln.
meeting between the two was ar
ranged and they were TO fight with
broad words on an island in the Mis-
s sSlppL They went 20 the appointed
place and were all ready 70 fight when
mutual friends managed TO cool the
Dlood or the two men and there were
sNplanat1ons and apologies that SEM
Lincoln and Shields away satisfied IL
not happy. a.
II was on September %. 1Ss. that
onlelus and Lincoln were to have met
N mortal combat On November {
following, Lincoln and Mary Todd u-a-s
While the marriage Ceremony
was being performed one Of the erea+
est storms in the history OF Spring
Ield was aginS--Copyrigh 1914 bv
the Wheeler Syndicate. Inc