The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-01-15
AN old MAID IN
LINCOLN'S EYES
Remarkable Letter Emancipation
Wrote To Be Sold.
WCOlHG THRUST UPON HIM


Later Penned Grotesquo Account of
the Lady and Unexpected Outcome of
the Strange Romance.
Major William II. Lambert, civil war
veteran. who died in Philadelphia June
|. 1912. owned Tie finest Abraham Lin
coin and WiIlium NJ. TlrIckerly collec
tions in existence. Owing to his death
they have come into the public market
and will be sold 1T auction.
Perhaps the item of greatest general
interest In part one is the five page
qunrto letter written by Lincoln 10
Mrs. Orvllle II. Browning. telling how
lie ninde love To Mnry s: Owens. after.
ward Mary S. Vineyard. asked her to
marry him aud was rejected. The let
ter. which is worn at the folds. Is
dated Springfield, April l, 1888. Lin
coin flrst met Miss Owens in 1883 at
the house of Mrs. l'ennet Able. her sis
ter The letter reads in part:
ut was then. lin the autumn OF 1886
that Il married lady OF my acquain-
tance CNirs. Ablep and who was n great
friend OF mine being about TO pay
visit to her father and other relatives
residing In Kentucky proposed to me
that OH her return she would bring a
sister OF hers with her on condition
that would engage to become her
broiher-ia,lnw with all convenient dis
pntch. had seen the said sister some
three years before. thought her fntelll
gent and agreeable and saw no good
objection TO piodding through life hand
In hand with, her.
"a Trifle Too Willing"
Time passed on. The lady took her
Journey and In due time returned, sis.
ter In company. sure enough. This
stomached me little. for it appeared
to me that her coming so readily show.
ed that she was q trife too willing. but
on reflection 1t occurred to me thar she
might hive been prevailed on by her
married sister to come without any
thing concerning me having been men,
toned to her.
I'm few days we had nm interview.
and. although had not seen her be-
fore. she did not look as my imaginn-
ton had pictured her. knew she was
diversified, bat now she appeared Il fair
match for Falstnff. knew she waa
chilled nn old mnid.' and felt no
doubt OF the truth Of ut least half OF
the appellation. A kind of notion ran
IN my head that nothing could have
commenced ut the size OF infancy aud
reached her present bulk in less than
thirty-tve or forty years, and. in short.
was not ut all pleused with her.
but what could I do? l had told
her sister that would take her for
better or for worse, and made n
point or honor and conscience in all
things to stick to my word.
At once ] determined to consider
her my Wife. and. this done. all my
powers or discovery were put TO WORK
IN search OF perfections in her which
might be fairly set Off against her de.
fects. ! tried to Imagine her hand
some. which. but for her unfortunate
cornnlency. was actually trnc.
Unexpected Developments.
AFTER all my sufferings upon this
deeply interesting subject. here I am.
wholly. unexpectedly. completely out
OF the 'scrape. and , now want to
know if you can guess how l got out
OF it--opt clear In every sense OF the
term-no violation OF word. honor or
conscience. don't believe yon can
guess, and so I,iy as we'll tell you
at once. AS the lawyer says, 1t was
done In the manner following, to- wit:
After l had delayed the matter as
long as Thought I cOpld in honor do
concluded I mip't as well bring It.
to a consummatio, without further de
lny,; and SO m, ,stered my resolution
and made the ,,posai to her direct;
but. shooting l., reiute, she answer
ed No
''At nrsr supposed 5he did IL
through an ..fectation OF modesty.
which I tn, ght but IN became her
Under tile ivcuiiar circumstances 5f
her case Z, on my renewal OF the
greater a, mess thnn before. tried
II again with the same success. or.
rather WITH the same want of success
Ifinnlty was forced q, give Il lp, AT,
which very unexpectedly found my
self mortified almost beyond endur,
nnce. 49,
'sAnd to, cap the whole then for the
first time begun To suspect that was
really q iittlc in love with her. But
let 1t 80. TN try and outilve 1t. 9th.
ers have been made fools OF by the
girls. but this can never with truth be
said OF me. I most eInphntically in
this instance made foei OF myself
! have now come To the conclusion
never again TO think of marrying. and
for this renson can never be satisfied
with any one sshO would be hl0ckheaCi
enodHn 80 hiye me. =
I.inctiin vrns, fyrentv.ScvnD veaPs nt1