Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-02-11

W. Edwards one Of the most prominent men OF
Springfield Miss Todd was bright. witty. highly
educated, ambitious. and at once became tne
belle Of Springfield Few young women have had
more great men suitors for their hand than mad
Miss Todd within month OF her arrival
Among those who paid ardent attention to her
were Stephen A. douglas. James Shields, VINO
later was senator from three states and who
made glorious record in three wars: Abrahan
Lincoln. and dozen others.
The Edwards family protested against MISS
Todd's partiality for Lincoln. They thought MS
family plcbeian they thought too. he was
too grave man. But Miss Todd loved Lihcoh
and they became engaged.
They were not altogether happy in their en-
gagement. Miss Todd was Jealous and exacting
She loved balls and parties frivolites OF all sorts
that dear to women. Lincoln did not care
much for those things and was shockingiy
thoughtless and inattentive for an engaged man.
When there some merrymaking. II he didn't
want to go. he didn't think she'd care. She, how
ever, thought 1t a slight. She complained that
he neglected her. Then, to make him feel bad
about It, she would go with Shields or with
Douglas. There were tears. reproaches. quar-
rels. They would make up and fall out again.
All 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 womans life unhappy.
They to have been married on January /,
1912 Something happened and the wedding did
take place There was story. which was
credited w. H. Herndon. that Lincoln failed
to appear, but this has been pronounced untrue
by those who ought to know. 1t is more likely
that one of their many quarrels led to the break
between them.
Some of Lincoln's letters written about this
time disclose his suferngs. In one of them he
says:
81 am now the most miserable man living. If
what feel were equally distributed to the whole
human family there would not be one cheerful
face on earth. Whether ! shall ever be better
! cannot tell. | fear shall not To remain as
am is impossible.
Reconciliation and Marriage.
One of his friends in Kentucky invited him
there in the hope of cheering him up. He had n
hard time arousing Lincoln from his melancholia.
but he finally succeeded in manner he never
expected The friend fell in love himself and
began to feel qualmish to whether he would
make his beloved happy He became so miser-
able his doubt in this regard that Lincoln
tried to cheer him up and in trying to cheer his
friend Lincoln cheered up himself.
When Lincoln returned to Illinois he was
much better. He and Miss Todd met and there
reconciliation.
On November 4. following. Lincoln and Mary
Todd were married. While the marriage cere-
mony being performed one of the greatest
storms in the history of Springfield was raging.
Did you write out story in your mind?"
Lincoln once asked friend. Il did when was
a young fellow. One day wagon with lady
and two girls and a man broke down near us. and
kitchen. The had books and read Us
stores and they were the first of the kind ever
had heard | took great fancy to one of the
girls and when they gone thought of her
a great deal, and one day when sitting out
in the sun by the house l wrote out story in
my mind
81 thought took my fathers horse and fol-
lowed the wagon. and finally l found 1t. and
they were surprised to me. | talked with the
girl and persuaded her to elope with me: and
that night | put her the horse and we started
off across the prairie After several hours we
came to a camp, and when we rode up found
it was the on, had left few hours before.
and we went in.
The next night tried again, and the same
thing happened-the horse back to the
same place: and then concluded that we
ought not to elope. | stayed until | had per.
suaded her father to give her to me. always
meant to write that story out and publish it.
and began once, but concluded 1t was not
much of a story. But | think that was the be-
ginning of love with me-"