The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-02-12

in Springfield Her sister was the wife OF Nlnla1
w. Edwards, OF the most prominent men CT
Springfield. Miss Todd was bright, witty. highly
educated, ambitious, and at once became the
belle of Springfield. Few young women have had
great men suitors for their hand than had
Miss Todd within one month OF her arrival
Among those who paid ardent attention 70 heT
were Stephen A Douglas. James Shields VINO
later was senator from three states and VINO
made glorious record in three wars; Abraham
Lincoln, and a dozen others.
The Edwards family protested against MISS
Todds Partially for Lincoln They thought MS
family was plobeian; they thought too. he was
too grave a man. But Miss Todd IoVeo Lincoln
and they became engaged
They not altogether happy in their en-
gagement Miss Todd jealous and exacting.
She loved balls and parties, friEoles of all sorts
that are so dear to women. Lincoln did not care
much for those things and was shockingly
thoughtless and inattentive for an engaged man
When there some merrymaking, II ne olon
want to go, he didn't think she'd care She, how
ever, thought it 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, Teproaches, 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 Woman's life unhappy.
They were to have been married on January !,
1872 Something happened and the wedding did
not take place There a story, which was
credited to 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 of their many Quarrels led to the break
between them.
Some of LincoIn's letters written about this
time disclose his sufferings. In of them he
says:
ST 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 earth. Whether 1 shall ever be better
1 cannot tell. 1 fear 1 shall not To remain as
I is
Reconciliation and Marriage.
One Of his friends in Kentucky invited him
there in the hope of cheering him up. He had
hard time arOusing Lincoln from his melancholia
but he finally succeeded in a 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 miser-
able over 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
was reconciliation
On November f. following. Lincoln and Mary
Todd were married While the marriage cere
mony being performed of the greatest
storms in the history of Springfield raging
Did you ever write out story in your mind"
Lincoln asked friend Ct did when !
a young fellow. One day a wagon with a lady
and two girls and broke down US. and
while they fixing up they cooked in our
kitchen The woman had books and read us
stories and they were the first of the kind ever
had heard. l took great fancy to OF the
girls. and when they gone thought Of her
a great deal, and day when sitting out
in the by the house 1 wrote out a story in
my mind.
Il thought 1 took my fathers horse and fol-
lowed the wagon, and finally 1 found it, and
they surprised to l talked with the
girl and persuaded her to elope with me; and
that night put her the horse and we started
OF across the prairie. After several hours we
came to camp, and when rode up We found
it the we had left few hours before
and went in
THE next night we tried again, and the same
thing happened-the horse back to the
same place; and then concluded that we
ought not to elope. 1 stayed until 1 had per
suaded her father to give her to me- / always
meant to write that story out and publish it.
and I began once, but 1 concluded It was rot
much Of story But think that was the be
ginning of love with me-"