The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-02-11
Mrs. Lincoln
Dressed for the
First Inaugural
Ceremonies

in Springfield. Her sister 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 attention to her
were Stephen A. Douglas, James Shields, who
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 partiality for Lincoln. They thought his
family was pebeian they thought too, he was
too grave a man. But Miss Todd loved Lincoln
and they became engaged.
They were not altogether happy in their en-
gagement. Miss Todd was jealous and exacting,
She loved balls and parties fryolitcs 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 was some merrymaking if he didn't
want to CO. he didn't think she'd care. She how
ever thought it 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. Ha
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 l,
1912 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 one of their many quarrels led to the break
between them.
Some of Lincoln's letters written about this
time disclose his sufferings. In one of them he
says:
"I am now the most miserable man living If
what l feel were equally distributed to the whole
human family there would not be one cheerful
face on earth. Whether I shall ever be better
/ cannot tell. fear l 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 a
hard time arousiug 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 so 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
a reconciliation.
On November T. following, Lincoln and Mary
Todd were married While the marriage cere
mony was being performed one of the greatest
Did you ever write out story in your mind?"
Lincoln once asked friend Il did when | was
young fellow. One day a wagon with 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 the first of the kind ! ever
had heard l took great fancy to of the
girls, and when they were gone thought of her
great deal, and one day when l sitting out
in the sun by the house wrote out story in
my mind
Il thought took my fathers horse and fol-
lowed the wagon and finally l found it, and
they surprised to l talked with the
girl and persuaded her to eope 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 rode up found
it was the one we had left a few hours before,
and we went in
THE next night tried again, and the same
thing happened-the horse came 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 l began once, but concluded it was not
much of a story. But think that was the be-
ginning of love with me-"