Lincoln, the unknown

52 •LINCOLN THE UNKNOWNBoth of them met Mary Todd, both courted her at the sametime, both held her in their arms, and she once stated that bothof them had proposed.When asked which suitor she intended to marry, Mary alwaysanswered, according to her sister's report, "Him who has thebest prospects of being President."And that was tantamount to saying Douglas, for, just then,Douglas's political prospects seemed a hundred times brighterthan Lincoln's. Although Douglas was only twenty-six, he hadalready been nicknamed "the Little Giant," and he was alreadySecretary of the State, while Lincoln was only a struggling lawyerliving in an attic over Speed's store and hardly able to paya board bill.Douglas was destined to become one of the mightiest politicalforces in the United States years and years before Abe Lincolnwas even heard of outside his own State. In fact, twoyears before Lincoln became President, about the only thingthat the average American knew about him was that he hadonce debated with the brilliant and powerful Stephen A.Douglas.Mary's relatives all thought she cared more for Douglas thanshe did for Lincoln, and she probably did. Douglas was farmore of a ladies' man; he had more personal charm, betterprospects, better manners, and better social standing.Besides, he had a deep golden voice, a wavy black pompadour,he waltzed superbly, and he paid Mary Todd lovely littlecompliments.He was her beau-ideal of a man; and she looked in hermirror, whispering to herself, "Mary Todd Douglas." It soundedbeautiful, and she dreamed dreams and saw herself waltzingwith him in the White House. . . .While Douglas was courting her he had a fight one day, rightin the public square in Springfield, with a newspaper editorthe husband of one of Mary's dearest friends.Probably she told him what she thought of that.And probably she told him also what she thought of his gettingdrunk at a public banquet, climbing on top of a table andwaltzing back and forth, shouting, singing, and kicking wineglassesand roast turkey, whisky bottles and gravy dishes ontothe floor.And if he took another girl to a dance while he was payingher attention, she made a disagreeable scene.