Lincoln, the unknown

LINCOLN THE UNKNOWN • 57stand a living and eternal monument against you." ThereuponI threw the unfortunate letter in the fire.So we shall never know precisely what Lincoln said to her;but "we can form a good idea of what he wrote to Mary Todd,"says Senator Beveridge "by again reading his final letter toMiss Owens."The story of Lincoln's affair with Miss Owens can be toldbriefly. It had occurred four years earlier. She was a sister ofMrs. Bennett Abell, whom Lincoln knew in New Salem. In theautumn of 1836 Mrs. Abell returned to Kentucky to visit herfamily, saying that she would bring her sister back to Illinoiswith her if Lincoln would agree to marry her.Lincoln had seen the sister three years before, and he saidall right; and presto! the sister appeared. She had a beautifulface, refinement, education, and wealth; but Lincoln didn't wantto marry her. He thought "she was a trifle too willing." Besides,she was a year older than he, and short and very corpulent"a fair match for Falstaff," as Lincoln put it."I was not at all pleased with her," said Lincoln, "but whatcould I do?"Mrs. Abell "was very anxious," to have Lincoln stick to hispromise.But he wasn't. He admits he was "continually repenting therashness" which had led him to make it, and dreaded thethought of marrying her as "an Irishman does the halter."So he wrote to Miss Owens, frankly and tactfully telling herhow he felt and trying to get out of the engagement.Here is one of his letters. It was written in Springfield onMay 7, 1837, and I believe it gives us a very good idea of whathe wrote to Mary Todd.Friend Mary:I have commenced two letters to send you before this,both of which displeased me before I got half done, and soI tore them up. The first I thought wasn't serious enough,and the second was on the other extreme. I shall send this,turn out as it may.This thing of living in Springfield is rather a dull businessafter all—at least it is so to me. I am quite as lonesomehere as [I] ever was anywhere in my life. I have beenspoken to by but one woman since I've been here, andshould not have been by her if she could have avoided it.