Show NN 1 2 haf of ap rw T ar V wy eighteen years are but a short for the life of any mortal bat but that of a sweet maiden it Is a mourn tul ful recollection the memory of a fra grant breath many live out their allotted three score and ten without accomplishing aught but trifles looking back along the line of their long career they see nothing but a weak haze a few faint spots and then they pass away with no other sign that they ever filled a niche on earth than a line on ft a tombstone which soon crumbles into dust many have made a loud noise h hop op ing to thrust themselves upon the pages of history a variety of vanity that ends as does the beatings on a bass drum in dismal silence when the hand of the drummer is still there are many who have been bee n the lowly of earth but they have ac complis hed more than great con whose names are sweeter in the ears of the multitude than those of ephemeral heroes from them have radiated good vibrations of force and energy that have gone on down to posterity in great waves the influence of a loving tender mother does not end with her the impress of her character molds her children and her children childrens s children unto untold generations the mourned mckin leys ley s mother made her son garfield also was as subject to the gentle sway these men loved their chains gloried in following the admonitions of home love and when they came to die and die ruthlessly there was nothing but resignations in their souls nearer my god to thee on their lips but for abraham lincoln the mother hand that guided his steps relinquished its clasp at a time when he needed her most A boy of ten and after that a heart strange to h his Is hood blood no mother of his own to wit ness his success no homely smiling old did face that radiated love perhaps the memory of his mother kept him strong until he met one to whom he gave his whole heart and she taking up the thread of his life strengthened it for all time abe lincoln worshiped the ground ann rutledge trod but her heart was not her own it had gone into the keeping of one unworthy still the youthful abe pleaded his cause and in his simple uncouth way offered her his heart and hand it was a balmy june day in 1839 A lovely maid and a homespun youth were sitting beneath the shade of a maple tree he flinging pebbles into the waters of the sangamon she poking the point of her parasol into the yielding sod with you by my elde side ann I 1 can become something sometimes the fire of ambition burns strong within me but I 1 have no incentive and it turns to ashes I 1 am studying ann studying all that man can know and my muscles are strong for work he arose and stood over her swing ing his long lanky arms the ly figure like some huge bird flapping 9 its wings brought a smila to her lips but the smile was changed to a tear which abe looking down noticed and down he sat in front of her tal ing her unresisting hand in his own the girl hung her head ann sweet ann could you not love me in timea I 1 will waif wait years if I 1 must but the hope that the waiting will end in your love will nerve me to scale the heights of man mans s ambition but still the girl held her peace and sat with hanging head A thought passed through abe abes s mind it was a spasm it chilled him but be he was brave am I 1 unlovable ann am I 1 so uncouth so ungainly that a woman cannot find it in her heart to love me this brought the face of ann hut rut ledge up and she faced him with her sweet eyes swimming placing her hand gently on his shoulder she said you are a man abe that some women would die tor for I 1 see in fit what you are pleased to call your ungainly form a soul superior to its mortal abell I 1 look beyond your body and see a great heart a man my little knowledge of history Jil story has told me that it Is such men as you who accomplish a high destiny I 1 have matched you abraham linchpin and it I 1 did not feel and know that you are above other men I 1 would never have trusted in to your but my heart abe my heart has gone from me it has followed the way of all women s hearts and must follow its destiny I 1 love another abe lincoln Lincol ns s head dropped upon his breast and he aas vas silent for some moments at last raising his eyes he looked down into her soul ann rutledge you ou are truth itself and I 1 must believe you but your words are as bitter as death to me I 1 feel helpless ann and I 1 des pair ann rutledge looked at him earn estly for a moment she knew his history his struggles lis 1 is privations and that he was self made her heart yearned toward him but her love aas as another s tal ing his great hand between her two soft ones she smiled though a tear drop was glist ening on her eyelid be a man my friend the wind floweth where it listeth you taught me that and the thistle down of a woman s heart is at its beck you love me abe lincoln looked at her with so piti ful an expression mingled with en treaty that she arole brol e into tears I 1 understand you my friend and though I 1 cannot fathom the depth of a mans man s love yet judging from the at af faction I 1 have tor for another I 1 would die if bereft of it do not think my friend that I 1 do not love you tor for I 1 do but not in the way aay you wish it if I 1 can not be that must our hearts be severed or shall they stand upon the same plane and be a mutual help to each othera it if aught fateful should come to me I 1 will send for you as the only one I 1 would care to confide in Will that comfort you it mist m ann since there is no other way and though I 1 pray that nothing will ever bruise your heart and make it bleed I 1 am selfish enough to feel a suspicion of hope that it if it will bring me to your side to be the healing physician it can come none too soon anns anne loving friendship somewhat relieved lincoln s despair he knew the man she loved and suspected that the lover would prove recreant this gave him hope which still further ook the weight from his heart but he did not know ann rutledge she nas truth itself as lincoln had said and when her lover betrayed her as he did without compunction her broken heart wrecked her trail frail body and she gradually faded away into the shadows she sent for lincoln and he hurried to her bedside little is known of this last earthly interview between two hearts that understood each other when too late small glimpses of it were caught by lincoln s most intimate friend at various periods of his hi after life just enough to show that the influence of ann rutledge guided him always the friends of the dying girl left the two alone and it was then that she with the prescience of the de parting soothed and strengthened him to bear the burdens that were to fall upon his shoulders there was still ness for at least two houra hours when loud sobs and broken utterances called in the family who found the stricken iran wan holding the inanimate clay of his beloved in his arms begging her to return to him and not leave him alone for many days after that lincoln wandered about alone moody and misanthropic sometimes working himself into such a frenzy that his friends watched him closely fearing tf blat at he would try to follow the girl he refused to attend her funeral pre ferring to wander in the forest swinging his long arms and muttering to himself by and by he grew calm and less morose but there was always a cloud k I 1 T 1 he rose and stood over her of melancholy hanging over him its shadow often passing over his face when conversing with intimates at such times he would cease talking his eyes would close and an espres sion of sadness spread over his coun cenance after remaining thus for some moments he would open hia big eyes give himself a shake and resume the conversation where it hd had stopped or perhaps say I 1 must tell you a little story in 1840 lincoln wooed mary todd a kentucky girl and the wedding was set tor for january 1 1841 but lin coll coln did not appear the bride gusts and supper vere waiting but 77 the groom came not he was found the next morning wandering the streets of springfield overcome by one of his attacks of melancholy for getting his obligation to his betrothed his explanation to miss todd so far from inducing her to repudiate tim him as her friends advised drew her closer to him mary he said aid I 1 have already told you ou about her who left me I 1 loved her then and I 1 love her now my heart faints and sinks sometimes because I 1 feel her presence by my side and I 1 can not grasp her to my arms I 1 am trying mary to do as I 1 promised her when she lay in my arms panting away her life I 1 am not heart whole mary b t I 1 am now and always will nill be true to you help me mary not to forget my angel wife for so she will always be to me but to fulfill her wishes abraham was the reply you ou are the man of my heart I 1 honor esteem and love you o 0 and whenever it shall please you to jo jon n your fortunes to mine I 1 will be ready and try 0 be to you ou what ann rutledge would have me be overcome with emotion lincoln rushed from her presence and did not call upon his betrothed tor for weeks but she I 1 new him and waited at last on november 5 1842 abra ham lincoln and mary todd became man and wife the spirit of ann rutledge hovered near them and blessed them during lincoln s stormy life she was always with him guiding him and directing his heart and mind A young soldier nothing but a boy was vas caught sleeping his he was t led and sentenced to death in pursuance of an order of the prest dent himself who declared that this sort of thing was becoming too frequent and must be stopped and that he would not interfere with the sen tence imposed the young soldier had a little sistar who had read about uncle abe and she knew that he loved children child en so she said to herself it if uncle abe knew how I 1 love my brother he wouldn t let him be shot shot she went to the white house and with the courage of innocence passed the guard the secretaries and the crowd of generals and visitors straight up to mr lincoln he smiled and took her band hand what can I 1 do for you my little maid she told her per plain simple story how her brother whom she loved had been sentenced to be shot that they were all mourning for him and that it he was to die in that way it would break her heart lincoln smiled kindly and laid his hand on her head what is your name my child why don dont t you know I 1 everybody knows me I 1 am ann she got no farther for the strong aims arms suddenly raised her close to his breast his cheek against hers the brother was safe after that |