Identifier: abrahamlincolv1hern (find matches)
Title: Abraham Lincoln : the true story of a great life
Year: 1916 (1910s)
Authors: Herndon, William Henry, 1818-1891 Weik, Jesse William, 1857-1930, joint author White, Horace, 1834-1916
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Presidents
Publisher: New York London : D. Appleton and Co.
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: State of Indiana through the Indiana State Library

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but with no uncertainmeaning. The first letter I received from Mrs. Vineyard—for she was married to Jesse Vineyard, March 27,1841—was written at Weston, Mo., May 1, 1866-Among other things she says: M After quite astruggle with my feelings I have at last decided tosend you the letters in my possession written byMr. Lincoln, believing as I do that you are a gen-tleman of honor and will faithfully abide by allyou have said. My associations with your lamentedfriend were in Menard county whilst visiting asister who then resided near Petersburg. I havelearned that my maiden name is now in your pos-session ; and you have ere this, no doubt, been in-formed that I am a native Kentuckian. The letters written by Lincoln not revealingenough details of the courtship, I prepared a list ofquestions for the lady to answer in order that theentire history of their relations might be clearlyshown. I perhaps pressed her too closely in such adelicate matter, for she responded in a few days asfollows:
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Mary S. Owens. From a daguerreotype loaned by her son. THE LIFE OF LINCOLN. 139 u Weston, Mo., May 22, 1866. Mr. W. H. Herndon, My Dear Sir: Really, you catechise me intrue lawyer style ; but I feel you will have thegoodness to excuse me if I decline answering allyour questions in detail, being well assured that fewwomen would have ceded as much as I have underall the circumstances. You say you have heard why our acquaintanceterminated as it did. I too have heard the samebit of gossip ; out I never used the remark whichMadame Rumor says I did to Mr. Lincoln. I thinkI did on one occasion say to my sister, who wasvery anxious for us to be married, that I thoughtMr. Lincoln was deficient in those little links whichmake up the chain of womans happiness—at leastit was so in my case. Not that I believed it pro-ceeded from a lack of goodness of heart; but histraining had been different from mine; hence therewas not that congeniality which would otherwisehave existed. From his own showing y

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