e only desired to test the sincerity of Mr. Lincoln's love, that
he was the idol of her heart, and that she would become his wife.

The Doctor returned with joyful news to his patient. The intelligence
proved the best remedy for the disease. Mutual explanations followed,
and in a few months Mr. Lincoln led Miss Todd to the altar in triumph.

I learned these facts from Dr. Henry and Mrs. Lincoln. I believe them to
be facts, and as such have recorded them. They do not agree with Mr.
Herndon's story, that Mr. Lincoln never loved but one woman, and that
woman was Ann Rutledge; but then Mr. Herndon's story must be looked upon
as a pleasant piece of fiction. When it appeared, Mrs. Lincoln felt
shocked that one who pretended to be the friend of her dead husband
should deliberately seek to blacken his memory. Mr. Lincoln was far too
honest a man to marry a woman that he did not love. He was a kind and an
indulgent husband, and when he saw faults in his wife he excused them as
he would excuse the impulsive acts of a child. In fact, Mrs. Lincoln was
never more pleased than when the President called her his child-wife.

Before closing this rambling chapter I desire to refer to another
incident.

After the death of my son, Miss Mary Welsh, a dear friend, one of my old
St. Louis patrons, called to see me, and on broaching the cause of my
grief, she condoled with me. She knew that I had looked forward to the
day when my son would be a support to me--knew that he was to become the
prop and main-stay of my old age, and knowing this, she advised me to
apply for a pension. I disliked the idea very much, and told her
so--told her that I did not want to make money out of his death. She
explained away all of my objections--argued that Congress had made an
appropriation for the specific purpose of giving a pension to every
widow who should lose an only son in the war, and insisted that I should
have my rights. She was so enthusiastic in the matter that she went to
see Hon. Owen Lovejoy, then a member of the House from Illinois, and
laid my case before him. Mr. Lovejoy was very kind, and said as I was
entitled to the pension, I should have it, even if he had to bring the
subject before Congress. I did not desire public agitation, and Mr.
Lovejoy prepared my claim and laid it before the Commissioners. In the
meantime he left Washington, and Mr. Joseph Lovejoy, his brother,
prosecuted the claim for me, and finally succeeded in securing me a