An "out-of-character" moment for Lincoln?

[Donna McCreary]

I am not sure that the drunkard would have been arrest for spousal abuse. There is a story from Oregon about a women who made a living making and selling butter. Her husband left her and the children destitute when he decided to sell all of their furniture and disappear. The women and her children struggled, but with the help of friends in the community, were able to rebuild their lives. She was able to purchase new furniture on credit. Soon, the husband reappeared and took legal possession of everything and disappeared again. It was said he was a drunkard. The abandoned wife could no longer support her children and the family was scattered. She was left with all of the debt. Feeling she had no choice but to divorce the drunkard, she sought the help of an attorney. Once the divorce was filed, the community turned on her and lamented about how easy to was for divorces to be granted.

Roger, thanks for the source of the story. I know those kinds of things happened -- it is in my heart that I wish there was never a need for such actions. We all bring our personal experience to the forum. It has been my personal experience that a man filled with drink can and will react through violent measurers. If angered, the violence because worse, not less. At the age of 10, I witnessed a male drunkard in my family try to murder my grandmother. I can not bear to think what would have happened if my parents had not been there to stop him.

That is why I wish this story were not true. I wonder what happened to the wife the next time her husband had too much whiskey and not enough sanity.