The Truth about Abraham and Mary's Marriage

[Donna McCreary]

(12-20-2012 12:08 PM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Well, the Lincoln's loved each other, don't you think? I think they did-in their own way. And as couples do-they tolerated each other also. I think it was at President Lincoln's Cottage that he had greeted guests in his nightwear. Mary must have been aghast! At the same time, he asked for Mary's permission to return to the Executive Mansion. I think their relationship was partly like the one portrayed between grandpa and grandma Walton on the TV series The Waltons. Remember how they would verbally carry on with each other. She would say: "You old fool!" And he would tease her with some return remark. Yet, the viewer knew that they really loved each other.

Bill, I love the comparison to Grandma and Grandpa Walton. The Lincoln's did frequently tease one another. One of my favorite stories is the one Elizabeth Grimsley told about the extended family having breakfast at the White House. Lincoln told a story about himself and John Todd Stuart, and the punch line was "Who ever marries a Todd gets the worst of it." Historians have debated the 'truth' behind this quote for years. But when the entire story is read, the reader quickly learns that Lincoln was joking among members of the Todd family, and they were having some fun at the expense of William Wallace (Mary's brother-in-law) that day.