More on Mrs. Lincoln's [non] faux pas

[Eva Elisabeth]

Just to complete - (as his views have often been of interest) these are W. Herndon's thoughts: “Beyond a limited acquaintance with Shakespeare, Byron, and Burns, Mr. Lincoln, comparatively speaking, had no knowledge of literature. He was familiar with the bible, and now and then evinced a fancy for some poem or short sketch to which his attention was called by some one else, or which he happened to run across in his cursory reading of books or newspapers. He never in his life sat down and read a book through, and yet he could readily quote any number of passages from the few volumes whose pages he had hastily scanned. In addition to his well-known love for the poem Immortality or Why should the Spirit of Mortal be Proud, he always had a great fondness for Oliver Wendell Holmes’ Last Leaf, the fourth stanza of which beginning with the verse, ‘The mossy marbles rest,’ I have often heard him repeat.”

...and Emilie Todd Helm recalled: “Mary enjoyed reading a wide range of subjects, often reviewing a book for Mr. Lincoln. I heard him say he had no need to read a book after Mary gave him a synopsis. He had great respect for her judgment and never took an important step without consulting her.”

I think they both were equally interested in literature, and sharing this was one common pillar.

BTW - I really don't know: how well-read was Ann Rutledge?