Lincoln and Ann Rutledge

[RJNorton]

(06-01-2014 03:26 PM)Gene C Wrote:  I don't remember anyone mentioning this, but evidently Abraham was not what we would consider an attractive young man.

I agree, Gene. Example: Mary Owens wrote several letters to Herndon. Here is part of one:

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As I said to you in a former letter, I thought him lacking in smaller atentions. One circumstance presents itself just now to my minds eye. There was a company of us going to Uncle Billy Greens, Mr. L. was riding with me, and we had a very bad branch to cross, the other gentlemen were very officious in seeing that their partners got over safely; we were behind, he riding in never looking back to see how I got along; when I rode up beside him, I remarked, you are a nice fellow; I suppose you did not care whether my neck was broken or not. He laughingly replied, (I suppose by way of compliment) that he knew I was plenty smart to take care of myself. In many things he was sensitive almost to a fault. He told me of an incident; that he was crossing a prairie one day, and saw before him a hog mired down, to use his own language; he was rather fixed up and he resolved that he would pass on without looking towards the shoat, after he had gone by, he said, the feeling was eresistable and he had to look back, and the poor thing seemed to say so wistfully — There now! my last hope is gone; that he deliberately got down and relieved it from its difficulty.

In many things we were congenial spirits. In politics we saw eye to eye, though since then we have differed as widely as the South is from the North. But me thinks I hear you say, save me from a political woman! So say I. The last message I ever received from him was about a year after we parted in Illinois. Mrs. Able visited Ky. and he said to her in Springfield, Tell your Sister, that I think she was a great fool, because she did not stay here and marry me."

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Gene, I have also read that Mary Owens said Lincoln was "deficient in the little links that make for woman's happiness."

And to quote from
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/2629860...w=fulltext

"He had no illusions about his personal appearance and joked about it so often that there is reason to believe that he deliberately tried to capitalize upon his homeliness. Speaking at a banquet held by Anti-Nebraska editors at Decatur, on February 22, 1856, he apologized for being present, explaining that not being an editor he felt out of place. He illustrated his feelings by telling of an extremely ugly man who, riding along a narrow road, was met by a woman. As she passed the woman looked at him intently and finally observed: "Well, you are the ugliest man I ever saw." "Perhaps so," admitted the unfortunate fellow, somewhat crestfallen, "but I can't help that, madam." "No, I suppose not," agreed the woman, "but you might stay at home."