Robert Todd Lincoln --The vitals

[L Verge]

I haven't seen the letter in which he mentions the incident, but the fact that he told the story on himself at least shows that he was willing to show himself in a less than favorable light.

It really comes down to this: if someone is determined to dislike Robert, he or she can find evidence to support his or her opinion, just as someone who is determined to dislike Mary can do the same thing (City Point, anyone?), but I think that such a black-or-white view is unfair to both. There are a few people with little if any redeeming qualities, and there are a few people with almost no flaws, but most of us fall into that vast in-between. I think Mary and Robert were in that middle category.

Excellent response, Susan. A great deal of history - both related to individuals as well as events - boils down to how people interpret things. Even the facts in black and white can be viewed in different ways.