Are those stories about Mary abusive to Abraham overstated???

[RJNorton]

How many people embellish a story from 20 years prior in order to make it more interesting to the listener? Not everyone, but I think a lot of folks do. IMO, this is what happened in some of the letters sent to Herndon after the assassination. A good number of Herndon's contacts may have embellished/overdramatized their stories of the Lincolns' marriage. I think Professor Burlingame looked for the most sensationalistic stories he could find.