Lincoln & Herndon

[RJNorton]

Quote:Lincoln couldn't keep a hired girl because she was tyrannical to her and Lincoln perforce was compelled to look after the children.

Herndon seems to be blaming Mary for the fact that Abraham was "stuck" looking after the kids. This does not seem fair to me because Abraham was gone months at a time leaving Mary as the sole parent in the home. Shouldn't he bare some responsibility when he was at home and she was out? Herndon seems to feel this would be the "hired girl's" responsibility. In those days were "hired girls" like nannies? Was it the girl's responsibility, and not Abraham's, to look after the children when Mary was out? Would that have been the normal practice? By using the word "compelled" it sounds like Herndon felt it was an injustice that Abraham would have to look after the kids when Mary went to church, etc.