irst love, however, had a sad termination. The object of his
affections at that time was Anne Rutledge, whose father was one of the
founders of New Salem. Like Miss Owen, Miss Rutledge was also born in
Kentucky, and was gifted with the beauty and graces that distinguish
many Southern women. At the time that Mr. Lincoln and Anne Rutledge were
engaged to be married, he thought himself too poor to properly support
a wife, and they decided to wait until such time as he could better his
financial condition. A short time thereafter Miss Rutledge was attacked
with a fatal illness, and her death was such a blow to her intended
husband that for a long time his friends feared that he would lose his
mind.

HIS DUEL WITH SHIELDS.

Just previous to his marriage with Mary Todd, Mr. Lincoln was challenged
to fight a duel by James Shields, then Auditor of State. The challenge
grew out of some humorous letters concerning Shields, published in a
local paper. The first of these letters was written by Mr. Lincoln.
The others by Mary Todd and her sister. Mr. Lincoln acknowledged the
authorship of the letters without naming the ladies, and agreed to meet
Shields on the field of honor. As he had the choice of weapons he named
broadswords, and actually went to the place selected for the duel.

The duel was never fought. Mutual friends got together and patched up an
understanding between Mr. Lincoln and the hot-headed Irishman.

FORMS NEW PARTNERSHIP.

Before this time Mr. Lincoln had dissolved partnership with Stuart and
entered into a law partnership with Judge Logan. In 1843 both Lincoln
and Logan were candidates for nomination for Congress and the personal
ill-will caused by their rivalry resulted in the dissolution of the
firm and the formation of a new law firm of Lincoln & Herndon, which
continued, nominally at least, until Mr. Lincoln's death.

The congressional nomination, however, went to Edward D. Baker, who
was elected. Two years later the principal candidates for the Whig
nomination for Congress were Mr. Lincoln and his former law partner,
Judge Logan. Party sentiment was so strongly in favor of Lincoln that
Judge Logan withdrew and Lincoln was nominated unanimously. The campaign
that followed was one of the most memorable and interesting ever held in
Illinois.

DEFEATS PETER CARTWRIGHT FOR CONGRESS.

Mr. Lincoln's opponent on the Democratic ticket was no less a person
than old Peter Cartwright, the famou