Encounters
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Mary Lincoln found herself overwhelmed by the demands of motherhood as she gave birth to three more sons (Edward in 1846; William in 1850; and Thomas, better known as Tad, in 1853). Her cousin, Elizabeth Todd Grimsley, recalled that Mary was “always over-anxious and worried about the boys and withal was not a skillful nurse” and “was totally unfitted for caring for them” when they became sick. If anything untoward happened to her children, she became hysterical. One day in 1844 she overreacted to the illness of young Robert and sent the maid to fetch a doctor, shouting after her, “Charity! Charity! run for your life and I’ll give you fifty dollars when you get back.” Mrs. Frederick S. Dean, who lived across the street from the Lincoln home, took pity on the distracted newcomer and gently quieted her down when her hysterics threatened to disturb the neighborhood. Another neighbor, Elizabeth Lushbaugh Capps, recalled that it was not unusual “to see her standing out on their terrace in front of the house, waving her arms and screaming, ‘Bobbie’s lost! Bobbie’s lost!’ when perhaps he was just over in our house. This was almost an every day occurrence.” Mrs. Capps remembered a time “when Robert could just barely walk Mrs. Lincoln came out in front as usual, screaming, ‘Bobbie will die! Bobbie will die!’ My father ran over to see what had happened. Bobbie was found sitting out near the back door by a lime box and had a little lime in his mouth. Father took him, washed his mouth out and that’s all there was to it.” Mary Lincoln’s frequent outbursts so frightened the neighborhood children that they feared her; rather than playing with Bob at his house, they would invite him to their homes.
Source: Abraham Lincoln ∶ A Life ▫𓂃
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