Assassination Threats Against Mrs Lincoln

Women threw themselves at the president-elect regardless of his unusual appearance. Grotesque was a word commonly used to describe him. Mary, Vayner and less well defended than her husband, was subjected to an entirely different level of scrutiny. One paper printed the following report: Mrs. Lincoln has not the features of Juno, the form of Venus or Minerva's wisdom. But neither does she chew tobacco, dress out landishly, or curse."

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