ItisonthisspeculationthattheuniquegroupoftheintimateletterstoSpeedaredeveloped。TheywerewrittenafterLincoln’sreturntoSpringfield，whileSpeedwaswrestlingwiththedemonofself-analysis。Intheperiodwhichtheycover，LincolndeliveredhimselffromthatsamedemonandrecoveredSerenity。Beforelonghewaswriting：“Iknowwhatthepainfulpointwithyouisatalltimeswhenyouareunhappy；itisanapprehensionthatyoudonotloveherasyoushould。Whatnonsense!Howcameyoutocourther？Wasitbecauseyouthoughtshedeserveditandthatyouhadgivenherreasontoexpectit？Ifitwasforthat，whydidnotthesamereasonmakeyoucourtAnnTodd，andatleasttwentyothersofwhomyoucanthink，towhomitwouldapplywithgreaterforcethantoher？
Didyoucourtherforherwealth？Why，yousaidshehadnone。
Butyousayyoureasonedyourselfintoit。Whatdoyoumeanbythat？Wasitnotthatyoufoundyourselfunabletoreasonyourselfoutofit？“Andmuchmoreofthesameshrewdsensiblesort，——apictureunintentionallyofhisownstateofmindnolessthanofhisfriend’s。
ThisstrangeepisoderevealsalsothatamidLincoln’ssilences，whiletheoutwardmanappearedengrossedineverydaymatters，theinwardmanhadbeenseekingreligion。Hisfailuretoaccepttheformsofhismother’screeddidnotrestonanylackofthespiritualneed。Thoughundefined，hisreligionglimmersatintervalsthroughtheSpeedletters。WhenSpeed’sfianceefellillandhertorturedloverwasinaparoxysmofremorseandgrief，Lincolnwrote：“IhopeandbelievethatyourpresentanxietyanddistressaboutherhealthandherlifemustandwillforeverbanishthosehorriddoubtswhichIknowyousometimesfeltastothetruthofyouraffectionforher。IftheycanonceandforeverberemovedandIfeelapresentmentthattheAlmightyhassentyourpresentafflictionexpresslyforthatobjectsurelynothingcancomeintheirsteadtofilltheirimmeasurablemeasureofmisery……Shouldshe，asyoufear，bedestinedtoanearlygrave，itisindeedagreatconsolationtoknowsheissowellpreparedtomeetit。“
Againhewrote：“Iwasalwayssuperstitious。IbelieveGodmademeoneoftheinstrumentsofbringingyouandyourFannytogether，whichunionIhavenodoubtliehadforeordained。