How to obtain text in GUI edit box exactly as it appears on the screen

I am using a multi-line edit box in my GUI. The user inputs text which may wrap onto multiple lines. When I get the text from the edit box handle, the text is stored in a multi-line string. Only the return button will produce text on a separate line in the string. Here is an example:

 STR = get(handles.InputText,'String')

STR =

      abcde fghijk lmnopqrs tuvwxyz.  ABCDEFG HIJKL MNOP QRSTU VWXYZ.

How do I get a sting that corresponds exactly to the text in the edit box? Ideally, the string would read:

STR(1,:) = abcde fghijk lmnopqrs

STR(2,:) = tuvwxyz. ABCDEFG HIJKL MNOP

STR(3,:) = QRSTU VWXYZ.