The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-06
a SINGULAR DOMESTIC HISTORY.
A wife Becomes a Daughter.


DR.. 0. W. Wight, of Indiana, the author
and translator, who has lately figured in the
papers for getting a divorce from his wife on
aCrOunt of ll-health, and marrying another
woman, while his wife offciated as bridesmaid,
writes long defense of himself to the Chicago
Tribune, and gives chapter Of domestic his
tory more singular than ever before narrated
in fact or fiction. We give the essential parts
of the letter, without attempting to pass judg-
ment upon the case. After stating that he was
married in May, 1854, Immediately after his
return from stay OF some years in Europe,
the marriage being hastened by the death of
the BRIDES mother, her only relative that the
marriage had been put off from time to time
on account of the lady's health, the disease
being represented to him as hysteria, DR..
Wight proceeds
"Amost Immediately after our marriage we
embarked for Europe. The steamer duly
landed at Liverpool and we went directly to
the famous Lake District of England About
= month after our marriage she was one day,
at Keswick, stricken down at my feet in fit
OF epilepsy Attack followed attack, until she
had seventeen in the course of the night.
stood alone by her bedside, amazed, be-
Widered, becrushed, turning grey ere the sun
rose. Her fearful disease ESQ fearful, as DR..
Watson says, that the beasts of the field flee
In terror at the characteristic cry Of one seized
with it') had been concealed from me. Yet
am puBuCly accused OF naVlnB put away Ou6
who was in good health at the time Of her
marriage simply because she had become an
invalid on my hands. If her parents had
been living, / should have taken her home to
them, and never should have seen her again in
this world. But she was an orphan and alone.
She had not been TO blame. That terrible
night, on bended knees, before God Almighty,
adopted her as my child. Never has a word
OF Tepr0ach to her, on account Of the conceal
ment, escaped my lips. From that hour to
this have been an affectionate parent to her
('iather and mother in one as she has a thou
BandLtimes, with gushing tears expressed),
and during many of the intervening years i
have been the sole nurse to her. patiently,
nneOmplainly, tenderly performing for her
Offices that no money could procure.
wandered over Europe nearly four years,
taking my patient and ward to many emf
nent physicians hoping against hope that
perchance her disease might be cured. II had
existed from infancy. Every physician-and
Ia you, my brethren of the regular profession,
appeal as witnesses OF the truth OF my asser-
hOn In regard to the disease-knoWs how in
surable a long-standing case of epilepsy is,
how II units for the pursuits and active duties
OF life. Besides, as every educated physiolO-
Eist understands, it is very likely to be trans
mitted to offspring. With knowledge of this
fact, none but a brute and goddess wretch
would incur the responsibility of being the
AuInOr OF LnOhe VINO mlSnt lnnerlJ TINS IearIul
malady.''
Finally, returning from Europe, DR.. Wight
sought to establish home and to conceal the
real nature Of his Wife's disease from his
friends, and for some years took the chief care
OF her, more than twenty women having been
Gied as nurses or housekeepers, not one OF
whom would do. At length a lady who had
known DR.. Wight from his youth, lady in
telhgent, educated, and refined came to spend
the simmer with him. She won the conf
dence and sympathy Of his patient and reduced
the chaos OF his house to order and the Doctor
sought relief in literature, This lasted for two
years, and then the story goes on
SAN efficient friend could not alwavs re-
main with us. My nominal wife. nv ari-
leptio ward, could not bear to part with Am,
Kate, as she familiarly and affeetionataIv
called her. A recurrence to the old method of
housekeeping was an impOssibility. Board
ing was attended with the same difficulties.
Two persons were necessary for the care OF
An epileptio who could never be left safely
alone, except for some hours on particular
days. Ny friends coming to know the situa-
ton, advised an asylum. Ny heart revolted
against that, as it still reVOlts against It,
although / have had, for long time, an
arrangement with a noble friend Of mine, the
hOnOIsd head of a New England asylum, tC
take her, in case OF my death, or some i'm.
peTatiVe necessity. A new plan was proposed
BY my patient herself, at first In jest theI
IN earnest. The nominal tie between us
should be severed, and then she might
have two instead Of one TO take care OF her
n win 10 said that - wife CORld make