Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-07-29
A Strange History.

A Mr. w. a. Worth, Of Troy, New York,
died recently. Twenty years ago, Mr..
Worth was a young and promising mer-
chant. His personal appearance was COM
nlanding, and he was regarded as one Of the
finest specimens of manly beauty to be found
in the city. In his family relations he was
most happily blessed. But neuralgia pains
began to dart through his person, and in a
short time he was taken down with con-
Armcd and incurable rheumatism. For
some time hopes were entertained that the
disease would give way to medical treatment,
but these were finally abandoned when it
was discovered that anchylosis of all the
Joints in the body was rapidly taking place.
The end was soon reached. Every bone be.
came osifcd and contracted. lie was un.
able to move joint or muscle Of the body.
Even his jaws became set and for years he
sucked his nourishment through his teeth.
His feet became enlarged to enormous size,
and great ulcers formed upon them. In
this condition he livcl for years, suffering
at times excrutiating torture, though some-
times he was happily free from pain. During
sixteen years of his invalidism, Mr.. Worth
was attended solely by his wife e-now, we
are assured, an angel in heaven, as she Ger
tainly was on earth. That excellent woman
nursed and tended him with uncomplaining
love and heroic fortitude, never murmuring
at her lot, but cheerfully performing her
mission of love and duty. We doubt ii
there is on record in the pages Of history or
fiction, another instance of more complete
wifely devotion, of stronger conjugal fidel-
ity and love. a little more than year ago
Mrs. Worth died from disease induced by
her long and persistent care OF her hus-
band.
To add to Mr.. Worth's misfortune, about
six years ago his eyes were attacked by dis
case, and gradually he lost his sight. His
strong mental faculties, which had through
all his long years Of illness remained unim-
paired, absolutely grew stronger he recog-
nized the steps Of visitors with entire ex-
actncss, and could distinguish between half
a dozen persons entering the room. lie
also played chess and his memory was so
perfect that in this game he was able to van
quish almost any opponent. She newspa-
pers were read to him daily, and he kept
thoroughly posted upon the current news
and literature of the times. Though he
hand not walken the streets Of Troy for years
he knew almost every change that had taken
place in the buildings that line them. His
mental characteristics we're almost as re
markable as were his physical misfortunes
and terrible dcformity.
Some months previous to the death Of
Mrs. Worth, who only rclinquished her
care when disease was fastened upon her,
Mr. Worth was removed to the Troy Hos
pital. He appeared to be very tenacious Of
life--clinging to it with even mere desire
than most strong and robust men manifest
A few months since he was again removed
to the Marshall ln6rmary, where he died,
Every organ in his body, one after another,
had been attacked, and wo may say destroyed,
until only the heart, the citadel Of life itself,
remained uuimparcd. This, too, at last sue
cumbed, and the poor man, who cousted his
sufferings, in duration, by years, and the in
tensity beyond the power Of language to
describe, was released from the thralldom of
the body