The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-07-11
Eighteen Years of Sstf'ering--A
,St7'O71ge History.

A Mr. W. A. Worth, of Troy, New York,
died recently. Twenty years ago Mr.. Worth was
a young and promising merchant His personal
appearance was commanding, and he was regar-
ded MS one of the finest specimens OF manly beauty
to be found in the city. In his family relations
be was most happily blessed. But neuralgia
pains began to dart through his person. and in a
short time he was. taken down with confirmed
and incurable rheumatism. For some time hopes
were entertained that the disease would give way
to medical treatment, but these were hnally
abandoned when it was discovered that anchy-
loss of all the joints in the body was rapidly TAX
ing place. The end was soon reached. Every
bone became ossfed and contracted. lie was
unable to move joint or muscle OF the oooy.
Even his Jaws became set, and for years ne SUCK
ed his nourishment through his teeth. His feet
became enlarged TO an enormous size and great
fcted ulcers formed upon them. Ia this condi-
ton he lived for eighteen years, suffering at times
excrucating torture, though sometimes he was
happily free from pain. During sixteen years OF
his invalidsm, Mr. Worth was attended solely
by his wife-now, we are assured, an angel IN
heaven as she certainly was on earth. That ex-
cellent woman nursed and tended him with un-
complaining love and heroic fortitude, never mur-
muriug at her lot, but cheerfully performing her
mission of love and duty. We doubt If there is
on record-in the pages of history or fiction
tion, of stronger conjugal fidelity and love. A
little more than year ago Mrs. Worth died,
-a-rccd by her long and persistent
care OF her husband. To add to Mr.. Worths
misfortunes, about six years ago his eyes were
attacked by disease, and gradually he lost his
sight. Now began a singular feature in his case.
His strong mental faculties which had all through
his long years of illness remained unmpaired
absolutely grew stronger. His sense of hearing
was wonderfully acute. He recognized the steps
of visitors with entire exactness, and could dis
tinguish between half dozen persons entering
the room. He also played chess, and his memory
was so perfect that in this game he was able to
vanqush almost any opponent. The newspapers
were read to him daily, and he kept thoroughly
posted upon the current news and literature of
the times. Though he had not walked the streets
of Troy for years, he knew almost every change
that had taken place in the buildings that line
them. His mental characteristics were almost as
remarkable as was his physical misfortune and
terrible deformity. Some months previous TO the
death of Mrs. Worth, who only relinqushed his
care when disease fastened upon her, Mr.. Worth
was removed to the Troy Hospital. He appeared
to be very tenacious of life-clinging to it with
even more desire than most strong and robust
men manifest. A few months since he was again
removed to the Marshall Infrmary, where he
died. Every organ in his body, one after another,
had been attacked, and We may say destroyed,
until only the heart, the citadel of life ITSELF
mained unimpaired. This, too, at last succumbed,
and the poor man who counted his sufferings in
duration by years and in intensity beyond the
power OF language to describe, was released from
the thraldom of the body