The Louisiana Democrat., 1868-06-03
Eighteen Years Of Suffering.
A STRANGE HISTORY.

A Mr.. W. A, Worth, of Troy, NY,
died recently. Twenty years ago Mr..
Worth was a young and promising mer,
chant. His personal appearance was com
Imanding, and he was regarded as one of
the finest specimens Of manly beauty to be
found in the city In his family relations
ne was most happily blessed. But, alas, a
great sorrow was impending over him.
Neuralgia pains began to dart through his
person, and in short time he was taken
down with confirmed and ipcurable rheu-
matism. For some time hopes were enter
tained 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 became ossifed and
contracted. He was unable to move q
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 an enormous size,
and great fetid ulcers formed upon them.
In this condition he lived for eighteen
years, suffering at times the most excrucia-
ting torture though sometimes he was hap,
ply free from pain. During sixteen years
OF his invalidism, Mr.. Worth was attended
solely by his wife-now, we aye assured an
angel in heaven, as she certainly was on
earth. That excellent woman anrsed and
tended him with accomplishing love and
heroic fortitude, never murnuring at her lot,
but cheerfully, prayerfully performing her
mission Of love and duty. We doubt if
there is on record, in the pages of history
or fiction, another instance Of more COM
plete wlfely devotion, of stronger conjugaI
fidelity and love. A little more than a
year ago, Mrs. Worth died, from disease
induced by her long and persistent care Of
her husband.
To add to Mr.. Worth S misfortune, about
six years ago his eyes were attacked by
disease and gradually he lost his SIGHT
Now began singular feature in his case.
Ills strong mental faculties, which had all
through his long years Of illness remained
unimpai.ed, absolutely grew stronger
His sense of hearing was wonderfully
acute. he recognized the steps Of visitors
with entire exactness, and could distin-
guish between half a dozen persons enter
ing the room. He also played chess, and
his memory was so perfect than in this
game he was able to vanquish almost any
Iopponent. 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 deforni-
|ity
Some months previous to the death Of
Mrs. Worth, who only relinquished ,his
care when. disease had fastened upon her,
Mr. ". 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 InfinDary, where he died
Every organ in his body, one after another,
had been attacked and we may say de-
stroyed, until only the heart, the citadel Of
life, itself remained unimpaired. This, too,
at last succnmbed, and the poor man who
counted his snferings in duration by years
and intensity beyond the power Of Ian
guage to describe, was released from the
thraldom OF the body.
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