The daily gazette., 1881-10-10
A Carolina Romauoe


ment appeared in the Ashevlle Citizen,
written by the editor, Mr.. Robert M.
Furman: We have just returned from
our annual visit to Miss Mary Burt, the
hermitess OF the mountains, and as few
persons ever saw or even heard of this
strange woman, a short sketch, embody-
ing all that Is known OF her, may not be
undressing to our readers. About
nIty years ago a progressing young
woman appeared suddenly In small
mountain village, as If she had dropped
from The sky who she was or whence
sne came, no one knew.
10 all questions she replied simply:
my name 10 Mary Burt. l am q
lady, and have come here because it
pleased me to do SO other than this
concerns no one but myself"
She had no baggage beyond q few
clothes tied up In Handkerchief, but
was so ladyllke in her appearance and
department tnai when she applied for
work at the house of a well-to-do far
mer, she was gladly received and treated
In all respects as an equal.
She assisted the farmers wife and
daughters In tie duties of the family.
Ten or fifteen years passed aud the mys-
terry OF her appearance was gradually
forgotten and she seemed to have bean
| one of the family. About this time she
was, after much persuasion, induced TO
take charge vi a country school near by,
and having declined one good offer OF
marriage, was looked upon az a per-
naneDt institution.
Suddenly, however, her whole char
acter seemed TO change and she became
moody,melancholy and fond OF solitude,
and after few years teaching, gave up
the school, purchased a section of wild
land and had rude log hut erected In
one of the loveliest spots in the mouu.
tains, but so far of from all habilations
that, particularly in winter, she often
passed weeks without intercourse with
any human being.
| A dog, a cat,a few chickens and COW,
whose milk supplies the place of tea OF
coffee, are the only living things with
whom she at such times has any inter.
course.
And now comes the solution of the
mystery, brought about by this very
sketch in the Asheville Citizen, which
being copied into Vermont paper, fell
into the hands of a wealthy gentleman
| Of that State, who Immediately went to
| Asheville, sought out the editor of the
Citizen, when the two In company pro.
| ceeded to the mountain home of Miss
Burt. Entering her house, where she
was, as usual, alone, the stranger said
"Mary, do you not know me ?'
81 cannot say that do" she replied
SsiziDg her by both hands he ex.
| claimed
"Mary Burt Howe, have you forgotten
Robert Fletcher ?"
al have not" she replied, "but sup
posed you were either married or Dead u
Then the whole story was told to the
editor OF the Citizen : Fifty years agc
Mary Burt Howe wcs engaged to BIZ
married to Robert Fletcher, but becom.
ing jealous of his fancied attachment tt
another girl suddenly left her home IL
| Maine and went to Boston, determined
to make her living away from all who
knew her. She got place as y stew.
ardess on board sailing vessel bound
for Liverpool, but terrific storm drove
the ship out of her course and wreck OF
her on the coast OF North Carolina.
Mary was the only woman saved and
after many hardships landed from {
small boat on Shepherds Point, {
tongue Of land running out into Beau
| fort harbor, to which the crew wert
guided by fire burning brightly
Here they found pa ty of trading In
dams encamped, who treated then
with the utmost kindness. Tho mel
of the party remained but few days
| shipping as sailors i'll q trading vesse
bound to the West Indies. They
would have taken Mary ON board, bul
she had such horror of the sea tina
nothing could induce her to trust her.
self again to its waves, and she remain
ed with the Indians, who soon broke
up their camp and started for theil
mountain home, taking her along will
them. Gradually her mind recovered
from the shock of the shipwIeck ant
ant she determined to get back II
civilization, but not return destitute t.
her home, so, taking the few olothei
she had managed to save, she on
night left the Indian camp and tn
next day found herself at the littl
mountain village where she had dwell
SO long. Having traced her to thu
vessel on which she embarked ant
heard that 1t had been wrecked on thu
coast of North Carolina Mr.. Fletcbe
mourned her as dead, until he read tn
account, taken from the Citizen, o
Mary Burt living alone in the noun
tains of that State. Being rich maj
he Immediately started for Asheville
found Mr.. FurmaD, and, as related
his lost love. 1t did not take long t.
induce Miss Burt, or rather Howe, t.
return with him to Vermont as hi
wife, but before marrying she, at Mr.
Fleteher's earnest request, executed
deed of gift, by which she transferred
her beautiful mountain glen to tn
editor of the Asheville Citizen, stipu'
lating that he should take care of hel
faithful dog and cat as long as the.
lived and 60 every summer to hunt AM
fish in the wilds where she had so loni
resided lone.-Asheoiiie, North OdrO
| linz (if;zsn