Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-05-20
.pROLIFIC MOTHER.

..prN,RKABLE PHILADELPHIA MATRoN |
- - Has SIX CHILDREN BEFORE SHE is |
y, ND 81 CHILDREN WHEN HER HIS
BAND DlEs.
most extraordinary woman in her
.,nliar line, and one who is largely re-
Poonsible for the rapid increase In tue
Sp"nntion of Philadelphia within the
Est half century, is an old lazy llVlng IN
psS1',m,hia avenue i'm the northern part of
Iv .tn;tw, The New York Mercury says she
i'Se mother of no less than twenty-one
iSs;iSron. the most of whom are living.
t'i, rsnresentative of the Mercury recently
a;I;tsd this wholesale mother. The re-
N '.nrter was ushered into the sitting room
PSher residence one evening, and at first
W was doubtful whether he had dropped
~ on Sunday-school in session or a mis-
naIIaneous party. There was certainly
ooouch human material presen: to make
either or both. The old lady consented
N give full particulars, providing" she
ssid. you do not publish my name.
wouldn't like to have it spread all over
creation that have so many children.
The required promise being freely
given, she said: "Yes, John and L were
married when / was l6. John, he was
lust 25, and a handsomer man conld not
he found in Philadelphia. even II 40 say
il myself. About year and a nan aiter
our marriage l astonished John Dy pre-
senting him with triplets. wen, sald
he. sMarv, this is good beginning, any
how John was only poor shoemaker
than and three added to 4 family all at
once did make great difference, but
,brse loyelier babies couldn't be found i'll
Philadelphia, even if do say it myself,
and so we thought we'd get along. Two
years after | became the mother OF twins.
! rould see that John felt little blue
over this. But he would have this little
ioke would John. well, Mary said he,
!yon're not doing any worse, anyhow.
Il was little better thank God Fifteen
months after bore one child only, dear
lille bow. All. then we had grand glO-
rious family jollification. John for the
Arst time in his life got tight as a lord.
.th. SIS said he, we've got down to the
nroper economical basis At last AT that
lime | was only twenty-one years old,
and | tell YOU what, 10 be the mother of
six children ut that age seemed very
queer, but still thought the worst was
over. Many women at double that age
do not have larger families than mine
was then. Two years passed by, and L
AGAIN became mother. This time, to
our astOnishment, it proved 10 be another
pair of twins. John got tight again, but
This time from sorrow and not from joy.
Mother said he, this is awful YOU'RE
right, john said /. But these two were
aiovely little boy and girl, and their cute
little ways and beauty soon put fresh
hope and courage in our hearts. John
opened little shop, work was brisk, and
all went smoothly along until year and
a half afterward, when we had another
pair of twins.
This broke John all up, and he went
ON spree for three weeks. odd wOman,'
saws he, Il can't support whole coun-
nv Well soOthed and sobered him up
aud got him to working again, for the
Lord knows there was need for it then.
During the next ten years | had only six
children, being single births only. John
and began to feel very much encour-
aged. 'Ah, sis, said he we wont have
80 much OF a family after ALL Three
wears passed away without any addition
10 my family, when in my thirty-eighth
wear l presented my amazed husband
with another pair OF twins. Mother,
saws he, this is astonishing They
couldn't have come in 4 worse time, for
John, who had for 4 number of years
done very well in his business. had just
made Il bad failure. But the older child
rem were working, and we put the best
face we could on the matter. Two years
after, and when | was in my fOrtieth
wear. to our unbounded surprise, l bore
another set of triplcts. This, / think,
killed poor John. Yes, sir, he's dead,
died ten years ago this coming June,
Mother says he, Il think I've lived long
enough ;"
This remarkable woman is 80 years of
age, hale, hearty and well preserved. Her
parents came from Scotland, marrying
and settling in this country early i'll life.
Her husband was of Irish descent. His
parents also cmigratcd to the United States
when quite young. YES" the old lady
said, 1--WE did after a while have trouble
to find the right kind of names for the ba-
bcs. First il was easy enough but when
he had used up all the family names, we
were bothered 4 good bit. l used to have
the neighbors call and we would have a
good time thinking of names. But one
day John got an almanac which had in 1t
a long list of boys and girls names, and
then we were all right.
"Of my children II were boys and 10
were girls. All are living but two-one
son who died in his fourth year, from
Group, and little girl who was run over
by a street car when she was three years
old, and killed. You see | had so many
little things running around at time that
10 was hard for ne TO look after them all.
All the rest Of my family are hearty and