Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-06-15
A Strange Life History.


A few weeks ago Miss Abbie Taylor
returned to Newport from New York.
where she had gone to bury her aunt,
whom she had tenderly cared for at her
home in the former city, She returned
from New York on Thursday, May H.,
and few hours afterward she was
stricken with pneumonia and died May
Is. A few hours before her death, says
a correspondent of the New York Her
aid, the attending physician sounded
her lungs and toldSher that there was no
hope of her recovering. The doctor,
when he was leaving, stated that he
would return at eight O'Clock in the even
ing.
At half-past seven O'Clock she re-
quested to be raised in bed, and then,
noticing that the flesh under her nails
was tinged with blue, she said: "My
nails are turning blue, and can plainly
see that there is no hope. Twill surely
die. Hand me paper, pen, and ink. [
will write the names and addresses of
those whom desire to be acquainted
with my decease, and when am dead
l desire that they he forwarded" She
then called for the keys to the drawer
HCI pdpcISs IuOhCys CtCss ouo
counted the money in q business-like
manner. The deceased lady had al
ways expressed a desire to retain pos
session of her senses before she died,
and was determined to use her pen, as
she wanted to write the announcement
of her death with her own hand. Her
wish was fulfilled to the letter. and she
breathed her last just after she had per-
formed the final act of her life. Her
face and hands were cold in death, and
she knew that the end was at hand. She
then quietly laid down the pen, and
with smile, recognized the grim mes
senger of death.
A sad romance in connection with the
deceased lady was brought to light this
evening, which in great measure shows
the constancy and devotion of woman.
Miss Taylor was reared in luxury in
New York, and was brought up as a
gentlewoman in every sense of the term.
Forty years ago she accidentally met
John G. Phillips, noble specimen of a
man, who was poor and who followed
the sea for living. The acquaintance
soon ripened into love, and in due time
the engagement ring was placed upon
her finger by young Phillips, who was
in command of ship. Their vows
were plighted, and the hopeful couple
looked forward to a happy union. The
gallant skipper, on return voyage, was
taken ill, and was brought to Newport,
where his relatives resided. The dis
ease proved to be consumption, and for
weeks and months he vainly struggled
against the decree of fate. The young
lady whom he had promised to marry
left her home of luxury and ease, and,
against the advice of those who were
dear to her by the ties of kindred, hast
ened to his bedside.
Here she remained, waiting on him for
many weary months and doing all that
was possible to comfort and console
him. She watched, hoped, and prayed
for him, but the seeds of the disease
were too firmly rooted, and, after long
and weary struggle, the spirit of her
lover departed. The blow came with
peculiar sadness. For weeks and
months she was in a critical condition.
She did not return to her home, but re-
manned in the city, and that, too, within
q few rods of the place where her fond
est hopes had been blighted, in order
that she might daily strew his grave
with flowers and drop silent tear on
the marble which marked his last rest
ing-place.
For fifteen years after the death of
Captain Phillips she lovingly and ten
Derby showed her devotion to the dead
by personally nursing an invalid sister
of her dead lover. She devoted the re-
mainder of her life. to the welfare of
others, and daily proved herself afriend
to the poor and unfortunate of the city,
in which he had not single relative.
She worked in the s'NIaster's vineyard"
in that quiet manner which is so pecu-
liar to those who are in earnest and who
have a mission to perform. Strange as
it may seem, she was not known outside
of the section of the town where she re-
sided. She kept herself aloof from all
social festivities, simply attending ser
vice at the Episcopal Chapel, which was
built for those who could not afford to
worship elsewhere, it being a branch of
Trinity Church. 1t was among this
class that she preferred to labor, for in
addition to the consciousness of doing
good she had the associations of her
lover ever about her, and she never
manifested a desire to reside in any 9TH
er part of the city.
Her funeral was largely attended by
those whom she, had befriended, and
her remains. when taken to the silent
city of the dead, were laid by the side
of him whom she had loved and for
whom she had left home aud friends.
Here, in sight of the spot where he had
died, she lived for upward of forty years,
and it was fitting that in death she
should occupy the place which had been
reserved for her, and where she longed
to lay her weary heart.