Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-08-03
! RGDlISGd her on his D0atlbGd.
A DYING MAN WHO HAD NOT SfO'
KEN TO HIS WIPE FOR
TWELVE YEARS.


TWELVE YEARS.
CHICAGO, July 23.-Jas. Hutch
ms. a well.to.do citizen, died on
Saturday evening. The dying man
had not spoken a word to his wife
in twelve years, and for that time
they had occupied separate rooms
IN the same house. DIR. Parsons
told him he had only few hours
to live. Mrs. Hutchins was crying,
and the diving man with open eyes
watched her. With sudden i'm
pulse of a love that had survived
the years of cruel treatment, Mrs.
Hutchins threw her arms around
her husbands neck, kissed him
fondly, and begged him to speak to
her once to break, before he died,
the silence of dozen years. There
was a struggle apparent IN his
countenance. His lips opened as
if to speak, but only an inartlculate
sound came from them. His face
grew set and stern again. lie
slightly repulsed her, and was
taken with a spasm of coughing.
He asked the doctor for drink of
water. Mrs. Hutchlns made no
further attempts at reconciliation,
and in a half hour her husband
died.
The couple we're married thirty
years ago in England. Mr.. Hutch
ms was handsome foot soldier OF
the British army, and his vile was
a friend of his mother. They
came to the town of Lake sixteen
years ago, and he got work with
the Union Stock Yards Company.
He met henry Barroff, and as fel'
low workmen they became strong
friends, and Bsrroff, who was un.
married, used to visit Hutchins
many a time at his house. One
evening Barrof dropped in before
Hutchins had returned from his
work. lie sat down, and present
| ly Hutchins came in.
"Hello, Barroff. How arc you ?"
said he.
"Howd'ye do, JIM" said Bsrro1,
and the conversation proceeded
socially for an hour or two, when
Barroff went home.
AS soon as the door closed be-
hind him Hutchins charged his
wife with inhdelity. lie broke
into a frightful passion. He would
hear no reply or explanation, and
ended the scene by locking himself
up in another room. Mrs. Hutch
| ins could not understand it. Their
married life had been happy until
this time, and had been blessed by
fine boy. She got supper, dried
her tears, knocked on her hus-
bands door, and told him supper
was ready. He ate his meal with
ont a word, and in sullen silence
smoked his pipe until bed time.-
She made one or to attempts to say
something without avail. lie re-
tired to their bedroom, while she
spent the night in another room.
In the morning 1t was the same
way. He ate his breakfast, and
went to work as mute as post
This life went on for days, and
weeks, and years, he never saying
word to her. Sometimes she
called IN a neighbor's child, and
talked to him through the child
He always spoke pleasantly on
these occasions, but frowned and
became stern ii she ventured to
address him directly. He made
her an allowance of $25 a month
for the household expenses aDd her
own clothes.
Hutchins was a thrifty man, and
accumulated money, bought houses
and lots, and made loans. lie was
Sc years old when he died, and
during recent years he had not
worked. His wife through their
boy, asked for more money than
225 a month. Hutchins grew
violent and threw $40 at her. She
never asked him for money again.
Mrs. Hutchins, the neighbors say,
used to cry a great deal, and two
or three times her husband was
seen to weep violently when he
thought he was not observed. But
of late years both have gone on In
a matter .of.fact way. Their son
married and went West three or
four years ago. Their solitary life
went on as before until a week
ago, when Hutchins was taken i'll.
DIR. Parsons said he had typhoid
fever. Mrs. Hutchlns cared for
him, gave him medicine, and per-
formed all the offices of the sick
chamber. He never spoke to her,
and accepted her attentions in the
same silence he had observed for
twelve years.
|
Measuring the COurtship.