The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-10
SHE LIVES ON WATER ONLY.
A Beautiful French Canadian Girl Who Has
Not Tasted Food for 1850 Days.
Lewiston N New York

Not Tasted Food for 1850 Days.
Lewiston (Me.) Letter in New York Sun.
Josephine Bedard is pretty, dark-eyed
vivacious French-Canadian girl who has
been on Christmas visit to her uncle and
cousins, at q Birch street, Lewiston, for
the past few days. If her story is true she
has tasted more than $50 days, having
neither eaten nor desired to eat. nor tasted
food in any form for that length of time.
When the reporter called upon her to-day
and introduced himself through an inter
prefer, she being unable to converse in En-
glish, it was at the dinner hour, and while
her relatives were partaking of the noon
repast she was leisurely reclining in a rock
ing-chair, apparently deeply interested III
work on history.
Her story, as told by herself, was that she
was born on her fathers farm, in Tingwick,
a small agricultural town in Canada, in
1872. Her mother was stricken with a dis
ease which terminated fatally when JO-
sephine was but three months old. As
child she grew robust and strong. She at
tended a country school short time, and
afterward assisted in the household duties
at home. On Christmas day, 1881, she was
violently attacked with diphtheria, and for
three weeks she was between life and death.
From this sickness begins the date of her
prolonged and curious fast, and to-day, as
for years, her means of sustenance is derived
from water only, which she drinks as peO-
pie drink ordinarily. No form of eatables
can arouse her sleeping appetite, and the
most delicious fruits are no temptation to
her. In appearance she is of medium
height, weighing 125 pounds, with SYM
metrical figure, intellectual head, and what
is called pretty face. with sparkling
brown eyes and short, coal-black hair. She
is fascinating brunette of demure cOunte-
nance and modest bearing.
"She never eat something" said one of
the family ''all zee time she be here"
This remark caused Josephine to SMILE
showing a set of even. pearl-white teeth,
and at the same time revealing a set of dim
pies which might arouse the jealousy of an
ordinary society girl. Mr.. Bedard said that
when in Canada, in order to remove the
doubts of few skeptical persons, Josephine
was locked in a room for fifteen days, as
test with no nOurishment but water, and
that she came out at the end OF that time
without experiencing the slightest illness
The fact that she Is very fond of books and
spends the most of her spare moments in
reading and study would seem to indicate
that her mind has q literary inclination.
At present she enjoys perfect health, and
headaches and other ailments that flesh is
heir to are entirely unknown to her. She
believes in amusements, and when at home
participates with the other boys and girls
of the neighbOrhOOd i'll their country feStiv-
tiles A leading Montreal physician pro-
nounced her a physical wonder, and offered
Josephine's father 500 for the privilege of
taking her into his custody, with view of
solving the cause of her peculiar condition.
This Mr.. Bedard refused to do. Several
other inducements have been held out to
her to travel as curiosity, but she prefers
to remain in her country home, where she
has the care of her fathers five children by
a second wife. and where the onerous duties
of farm household devolve upon her.
Josephine Bedard is a charming industri-
Gus young girl, who would be an ornament
to any household. Your correspondent
preached the somewhat delicate subject of
her ideas as to future marriage, which
brought preceptible blush to her checks
as she answered with unaffected mOdeSty:
II like the world, but / never had any
thought of marriage. / am young yet" she
said, iaughingly,r and think there is plen-
ty of time before me TO consider that