Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-09-01
INVALID MoLLIE FANoHER.
How a Blind and Bedridden Sufferer Passes
Her Days and NiEhtss

Her Days and Eightss
ON warm afternoon in July the writer
walked mp Downing street to the house OF
Miss Moilie Fancher. widely known az
most remarkable invalid, in whom many
physicians have taken interest, some hav-
ing even journeyed from England to see
her Both windows were wide open and
the shades half way up. The invalid was
reclining, propped with pillows, in that
bed where she has lain helpless for "a
years. 1t Is well known that her eyes
are sightless, but she was embroidering
with colored silk. Scattered over the GOV
erlet, though in perfect order, were papers
Of needles, packages of silk, scrapbook, let
ters neatly tied in parcels and many other
objects indicative of the activity of Miss
Fanoher's brain and fingers. Laying aside
her work with pleasant smile Of welcome,
she extended her hands, which, by the way,
are exceedingly pretty.
Mollie's room, her prison, is tastefully
decorated with many touching souvenirs Of
brighter days when pain had not become a
constant guest, and when loving hearts
hoped that the gifted girl had sunny path
before her Miss s.. Crosby, Mollie's de-
voted aunt, often expressed the hope that
she would oUtliye her long suffering. dear
ly loved charge, but she was summoned
first to the great unknown beyond. Faith
full friends do what lies in their power to
compensate in some degree for such an ir-
reparable loss, and Miss Fancher has a
grateful as well as a brave heart. But In
talking with her one forgets that she Is
suffering Having keen sense Of humor,
she loves fun and tries hard to forget pain
when friends are by her side.
Her many pets, too--dogs, cats, squirrels,
birds, mice, etc.--have been q consolation
through many weary hours. BY one win
dow stands an aquarium containing gold
fish. In connection with this the writer
heard the following story from its owners
Hps: "Once had polliwoR in there
among the fish. After 1t developed into
frog made pet Of it. and 1t learned to
know my voice. used to have the aquari
um brought beside the bed SO that the pol
hwog could easily jump out of 1t down up
on the coverlet, and he did 1t every time
and came hopping to my hand when |
scratched the bedclothes and called 1t. ]
would just put It here and rub its little bit
Of head with one finger, and it would
never move. One day that polliwog was
gone-could not be found anywhere-and
didn't miss the poor little thingl
"a few days later took up some work
that had been laid aside for a few days. IL
was a white woolen shawl that was knit
ting and which l kept in low basket ON
this side Of my bed. Well, what do you
thinki When / took up that shawl, there
was the polliwog all dried and shrlnk up
20 that he looked about like q spider He
had been nothing but wind and water any
way, and he was changed into dried up
mummy. / suppose the poor little thing
had jumped out OF the aquarium to look
for me and hoped along the floor under
the bed till he came TO that white wool,
which he probably took to be the coverlet,
his feet got entangled In it, and he had to
stay there and dry up"
When asked II she ever invited him to
dry up. Mollie said abe certainly had not.
At one tame q family of flying squirrels
kept her company and amused her during
many sleepless nights She said, IT have
owned and lost no many pets that the yard
At the back Of this house is a pet cemetery,
for they have all been buried there"
Turning suddenly to the writer Mollie,
with closed eyelids, remarked, what a
peculiar brooch you have, like an open fan
turned upside down"
"Yes, II was given to me by friend who
brought IL from Egypt. II represents Maui,
mother OF Isis. with outspread wings. But
tell me more OF your pets."
''Oh, have had so many. One was a
three cornered-no, mean three legged
mouse. The poor little thing When any
one asks you how many legs mouse has,
you had better reply that It depends upon
how many II has lost. Well, the hero In
question was minus one trotter. Whether
lost In noble warfare or in q common mouse
trap never Rsoertained. Trois pieds was
very aociable and grew so intimate with
my canary bird that the two became fast
friends. The mouse would frequently run
up the white curtain to the cage, and Just
a. soon ~ he came within reach the canary
would take seed In his beak and hurry to
feed the cripple At night the mouse got
right Into the cage, and the two friends
slept side by side there on the perch. How
Trois pieds managed to hold himself on
with ease and comfort IL more than can
tell. Brooklyn Eagle