The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-24

4 BRAVE SUFFERER
Life History of Rose Dona-
hue, a Singu1arly At
flicted Woman.
rHIRTY-EIGHT YEARS BEDRIDDEN
But Always Happy, Devout and
Fearless Women In
Business.
rHIRrY-EIGHT YEARS BEDRIDDEN

Ah0AS MN
Gently a woman who has had d most
remarkable life history. Her name
was Rose Donahue, and for nearly
forty years she lay in a crib, possessed
of only the stature of a child. When
she was nine years of age her mother
and two sisters died of typhoid fever.
Rose had been sick for about two
years then and her father prayed that
her life might be spared. Soon after
the death of her mother and sist ers
Roses illness became SO severe hat
she was obliged to remain in her bed,
and after that time she left her
couch, and never walked a step. 1t
was thirty-eight years till he death,
and all that time she gave chiefly TO
reading and devotion.
After she became bedridden there
was. apparently no growth of her
limbs, her shoulders or her body, out
her head grew rapidly in proper pro-
portions like that of a person OF or
binary good physical health, but
finally became inordinately. large.
After a while her feet were locked one
OH lOD Ol CuO OOllSJf al1o Al th00 POoA
ton thew remained SO long tina they
knit together years ago in such a
manner that the right foot, which was
under the left, was almost hidden
froiu view.
Her hands showed no growth from
the time she took to her bed. The
palms were hardly larger than the
hands of infants, the right hand alone
being serviceable. Her body was but
about three feet in length; her hair
was of good color and growth; her
face aforementioned and quite we'll
shaped and her eyes as bright as any
usually seen. And thus she lay in
her little crib for nearly two-score OF
weary years.
Her mind was strong and vigorous.
She could remember events which oc-
Cured when she was a child in years
as we'll as body, and often conversed
about them with her father, who still
lives, an aged
She was a constant reader of religi-
Gus books and papers and remember
ed and could repeat an astonishing
amount of what she read. h was
a devout Catholic and devoted most
of her time to the literature of that
Church. She spent much time In
prayer and when not reading was
almost certain Il be engaged in that
form of devotion.
She remained alone throughout the
entire day and was afraid of nothing
and nobody. When anyone called
during the day they would ask from
the outside where the key was; she
would tell them and they would I'M
lock the door and enter.
Of.. e.N0I-a of nar ann6ifinn
and always seemed surprisingly happy
and contented. She never referred
either to her age, nor did she com
plain on the days when she suffered
with unusual severity.
During all these thirty-eight years
of suffering and misery she you'd lie
on the little bed, which she knew she
could never leave. holding a religious
booa IN the one hand she could use,
and reading for hours until her mind
tired and her eyes closed in sleep, and
when she awoke she would pray for a
long time. For the first fifteen years
of her illness she was attended by her
steptnother, and for the past fifteen
wears her stepsister ministered faith
FULLY to her.
For many years a Catholic priest of
the city made monthly visits to her,
and three years ago at her urgent re-
quest, sine was confirmed by Bishop
Harkins of the diocese, who, in view
of the strange and unusual circum-
stances of her case, departed from the
rule of tile Church aud performed the
ceremony at her home. Miss Dona-
hue was remarkable in her intelli-
gence, her devout spirituality and her
physical condition. Her attending
physician says that she suffered from
PARALYSIS, which caused the stunting
of her growth of body.
Women OF Ambitious Enough.
A typewriter employed in the office
of q prominent real estate firm in st.
Paul has such an accurate knowledge
of the realty of the city that she is
often consulted in preference to her
employers. One of the firm said that
if she were a man ne would be the
Office boy himself, SO great is her bust
ness ability; yet she receives only
the regular typewriter's salary.
Another woman in the West has
for fifteen years conducted a large in
surance business for the regular
agent. He receives the agents pro-
fits, she a In igre salary. Men clerks
and stenographers claim that their
chief reluctance to women's entering
these different lines of business is that
The women reduce the salaries paid,
not because of their number, but be-
cause they are too easily satisfied with
small pay and are not ambitious
enough for promotion. Boston GLOBE.
international League of Press Clubs.