The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
NOT IN FICTION, BUT IN REAL LIE
The Story or n Daughter's Devotion and n
Lovers FaIthfulness.

Lovers Faithfulness.
From the st. Joseph Netcs.
Twenty-Five years ago there was a romance at
Maysville-a love story in which there was
nothing out of tho ordinary. 1t was like hun
dreds Of others. and there did not then appear to
be II possibility that it would become remarka-
BILE. 1t became known there that two young
people, who will be called John Smith and Mary
Jones. were engaged to be married. John
Smith had been paying attentions to the young
lady about two years. and the announcement of
their engagement did not cause any surprise.
The wedding day was set, and nearly all the
preparations had been made, when the mother
of the bride-to.be became i'll. On account Of her
illness the marriage had to be postponed. In a
short time 1t became apparent that her mind
was impaired. and still n little later the terri
bio truth forced itself on tho minds of her
friends-the mother OF Mary Jones was insane.
Arrangements were made to send her to the
asylum. and it was then that her daughter
raised objections. She would not have her
mother sent to the asylum at all. and declared
that she would devote her life to taking care
of her.
When she made that vow Mary Jones was 10
years old, a bright, intelligent young woman,
handsome and talented. In addition TO that,
she was engaged 20 be married to one of the best
young men in the county-a young man Of
wealth and refinement. to whom she had made
a solemn promise. Her father owned II largo
tract of land and a fine house. He was amply
able to employ a nurse for tho demented woman
as long as she might live, and to his mind there
wac no reason why his daughter should not
marry after a reasonable length OF time.
There was a reason, however-the strong
sense of duty the daughter had and her resolve
that she would never leave her mother while
she lived. She triumphed over the
of her friends. and settled down to a life in
which there appeared to be little hope, except
the reward for flinl duty. She nut aside al!
thoughts or the life she had contemplated. and
from that day she has been her mothers loving
total wreck. She is not violent. but her mind Is
gone, and she must have constant care and at
s ten ben.m T%Ss smSntss, S yeddrss u Rhye tb Pass ti@ s' heS
daughter has not been away from her a single
deg: ,oo Jo,r smith us.d to call
every Sunday night at the home of Mary Jones.
They sat on the cool front porch during the
they planned their fnturc-the happy life they
were to live after they, were married.
John Smith still makes the sunday night Wis
should miss one Sunday night it would be un.
derstood at once that he was ILL., or that some
other good and sufficient cause had prevented
him from being there on time. His hair is
gray, and there are wrinkles, In his face.
b b1iSe f Is an he old ffR %sid no 10 1 snd hs as oa mes
bright eyes are beginning to lose the lustre
of youth, but she is still frm in her determine
tion to remain with her mother as long as her
mother lives. The engagement has never been
broken. The young man said he would wait
waited. The years seem long to him, but no js
true. II no ever grows impatient, the patient
face OF the woman whose devotion 10 more man
his Impotence. 1t Is said to his credit that he
has never made the slightest effort to persuade
the daughter TO leave her mother,
Stories like this are often told in books, but
this Is one In real life.