Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-11-03
In MEMORIAM.

In M MEMOlOlAM.
For 20 years the house at 23 Bond
street--a specimen of fine New York
residence of so years ago and long the
only private house remaining on what
is now business thoroughfare-has re-
manned closed, except that caretaker
occupies the basement Above this the
blinds are tightly shut. and pull at
the front doorbeIl awakens no response.
The house has deserted, decaying look,
and even the large doorplate has grown
SO tarnished that one reads with difficult
ty the name, "H. Ward. !"
Henry Ward died many years ago,
and his son, Henry Hall Ward, then be-
came owner of the house. 1t is since his
death that the upper portion of it has
remained closed and, SO far as the pub
lie knows, unfrequented by any human
being. Yet around this decaying resi-
dence there clusters one of the most
charming romances, one of the most
touching real love stories.
One sharer in this romance passed
away when Henry Hall Ward died 28
years ago. The other figure in this ten
der drama, Miss Elizabeth Ann Par
fridge, is still living, at the age of 81, in
house to which she came on two
weeks visit to an aunt 40 years ago
There she has remained ever since, sur
viving all who were occupants of the
house al the time when she arrived for
fortnight s visit, which has now last
ed twoscore years. The aunt whom she
came to visit was Mrs. William G.
Ward, relative of Henry Hall Ward.
The romance of their lives dates further
back than this, for Miss Partridge lived
with Henry Hall Ward and his mother
until the latter's DEATH
The romance of the old Bond street
house dates from the death of the man
she loved and who loved her; whom she
was accustomed to walk half way down
town to meet every day ON his way
home from business, and from whom,
on his death, she inherited life inter-
est in practically all his large estate,
but whom, for reasons which all who
have known of her romance have puz-
zled over, she never married. Some say
the family opposed the marriage on ao-
count of their close relationship, for
they were cousins. Be that as it may,
Henry Hall Ward and Eliza Ann Par
fridge furnished New York society with
a romance for many years, and even
now those who have been in society
long enough to remember the circum-
stances love to dwell upon it and to
point to it as a tender shoot springing
up in a society in which much is thought
to be calculating, frivolous and vain.
When Henry Hall Ward died at Sara
t0ga, in 1872, the executors to whom
for Miss Partridge wondered what dis
position she would make of the old
Bond street house. Business was already
beginning to spring up in its vicinity.
It was valuable piece of real estate,
and capable, if improved, Of yielding a
large income But Miss Partridge acted
promptly and in way which more than
anything else she could have done
showed how tenderly she held her low
er's memory. There were two servants
in the house-Mr. Ward s valet and the
latter's wife. To them she gave strict
orders that in the floors above the base
ment not thing was to be touched.
Everything, even to the books and pa
pers, was to remain exactly as Mr..
Ward had left them when he went to
Saratoga to die. The two people who
had SO faithfully served her lover dur
ing his life were to remain in care of
the house.
Further than this, however, Miss
Partridge showed an interest in the
home of her lover which served to keep
the romance of her life fresh in the
minds of all who knew her. Every day
she walked down from her residence in
Thirty seventh street to the old Bond
street house and went through it, salts
flying herself that except for the mel
lowness of added age everything re-
manned exactly the same as her lover
had left it, Day after day the lonely
figure was seen entering the house, and
day after day she came forth as if from
the tomb of her hopes. Only one change
took place in the interior aspect, and
that change was due to her devotion to
her lovers memory. To appreciate it
one must know something about the
house and one of its inmates hobbies.
This house is an old fashioned brick
structure, with basement, three stories
and an attic with dormer windows.
The iron posterns at the front steps are
unusually ornate, and the front door,
with its old colonial columns, support
ing quaint lunette, is joy to the stu
dent of old time architecture. The in
terror arrangements of the house depart
from the usual New York style of resi-
dence in that the stairs are placed far
back, with landing and turn half
way up, from which window looks
out on the back yard. This gives un-
usual spaciousness to the hail. The fur
niture of the parlor and the dining room
back of it was of mahogany, not of the
heavy, cumbersome kind, but lighter in
style and more ornate. conspicuous
feature in the parlor was superb 1eop-
ard skin, which lay in front of the fire.
place and mantel, and little aside
from either end of the dining room ta-
BILE were two stands, on which perched
parrots, one of which had belonged to
Jerome Bonaparte.
Henry Hall Ward had been very fond
Of birds. The fence Of the backyard was
unusually high, was covered with vines
and lined with doyecote. The parrots
and doves were great pets of Mr..
Wards. After his death Miss Partridge
had them most carefully tended. AS
one by ono they died she had them