The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-11-10
IN MEMORIAM.

"a ~ WIG AiOuEO ou 81 oOHu
street--a specimen of fine New York
residence of 90 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 doorbell awakens no response
The house has a deserted, deoaying look,
and even the large doorplate has grown
so furnished that one reads with Difficult
ty the name. III. 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 20
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 at 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 a relative of Henry Hall Ward.
The romance of their lives dates further
back than tins, 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 a 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
romance for many years. and even
now those who have been in society
| long enough to remember the ciroum-
stances love to dwell upon it and to
point TO it as tender shoot springing
up i'll society i'll which much is thought
to be calculating, frivolous and vain.
When Henry Hall Ward died at Sara
toga, in 1872, the executors to whom
the bulk of his estate was left in trust
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.
1t was a 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 valet and the
latter's wife To them she gave strict
orders that in the floors above the base
ment not a thing was to be touched.
Everything even to the books and pa
pers, was to remain exactly as Mr.
Ward had loft 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 i'll 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 a basement. three stories
and an attic with dormer windows.
The iron posterns at the front steps are
unusually ornate, and the front door,
with it's old colonial columns, support
ing quaint lunette, 10 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-
denoe in that the stairs are placed far
back. with landing and a turn half
way up, from which window looks
out on the back yard. This gives I'M
usual spaciousness to the hall. 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. A conspicuous
feature in the parlor was superb leop-
ard skin, which lay in front Of the fire
place and mantel, and little aside
from either end Of the dining room ia
BILE were two stands, on which perohed