The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-01-31
WOMANHERMITWED
MASSACHUSETTS, TOWN LOSES
PICTURESQUE lNHABlTANT.
Miss Margaret Nowiand Ends FIFTY Years
Of Loneliness by Marriage to her
eirihood's observation-disclosures Ending
OF Romanco Begun Long Ago.


Massachusetts has a bona hde wom-
an hermit.
In a picturesque part Of the village
Of Forest Hills, Mass, there stands
alone and many acres apart from any
other residence a quaint weather
stained cottage. This Is the home Of
Margaret Nowland. hermit.
For fifty years Miss Rowland has
lived in Forest Hills and yet she is
today at the age of &c as unknown to
the people of that town as she was half
a century ago. when, a beautiful girl
of q, she walked into the village, from
nobody knew where, and took up her
abode In the little house which had so
long remained unoccupied.
Weeks and months passed and the
young woman continued to live a life
of s~eclusion, alone in the quaint little
cottage. Finally. by some chance it
was learned that the mysterious young
woman's name was Miss Margaret
Rowland, and that she came from the
far West.
More than this no one could discov-
er. Miss Rowland never went to the
p~ostofice nor to church, and except to
buy food she never strayed beyond the
little wicker gate which shut the out
side world from the lawn which
stretched around the hermitage.
For fifty years this has continued
and all the force of New England Gu
riosity has failed to ferret out the his
tory Of Margaret Rowland, which
would have remained a mystery until
the end of time had not unforeseen cir
cumstances brought to light the very
romantic story of this woman's life.
Mysterious Stranger Comes.
About n month ago, the town of
Forest Hills was startled by seeing a
white-haired man push open the gate
leading to the hermitage, walk briskly
up the path to the front door, and lift
the knocker. which fell back with a
sound that seemed to demand admit
lance for the intruder.
Slowly the front door swung back,
for an instant Margaret Rowland and
the intruder faced each other, then the
man stepped across the threshold
which for fifty years had not been
passed by a visitor, the door was closed
and the villagers we're left standing on
the sidewalk staring at the cottage in
open-mouthed amazement.
About two hours later the man left
the hermitage, walked quickly to the
station and took a train for Boston.
The following day Margaret Rowland
went to the postofice where the aston
ished clerk handed her a letter so
heavy that it took double postage to
carry it.
For one week this same thing oc-
CURED daily; every morning Margaret
Rowland, still uncommunicative. went
to the p%ostofice, received her letter and
disappeared in the hermitage again.
On the eighth day the white-haired
stranger r%eappeared.
This-time-Aliss Nnwlaad msL him-at
the little wicker gate and the two
strolled around the grounds before en-
tering the house. Never had Forest
Hills been so stirred, the entire town
was wild with excitement and burning
with a curiosity which threatened to
break all bonds.
Late that afternoon Miss Rowland
and her visitor called upon the Uni
tartan minister of the town and the
lips of the hermit were opened.
Before hearing the story Of her past,
full OF romano and tragedy however.
Forest Hills was shaken to its founda-
tions by the statement that they were
to lose their hermit. Margaret Now
land is going to be married on Christ
mas Day of this year to the white
haired stranger, who will on that day
celebrate his S1st birthday.
Minister Tells story
The minister was besieged with visi-
tors on the day following his visit from
the old couple, and this is the story
which Margaret Rowland authorized
him to tell to the curious.
Fifty years ago in Sioux City, a little
town north of Chicago, a beautiful
young girl and a handsome young man
plighted their troth.
The wedding day was set and all was
going happily when, without warning.
preparations for the nuptial rites were
stopped. The young girl, Margaret
~