The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-23
John Harding, Married a Year
Ago, Has a Son and hsil.
WIFE TWehTY-F0UR YEARS OLD
The Aged Parent Is Very Joyous and Tells
How 10 Be Contenied Though Married.
Ills Second Venture.

Trenton. April 23.-"Live temperately.
don't smoke too much, don't drink too
much, don't worry at all and there's no
reason why any man should not be a
father at 100"
Saying this, old John Harding, OF Tren-
ton. began capering for the very Joy in
him.
They call me poor" said he. "why.
man. I'm rich. That new boy of mine
You couldn't get him for sl.0oO0O0 in.
gold. l know what I'm talking about.
He's my tenth.
He weighs IL pounds, and I'm "A years
old on April osborn that day 1928. way
down in Cumberland county. South Jersey.
My boy and have only got one tooth be-
tween us. and that's mine
Then an uncomfortable fit of laughter
seized the old man. Even the walls of
the little house. where mother and baby
lay yesterday afternoon, shook in sym
pathy.
And she's only a slip of a girl, Just
"A. Cricky! I'd turned so before she was
born. Come to think of IL. too. I cele-
brated my SD wedding anniversary with
my first wife. and the last thing thought
OF was ever getting married again Just
think OF II. / was married IS years ago
today for the first time. and then year
ago again."
BOY WILL BE JOHN HARDING, JR.
Inside the cozy front room of their home,
1876 Broad street. lay the pretty young
mother with her frst-born Her brown
eyes sparkled when she pulled back the
coverlet To show her little one.
John isn't half so proud OF baby as
am" she said. softly. Some of the
folks talked of naming him Theodore
Roosevelt Harding, but he's my boy and
I'm going TO name him after his father.
He will be John Harding. Jr., and moth
ing else. Isn't he cutter"
But tho women who were nursing her
wouldn't let the little mother go into
any more raptures over her baby, and
they bundled the proud father out into
the woodshed where he could make all
the noise he liked.
We'll. SAID he, interrupting himself
every minute or two with a self-satis-
fled chuckle, II got so old l couldn't
think of living alone for the rest OF my
days. You see, 80 years ago / married
Luddy Sutman. We had nine children.
Only four of them are living Ben, VIII
and Sally--she is Mrs. Mitchell-live here,
and Annie is married TO John Lowndes
and lives out west.
wife died two years ago. I got awful
lonesome. All my youngsters were grown
up and lived away. There was only Nell
lie Thompson. / took her In when she
was a little kid and sort OF adopted her.
She worked around the house and made
herself all-fred useful.
We'll. when she began to grow up
kind OF noticed that she hadn't any eye
for ony of those gay youngsters that like
10 shine up TO pretty girls. l asked her
why, and she said she didn't like them
because they were all too young. Then
she sort of blushed and ran out.
SAID SHE WOULDN'T MIND"
II got pondering. That night thought
I'd scare her just leetle. Says /, Nellie.
IL you don't hurry up and marry some
of your beaux I'll marry you myself
She only said, 4 wouldn't mind
We'll sir that was enough for your
Uncle John. Me "a. and a pretty young
thing, a-hankering to marry me. Not
having more than 25 years to live I hus-
tied II along. and in a week the parson
sad spliced us. And here / am. And the
best of all is a baby boy and IL pounds
OF him. Whoopee!'
AS for the baby. he knocks into a
cooked hat all the theories Of the medi-
cal profession that the child OF an ex-
tremely old man must bear the marks
of senility nits infantlle face. He Is
Just as round and chubby as the child
of a parent of 80 years younger.
The mother is a comely brunette with
wavy brown hair and pink and white
cheeks. The father is as straight as an
arrow with bright eyes and wiry mus
cles. He doesn't need spectacles and he
can hear as well as a man of II.
lie fought three years in the Civil war.
First he was in the Thirty eighth New
Jersey. which fought under General Sew
ell. and when they were mustered out he
enlisted with the Twenty-second New
Jersey. He draws pension, and SO proud
is the old man of his war record that he
always wears blue clothes with brass but
tons
Every one here knows old man Hard
ing's place Around the house is the
most wonderful collection of junk In all
Jersey. IL runs the gamut from bird
cages To steam engines. and out OF II he
mikes a tidy living.