Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-02-27
STORY for an
Hole bour
-HERMlT's LOVE STORY.

Massachusetts has a bona fide wo-
man 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 Rowland, hermit.
For SO years Miss Rowland has |
lived in Forest Hills and yet she is |
today at the age of rs as unknown
to the people of that town as she was
half century ago, when, 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,
Rumor had it that she was a bride
and all awaited anxiously for the
bridegroom to appear
Weeks and months passed and still
the young woman continued to live a
life of seclusion, alone in the quaint
little cottage. A glamour of TO
nance was thrown around the place
and the house and its beautiful Occu-
pant were the center of interest in
the town.
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 dis
cover, says the Pittsburg Press. Miss
Rowland never went to the postotfice
| nor to church, and except TO buy food
she never strayed beyond the little
wicket gate which shuts the outside
| world from the lawn which surrounded
the hermitage.
Twice a week the young woman was
seen on the street for the length of
time it took her to go to the village
store and back. Her necessary sup
plies purchased, she should disappear
again, not having addressed a word to
any one to or from the store.
For so years this has continued and
all the force of New England curiosity
| has failed to ferret out the history of
Margaret Nowland which would have
remained a mystery until the end of
| time had not unforeseen circumstances
| Drought 10 lISuL Iuc very IOIudHIlC
story of this w6man's life.
About one 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 left
| the knOcker, which fell back with a
sound that seemed to demand admit
| lance for the intruder.
The entire village was on the tiptoe
| of curiosity and from respectful
| distance a score of persons waited
| breathlessly to see what would hap
| pen. AS usual, it was the unexpected.
| 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 so years had not been
passed by visitor, the door closed
and the villagers were 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 Nowland
went to the postoffice, where the
/ astonished 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 communicative, went
to the postoffice, received her letter
and disappeared in the hermitage
again.
On the eighth day the white-haired
! stranger reappeared.
| This time Miss Rowland met him
| at the little wicket gate and the two
| strolled around the grounds before
entering the house. Never had Forest
Hills been so stirred, the entire town
was wild with excitement and burning
with 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 romance and tragedy. however,
| Forest Hills was shaker to it's founda-
tons by the statement that they were
to lose their hermit. Margaret Now
land is going to be married on
| Christmas day of this year to the
| white-haired stranger, who will on
| that day celebrate his eighty-frsti
birthday.
The minister was besieged with
visitors on the day following the visit
from the old couple. and this is the
story which Margaret Rowland author
lied him to tell to the curious:
Fifty years ago. in Sioux City, a |
little town north Of Chicago, beauti-
full young girl and handsome young |
man nlighted their troth