The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-04
YELLED FORTY YEARS
GRIEF-sTRICKENk WIFE HIDES
HER FACE FROM HUSBAND
AND ALL THE WORLD
MYSTERY LASTS TILL DEATH
Bride Shocked by Scene In Groom,s
Office, Muff1es Herself, and None
Ever Again Is Allowed to
See Her Countenance.

Sarah Ann Crandall died at her home in
| this town this week all the villagers gath
cred about the coffin to gaze upon a face
| which had been hidden from the world
| for forty years.
For almost half century Mrs. Gran
| dali had lived in her rambling old home
| bearing the burden of a grief which had
| blighted her life, seeing nobody, talking
| to nobody, APPARENTLY caring for nobody.
Forty years ago this woman, then q
| bride. peered in at the window of her hus-
| bands office. What she saw there-a
scene in which her husband and another
woman figured-is said to have been the
cause Of her announcement of the world.
And yet for nearly three decades after
| this-for half lfetime-she lived in the
old house with her husband-lived with
and yet apart from him. Whether she
ever spoke to him is not known In the
| confines of their home the width of the
world was between them. 1t was a skeie-
ton hfe-without song, without hope,
without happiness.
The husband went and came day by
Gay. Year by year passed-the rugged
Slopes Of time grew gray-headed and dice
and still the woman lived on-voiceless
inscrutable and hidden from the world.
Through the closed window shades she
could see her old friends pass along the
street, as in vision-happy wives, con-
tented mothers, the skylarking grandchil-
dren of her old intimates, now as gray
| headed and feeble as she herself.
First Sight of Her Face.
And so it was that when the doors Of
the old house swung open and the bear
ers came forth with the coffin, followed
by the curious groups of villagers, the
wrnkled old friends of her girlhood re-
marked that only once before in forty
years had she emerged from the house
Gc IYIa TiCQ n
casion of her husbands funeral six years
ago.
This awful isolation, the unutterable
loneliness, the silence of unsympathetic
walls, the feeling that she had been de-
ceived in her husband, meant more to
Sarah Crandall than to most people.
She was young, beautiful and well to
DO half century ago. In fact, she was
the village belle. She had suitors by the
score. She was a sensible, liberal-minded
girl, and was the most popular young
woman in the village of Greene.
Her father was the leading business
man, and by his thrift and integrity had
gained wealth and social position.
Old dauguerrotypes found in the house
where she died a few days ago portray
Sarah Davidson as a beautiful young
woman. She was darkhaired, tall and
graceful. The home of the Davidsons
was the scene of many festivities where
the young people of the village gathered
for dances or lawn parties.
AT this time there came to the village
the young man who was destined,
whether 1nnocently or not, to wreck Miss
DaVldson's life. His name was Ralph
Crandall He obtained a position as clerk
IN one OF the village stores, and soon be-
came welcome guest at all the social
gatherings. He was regarded as good
looking and a good fellow.
Between Miss Davidson and Ralph
Crandall at first sight there was mu-
tuai attraction. They fell in love and
were married.
To Please Her Becomes Doctor.
She was dissatisfied with his clerical
position and sent him away to study
medicine, with the purpose of becoming
physician. He studied for three wears
and received his diploma after which he
returned to Greene and opened an Office.
lie was successful from the start
From social favorite as a clerk he de-
Veloped into a favorfte as a physician
A child was born to the CrandaHs, and
they named him Ralph, after his father,
DR.. Crandall being away from home
great deal of the time, the little boy be-
came the sole companion of his mother
When he was seven years old little
Ralph was taken sick and died Although
she did not weep she seemed to be in q
daZed condition, from which nothing
could arouse her. Gradually, however
as she turned to her husband for sympa-
tiny, she seemed to recover her former
spirits. N
Then her life appeared to center upon
her husband. She was unhappy when
he was absent. Often she would seek him
in his office She tried to find solaca
for her loss in visiting among her
friends.
This manner of life went on without
change until the blow came that altered
her entire existence.
One day Mrs. Crandail arrived unex,
pectedly at her husbands Office She
could not get in the door, and went
round to tap on the window, feeling sure
that he was there. That she saw an
other woman with DR.. Crandall has been
definitely learned. More than this she
would never tell.
1t was, however, enough to blight her
life. Wild with grief, She came awav.
and returned to the home where for forty
years she remained without showing her
face again to her friends.
When her husband came home he
found all the blinds closed and the house
as dark as a sepulcher. A faint light
glimmered on center table beside which
his wife stood as white as death.
You have deceived me-" she whisper
ed; you have deceived me and broken
my heart. Are you satisfied? Are you
proud of it?"
Il shall never go out of this house
again. shall always be ashamed to see
my friends
You may still live here. if you choose,
but as for any sort of affection, that is
over between US forever"
DR.. Crandall continued to live with hts
wife, but they occupied separate apart
ments, ate separately and lived divided
lives.
Her Long SecIusiOn Begins.
Under these circumstances Mrs. Gran.
dali began the keeping Of a lifelong
pledge.
People wondered at first They could
not understand why Sarah Crandall had
would NOT receive them at her home.
DR.. Crandall would say when asked
that his wife was not well and would
not go out, and that she wanted no WIS.,
itors
Gradually the neighbors ceased their
attempts to call on Mrs. Crandall. The
blinds were perpetually closed, yer
through the green Stats one could occa-.
sionally catch a glimpse Of a light and Of
woman waking about within.
As years passed by this woman grew
old and was almost forgotten. The older
people died and the younger generations
growing up to manhood and womanhood
quiry.
DR.. Crandall grew feeble with passing
time. From the first ne seemed bowed
with grief. He never spoke of his wife
after the first few weeks of their trouble
he came and went, and attended to his
practice with the stoical fortitude OF