The National tribune., 1902-03-27

His Wife.
Nov. &c. 1926.
4 widows last dollar went to the pay
fnent for this headstOne which should keel
the memory of her dead husband alive
For six months only the Government OF al
adopted country had paid a pension to thi
man who had won distinction and honor
in fighting for that countrys integrity
Then, sinking into that last sleep, this foS
Ter country gave him resting place anon;
itS dead heroes; left a place beside him 70
the wife when she, too, should answer tina
last call; allowed her to spend her las
penny for a headstone for the man wh'
had been a helpmate for more than Al
years cut off the pension that so grudg
ipgiv had been given to the dead husband
and now. after these 40 years of domeSt
haDpiness, in which the faithful wife fol
lowed the husband in the field of war, tear
ing her skirts to ribbons, at times, in or
der to bind the wounds of the suffering
soldiers, and in which she stood always aS
the comforter of the man whose name she
b0re-this wife is looking to the General
Government for pension of $50 a month
And Senator Mason and Congressman
Kern, of Illinois, think the bill vii
pass.
II have received copy of the bill in
troduced in Congress by kind-hearted Sen
ator Mason" wrote Mrs. Turchin, recent,
". 1T brought from me the natural re-
sponse of a broken-hearted woman
tears-Blessed be those who help not only
those who have physical need, but bless
many times more those who alleviate
moral suffering"
WIFE'S CRUEL FATE.
For mental and moral sufferings have
Il J. il,
since the death of her husband. That the
technicalities of the Pension Office Of a
great Government have presumed to cast
doubt on her relations to life compan-
ion has wounded her sorely. With spot
reserved at the side of her dead where
she, too, shall sleep, and with a blank bit
of marble upon which the last record OF
Nadine, his wife," one day will be chs
eled it had been a cruel fortune which
would leave her dishonored because the
records of a marriage in far-of Russia
nearly half a century ago are not to be
submitted i'll evidence.
But here and there through her years
of poverty and sorrow she has received
the balm which personal friendships have
brought, and not the least of these was
letter received by her the other day in
her poor home at Radon, Ill.-a letter
written by Silas Howe, of Chicago, pay
ing tribute to her and to the memory of
her husband, inclOsing, as many others
have done, the gratuity which only friend
dares give to friend. The letter reads:
My Dear Mrs. Turchin: After seeing
your name mentioned IN newspaper yes
terday it takes my memory back to near
30 years ago, when was younger man
than today and was q member of the 18th
Ky. Inf, one of the regiments forming the
brigade of which your beloved husband
Gen. Turchin, an officer we all loyed-waS
commander. 1t also recalls to memory
the Generals Wife patient and tireless,
riding along, horseback, with the column
of soldiers, accompanied by her orderly,
Little Jimmie of Co. A, 18th KY,
through rain or sunshine or dust and
smoke of battle, over mountains or through
The woods of Tennessee and Georgia, dur
ing the memorable campaign Of TullahO-
ma, Chickamauga and Chattanooga, speak
ing Il kind word of encouragement now
and then to Il tired and weary soldier,
cheering him up TO renewed eXeItiOnS IN
his weary march. Verify we had brave
women in those days as well as brave
'meD-
Now that we are older often live the
old times over again and think Of those
that were with us and have passed over
the river. And now, my dear Mrs. Tur-
chin, | hope | may some day get to Ra-
dom and have the pleasure of seeing and
talking with you, as nothing gives me
greater pleasure than to meet an old
Comradc,' aud such l consider you.
With kindest regards for your health
and welfare, l remain very truly,
''Sias Howe.
To Mrs. Nadine 4. Turchin, Radon,
Ill.
Kindly accept the incIoscd remem-
brance in the spirit that it is given
N PATHETIC POVERTY.
This was the letter, opened the other
day in 4 poor cottage in Radom, Ill. a |
gentle, patient. white-haired woman
opened it. There are two rooms in the !
cottage, neither OF which has Il carpet. |
There Is some fnc old furniture, badly |
worn, but the index Of gcntility. Outside |
there are some pigs and COW. There is !
Il bell outside, 10y means OF which she can
summon someone II she should be in need |
of help. Otherwise, she Is alone, SAYING 1
nothing of her needs saying nothing OF
the adopted country which indirectly /
seems 10 have forced her there after all !
The efforts Of her husband and herself in
its behalf.
The portrait Of Mrs. Turchin, printed .
by the Tribune, was made from the first /
and only photograph which she has ever
had taken. The picture was made CSDe-
cIaiiy for the Tribune by q young Centra-
Ia photographer named richards, who |
was induced by the Centralia corrcspon-
dent Of the Tribune to make an especial |
effort 10 get her picture.
Richards got NJ. ID. Pawlowski, the Hi |
nOis Central Agent at Radon, to go with
him TO Mrs. Turchins house as nterprc- |
ter. A mile and half from Radon the |
pair arrived at the widows house. On see
ing il Richards thought it was n barn,
and was much astOnished when his COM
panon knocked to hear a small female
voice answer. PawlOwSki was forced to
give his name before she would open the
door SO much as a crack Then she let
hlm IN because he is her conseryator. He
Is the only living person whom she will
admit. however.
PawlOwski took his young friend Rich
ards IN with him, much to the old lady's
disgust. and they saw a little, dark, dirty
room, filled with boxes of dusty books.
bed, lounge and table, all also covered
with dusty books. Mrs. Turchin had TO
look through a great number of books be-
fore she finally brought to light u picture |
of the General.
Mrs. Turchin is 76 years old and has !
many pecUliarities. She dresses roughly, /
wearing mems trousers under her skirts, |
When she WAS asked to have her picture
taken she fatty refused. After much ar
gument in Polish between her and Paw
loWSh she consented on the grounds that |
her old friends, the soldiers, would like
10 nave picture of her printed.
Her house is built of up and down
boards, with batten strips, and has lean