The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-16
Aged Nj. Rssd Spends His
Days In Vault In Cemetery.
IT IS FITTED LIKE A HOME.
Dead wsmin's Pictures, Rugs and PIT Bird
Arc There Bsrslvsd HusbaaGs Life
Near tho Close.


tering steps Jonathan Reed made his way
through Evergreens cemetery. Brooklyn.
yesterday, TO the tomb in which rests
the body OF his wife. There have been
few days since she died nine years ago
that he has not made the journey. but the
sands of life are running low and his long
pilgrimage Is near an end.
1t took all OF his little strength TO open
- the granite door yesterday and enter the
vault. Then he walked 10 the hermeti-
cslly sealed coffin I'm which his wife's
body lies. Sand said: Good morning.
Mary; I've fome TO sit with you all day"
He spoke the words soft and low. as II
soothing a child who was Ill. Every
morning is the same. Never does he fail
to greet her and talk TO her Just as he
did in life.
Nearly every day he lifts the silk crazy
quilt that covers the coffin and looks
through the glass cover upon the face
that has lain there still and dead for
so long Yesterday morning he looked
at her face until the tears blinded him.
Then he walked to the door of the tomb
''she is just as pretty as ever" he said
sobbingly; "she was always the prettiest
woman In the world.
It's been "a years since we married
and we are still on our honeymoon. Yes
it's our honeymoon and love her as 1
did at first You see her pictures here: I
have them from the time she was girl"
GRAVE is NOT THE GOAL.
Death will not be unwelcome 10 the old
man, who lives his life away there by the
side of the woman he loved. He Is CO.
He says he will be with Mary soon. His
coffin Is ready for him by the side OF the
one in which she rests. He used to think
there was nothing beyond the goal OF the
grave, and he had no hope OF meeting his
wife in another world. lately he has
come 10 believe he will see her in the
spirit world and that she is calling him
10 her side.
For the nine years since they were
parted by death he has made his home
I'm her tomb. He would sleep there could
he get permission. but this has been de-
MED. Sometimes he remains with his
loved one until nearly midnight. All the
pretty things, all the frinkets she had
he has taken TO the tomb. Rich tapestries
and hangings. bought In the Orient, swing
from the beams. Paintings. curios books
and cushions ill nearly all the space not
taken by the two cofflns. Above the
coffin OF his wife, swinging in a little
cage Is the canary bird that sang 20 her
when she was dying II was her pet, so
he had IL stuffed and put there with the
other things dear TO her.
Every day the old man cleans and scours
the tomb, for he knows how particular
she was that everything should be scrup-
ulously neat. Feeble az he IL, he carries
the water from the lake. On bright days
he sits outside In the sun, but when II Is
stormy and cold he goes inside and sits
on a camp stool with his arms leaning
on his wifes coffin. No matter how cold.
he is always there. No snowstorm has
ever kept him away. He says IL would
break his heart TO be kept from her side.
and that the three days Of acute illness
which he suffered recently were the sad
dest OF his life because ME could not be
with her
When he bids his wife good night and
leaves the tomb he goes TO little room
in house at 80 North Fourth street.
Early in the morning he starts back for
the tomb In the last few months he has
been arriving later and later. for the
spark of life i'm his frail body Is growing
DINNER and DINNER; his day is nearly
done Though his clothes are old and
threadbare. he wears large diamond
the one she loved TO see him wear. He
has never been without II since she died.
WHEN IhEf NEhE 1Ot NJ
Mr.. Reed was born on a farm in Rensse-
laer county, and worked there until he
was q years old, when his father died
leaving him property worth $500 He says
that up TO his fathers death he had never
had FIVE cents in his life. When he was
% years old he came TO New York and
went into the restaurant under Tam
many Hall. He saved every cent with
miserly instinct, for when once he began
TO make money he began 10 hoard it.
He met Mary Guild. daughter OF
wealthy manufactures OF sugar refining
machinery. Being handsome. stalwart
young fellow. he won the girls heart and
they were married fIe went into the
trucking business and made money. His
wife was wealthy, and the boy who never
owned a nickel until he was several years
a man began to know what money can
give.
Reed always was a devoted husband. lie
loved his wife and she loved him. so their
whole life was a honeymoon. Were still
on our wedding tour" he said yesterday.
isn't Mary pretty7" and the old man
showed a picture of the girl who won his