Arizona republican., 1906-03-07
FORTY YEARS A HEROINE.
An Appeal to the Country by Will
 Carleton.

!
 Will Carleton, the author and lecturer.
 The subject is neighbor of MT. Carle- ton:
 Half century ago, the Brooklyn part of what is now Greater New York
 was already a flourishing city on it's
 own account, and long continued so,
 and until the great consolidation took place. One of the most prosperous citizens was MT. James E. Fancher, who owned a great deal of property in
 the vicinity of what is now Gates av-
 enue and Downing street.
 His only daughter, Miss Mollie, was
 young lady of marked individuality
 and pronounced attractions. She was
 one of the most promising pupils of
 the famous school of Dr. West, upon | Brooklyn Heights, and a favorite with | the good Doctor, who often prophe- | sled great things for her in scholas- | tic achievement. She early became en- ! gagged to a worthy and prosperous | young man, and life seemed fairly gay
 and fair to her, until she met with q
 most sudden and fearful accident. In ! alighting from a street car she unfor- tunately caught her skirts upon soms of the projections of the platform and was dragged for block along the rough way, before the vehicle was stopped, and the sufferer released. Physicians did all they could to cure i her from the effects of this awful mis- hap; but without beneficial result Her case became a celebrated one, and pug
 zled the whole medical world She was a study to the physiologist, the psy-
 chologist, and the student of human nature.
 She became known all over the plan ct; scientists discussed her, only to
 get farther into the mystery they were | trying to solve. One thing was sure: the subject of their studies was a | hopeless invalid. unable to leave her
 bed of pain, and praying for the mer- cy of God to take her to Himself. | But this, for His own good reasons, He was not ready to do. What those : reasons were, We do not know; but it was apparently from the fact that the world needed an object lesson of pa tience an endurance. At all events. !. it has had it, and has it still. For ten years-for twenty years-for
 thirty-for thirty-five-an now for forty years this sufferer has lain in
 that same room, in that same bed, up
 on the same side of that bed, and upon
 the same side of the body-living be- cause it is Gods will that she should live.
 Not regretting: not existing in a drOwsy. or stupid, Or petulant way: oh no! but as a cheery, brave, industrious l woman: full of love, sympathy, kind ness, and all the better qualities of her
 sex.
 i One by one she has outlived her relatives that once soOthed and com forted her long days and nights. Moth CT and sister long ago went to the
 great far-away land where they now await her An idolized aunt, who had l cared for the invalid as for her own child, was called from her side by the | grim hand of death. Her aged father, | who had been a great pride and com | fort to her. went on to join the wife
 and mother that had preceded him, | Her only brother was taken from her | by railroad accident One by one, | favOrite physicians and nurses had | preceded her into the land where dis
 ease is unknown. Old friends by the i score are dying every year.
 Mollie Fancher belongs to Brooklyn ito New York-tO America-to the
 the world. She may be called. truly
 the most famous invalid now living,
 and she will always remain on record | as such.
 | It is in the hearts of many of her l | her. to be presented during February
 of this year,-she having just cOmplet-
 ed her fortieth year of captivity to the grim hopelessness of her disease. If all her friends and acquaintances (and they are legion) will join in this tes- ! timOnial, it can be made so large as l to place her beyond all financial worry for the remainder of her life. ! Let everyone who admires feminine l bravery under the most distressing and { frightful of circumstances, every one who loves patient, unfiinching, bTave | Christian resignation, send Mollie Fan cher a word of cheer and a gleam of | financial encouragement, some time during the eVentful month during which commenced her long sentence of pain and captivity.
 This is not her own idea: She is too proud to ask help of any one. But her | friends can see that the life of an in- valid is very expensive, even under the most favorable circumstances: and her earning capacity, which she has exert ed to the utmost, fails to meet the want. Indeed, she has earned more
 than the world can ever pay her-by the example she has set it, in her brave patience and heroic endurance. 1 Too often, such debts are paid only when the heroic creditor lies pale and cold in death. Too often the printed tomb Or lofty monument attest the
 esteem and honor that were fully and justly earned, and which should have been sooner rendered, in another and 2 more substantial form.
 Mollie Fancher will be quoted for centuries to come as one of the most extraordinary women that ever lived r, one to whom the world owes such a debt of gratitude as it never can re- pay, if this opportunity during her life l time goes by.
 Let us all join in paying that debt. Let everyone send her something of his
 or her abundance, at her home 160 Gates avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. Her