The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-11-06
.LEPER'S WIFE HEROINE
WILL DEVOTE LIFE TO CARE OF
STRICKEN HUSBAND.
VOWS TAKEN AT THE ALTAR
lmPel Brave Wife to co Into Exile
Sets Forth Duty in Unusual
Article.

Washington, Special: Mrs. John r.
Early, wife OF the leper, whose pa
thetic case has aroused much interest,
not only in Washington. but through
out the country has written an article
graphically describing the agonies she
has suffered by reason of the afliiction
that has been visited on her husband
and reiterating her determination to
remain at his side until the end.
Il will follow John TO the end of the
world if needs be. There is no life for
me without him. and II he is sent to
the leper colony al MolOkai, as seems
10 have been decided. l. with vaby
John and the little one TO come. will
follow him and try 10 persuade the au-
thorities TO allow ia TO enter the leper
colony with him. she has written.
Then he can have the comfort OF
having us with him. am not afraid
of beng infected with leprosy. In the
first place, think John will be cured
If he has faith, and then we have al
ready been exposed TO the disease,
anyway. For myself | do not care.
Il believe that 1t is my wifely duty
TO stand by John in the worst things
as well as the best. ! took him for
better or worse, and surely / would be
a coward If for my own safety and
comfort | should desert him. lie
needs me so much. Oh il is so hard
not TO be able to be near him, 10 kiss
him, but the doctors say no | know
he longs TO caress baby John. too. He
looks at him SO pitifully when the
baby stretches out his lSads to him.
Every one has been so kind 10 us.
the doctors so good and the people Of
Washington have shown such deep
sympathy for us. We felt at first we
would like TO return TO North Caro-
lima on our little farm, where John
could work and could take care of
him. We would not have exposed any
one TO leprosy John worries so now
whether he unwittingly affected any
one, before he knew he was afflicted.
But that could not be, and We We're
getting contd>ted with our lot here.
1T came as a sad blow to me that
John was probably to be sent TO
leper colony. Ii seems the final blow
10 all our hopes that perhaps he would
be cured II is so hard to go to
strange land under such circum-
stances. 70 be stunned. avoided and
treated as pests. and IL is doubly hard
for John because he is SO patriotic.
Il shall never forget how felt
when first heard OF Johns affection
We had just finished supper and | had
sent his younger brother TO the post
Office with a letter TO him. expecting
that he would bring me one back at
the same time The boy burst into
the room crying: He's a leper; he's
leper'
Il took the paper with the story in
IL from the boys hand | saw that the
dreadful fact was chrOnicled there.
Right there / called my child TO me
and, with the lad. we knelt down to
pray for strength and guidance from
our Creator. ! prayed TO God to show
me the light. ] prayed that lie would
direct us Most earnestly did | pray
that I would not have 10 be separated
from either my husband or my child.
Right then wanted to - to him;
| wanted TO comfort him. From the
very first ] was willing TO cleave 20
him. TO follow him into the wilderness.
| have always been willing to leave
the outside world to be with him.
love him even more in his afiiction
than before.
Two years ago we were married
We promised 10 love and cherish each
other ! meant it and so did he Why
can I not share his BURDEN II is my
JOY and my only Cancellation for his
affection John places his faith in
God and so do l. I have suffered SO
much Only a few months ago we
were happy Today We trust in God
| feel sure that faith in God will
eventually cure my poor husband and
bring him back to health"