The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-23
HER WEDDING GARB.
WAS HER STROUD.
Richmond Girl Claimed by Con-
sumption on Day She Had Set
for Her Marriage.
FOUGHT HARD FOR LIFE
Minister, Who Arrived to Per
form Ceremony, Officiated
at Funeral.
FOUGHT HARD FOR LIFE

There Is SO H1uCn SORROW auu 50
much pathos back of the movement to
establish a tuberculosis camp in Rich
mond that those who are leading In
this movement to care for the citys
cunsumptives believe the camp VIII
really be monument to the scores
of unfortunates who died in the city
because there was no hospital where
they could be treated for their dis
ease. From what the officers of the
society say it seems not improbable
that the camp would not have been
planned had not charity workers in
the city and the Instructive Visiting
Nurses forced upon them daily tho
sad reality of deaths from consump-
ton.
Those who are asking the people
of Richmond to raise $4,000 in order
that the camp may be opened have
many pathetic stories to tell of the
ravages of consumption, and they can
cite cases almost without number to
show the need of such camp. but
none of the stories is more pathetic
than one told yesterday by promi-
nent charity worker of the city.
Battle Against Death.
About a year ago, 1t appears. we'll
known Christian worker was called
to the home of young woman living
on East Marshall Street. The girl
was alone in the world, about twenty
years of age, and. until attacked by
consumption, had worked in fac
tory. For months after the doctors
told her she had consumption, the girl
remained at her table In the factory.
too i'll to work knowing 1t was only
as she saved money while she worked
that she could hope to live when her
strength failed her.
When at last she was forced to stop
work, and sent for the woman who
tells the story of her suffering, she
was in the last stages of consumption.
| Her room was tidy: there We're pic
lures on her wall, but as soon as the
/ visitor looked at the girl, she saw
she could not live many days. AS
she came from day to day. she noticed
flowers in the room. and sometimes, as
she went from the house, she was
acosted by a man who asked with
bated breath for news of the sufferer
within. He was always told that she
was worse. and he would always hurry
away without word
Ready for Her Wedding.
One day when 1 called on her."
/ sdLu tiit saw tndC the
girls face was unusually bright and
l asked her why she seemed so happy.
| There's going to be a marriage in the
house. she said. and finally she said
that the man whom / had met so often
in the street was her lover. He knew
that she was i'll. but he had rented
a house on West Main Street. with a
| southern exposure, and wanted her to
marry him In order that he might try
to nurse her back to life. I tried to
dissuade the girl for knew she could
only live few days. but she insisted
that she would marry the man, and
In few days, weak as she was, 1
called and found her making a wed
ding dress. Her wedding day was but
two days off, and in the thought that
she might recover by the very strength
of her happiness, she was very bright
and cheerful.
She asked me to get a minister. as
the man was somewhat of stranger
in the city, and asked that 1 come to
see the ceremony performed.
Cheerful to End.
Its going to be here she said,
with a smile, In my room. because I
don't think l could go to church, Ac-
cardingly, asked one OF the city min
listers to go with me. and called at
the appointed hour. The house was
darkened" and the shades were drawn.
1t was only the work of a moment to
find that the girl had died the very
morning on which she was to be mar
ried and had been stricken down while
she was putting on her wedding dress.
1T is all very sad--it seems almost
too sad to be true. but there are scores
in Richmond, who are dying in just
the same way, simply and solely be-
cause there is no place where they
can be nursed back to life and given
a chance to shake off the disease.
| When we get the camp opened--if we
have the money to open tive hope to
have no more stories to tell''