The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-04-08

cattle and all other worldly enjoyment
that | have given you. Do but once
think OF what I have suffered for
you'll you do, 1t will be well for
YOU in this world and in the world
which is to come.
''whosoever shall have a copy OF
this letter and keep it in their house,
nothing shall hurt them, neither
pestilence, tightening or thunder, and
IL any woman be in birth and put her
trust in me she shall be delivered
of her child. You shall hear no more
news of me, except through the Holy
Scripture, until the day of judgement.
All goodness and prosperity shall be
in the house where a copy OF this
letter shall be found. Finished"
From the hands of the child who
found it the letter is said to have
passed into the possession OF con-
vert to the Christian faith. For some
reason-possibly because Of the per-
secutions TO which Christians were
frequently subjected, or from fear OF
ridicule-this convert failed TO have
the letter published.
He kept II. however, as sacred
memento of Christ, and as such passe
Il on to his eldest son, who likewise
transmitted it, and thus it came down
through many generations. but never
was published, the TRADITION being
that when it finally was given pub
licity it had been in this one family
for more than a thousand years.
During all this period of time. the
story goes the family suffered repeat
ed and continuous misfortunes. Dis
couraged members had migrated to
countries other than that in which
the child had lived-Palestine, evil
dently-and at last one of them came
10 America, bringing the fateful let
ter with him.
Mrs. Fannie Workman of Marion,
Ind, is more or less familiar with
the history Of the letter since it came
TO America The family having pos
session of It settled in Virginia, still
keeping the fact of the letter a secret.
1t seems that descendants of the
Virginia family moved further South,
still followed by misfortune, and
finally the last member, a daughter,
approached her death bed.
One story is to the effect that with
The death of this daughter the en-
ire family which had for 50 many
centuries disobeyed the injunction Of
the lettre and with dire results, was
extinguished. AT any rate-aId this
is Mrs. Wortman's understanding-the
daughter, on her death bed. called a
neighbor woman by the name of
Thompson and turned the letter over
70 her, relating its history as it had
come down through a thousand years
or more.
Impressed by the story she had
heard from the lips Of the dying girl,
and by the text Of the letter, the
Thompson woman Immediately began
an attemp, to have it published. and
It appeared In the Rome (Ga.) Tribune
Oct. 81. 1891. From there it was re-
printed in the Dalton (Ga-) Citizen,
ard Mrs. Workman, now living at
Marion, Ind, clipped it and retained
1t in her possession for many years.
Recently Mrs. Workman had 1t re-
published in a Marion paper, stating
at the time that during the time she
had retained the letter in her posse
sion without having it published. or
attempting TO, she has had a species
OF bad luck which she attributes to
her failure to secure publicity for the
letter.
Mr. Rubie Crutchfield of Trezevant,
Tenn, is another woman who claims
that having the letter in her posses
sion without securing its publication
has brought her varied lot of mis-
fortunes. She retained 1t for three
years, then induced the Greenfield
(Tenn) Times 10 print Il.
From the revival of the publicity
given the letter by reason of the
actions of Mrs. Workman in Indiana
ard Mrs. Crutchfield in Tennessee it
has spread far and wide,and continues
TO each week as before indicated.
BUFORD.