The Washington herald., 1920-11-07
Recluse Forbidden to See
Soldier Lover Off,;
Stays Indoors.
SEES HER KIN BURIED
Father of Favored Child
Hated to See Daughter
Leave Homestead.

HANCOCK, N. T., Nov. 6.--0ne day
last week; a little old woman stepped
from the door Of a great old aouse
in Hancock, N. Y, into an automo-
bile which carried her to the funeral
of her brother, E. Darwin Read. ,sne
was shrouded in shawls and veiis
so that no one really saw her. And
yet every one Of Haneoek's l.soo
inhabitants would have been more
interested to see her--to talk with
her face to face--than anyone else
in the world. ~ - ri = !.
q For -fifty-nine years sthe woman'
Miss Fannie M. Read. a beauty ano
belle Of civil war time. has secluded
herselfsin the great old house. refus-
ing to cross the threshold except
when one of her own kin was buried
in the town. The curious who
sought to catch a glimpse OF the
woman about whom traditions have
gathered for so many years failed
in the attempt to see her face, with
all their trying.
Seen by Reporter.
Recently when a reporter saw
Miss Read at her house she ap-
peared with a shawl gathered close
ly about her small face. From the
shelter of its folds her eyes, still
keenly blue. looked forth timidly
and distrustfully. But her speech
clear and decisive, gave evidence
that the long. and lonely vigils OF
these many years of her seclusion
have not impaired the vigor OF an
excellent intelligence.
Like Miss Havisham, the weirdly
interesting figure of Dickens Great
Expectations" Miss Read immured
herself in her home for loves sake
so tradition says. And, like Miss
Havisham also she has refused TO
have alterations and repairs made
in the old house as the years have
gone by.
Not a piece of furniture has been
moved in those large old fashioned
rooms since Miss Fannie withdrew
from the world.
Permits No Repairs.
Picture cords have rotted and the
pictures which they held have fallen
to the floor. but Miss Fannie has
refused to have new cords put ip
and the pictures rehung. Year by
year the house has fallen into
greater disrepair, but when those
few persons. only close kin and one
or two girihood friends, whom she
has permitted to see her during
these long, solitary years. have en-
treated her to permit the house fur
niture to be repaired Miss Read has
yehemently refused to submit to
,tkese changes. tShe has carried her
point with all the unswerving de-
termination with which she has
chung to her main purpose of cut
ting herself off from society for
ever.
? Regiment Camped Near Home.
Nearly sixty years ago, when Miss
Fannie was very young. IT or Is. a
slight, fair creature, with blue eyes
and the prettiest white hands in the
world, q regiment came to camp on
lie Barre's flats, across the Della
ware River from the main street
of Hancock. 1t was a soldier of
this regiment who fell in love with
Miss Fannie, so the story goes.
Never in the history of the beau
tiful little mountain village has
there been such a gay season as
in that first year of the civil war.
A regiment Of gallant young men
brought to their very doors meant
great deal to little village
many miles from the great centers
Of life.
The old American House, which
was kept by Fannie Reads father
Rely Read. was the scene of many
of the gay affairs in which officers
from the camp took part. 1t came
to be headquarters for the young
soldiers. Among the young girls oi
Hancock Miss Read was easily the
most popular.
The 101st Regiment had a Ions
stay at Hancock. but the time came
when it made ready to go to the
front. 1t was then, according to the
old stories. that Miss Read and hel
parents began to have a difference
of opinion about her soldier ro.
nance. Fathers in those days OTTER
took a stern stand in"such matters
Miss Read was the only girl il