Year: 1867

and doubtless ardent lover accompanied hy
a friend. wenled his way down To- the par
ish church and there patiently awaited the
arrival of the bride elect. But the bride
never came. The father Of the damSsl
sternly and steadily refused his consent. -
This combined, it may have been, with 9th.
eT grievances, imaginary and real, preyed
heavily on a mind certainly not endowed
with more than average intellect, and un>
mistakahle traces of hereditary Singularity.
and tie result was that the young man con
signed himself to small room, moasurir z
about nine feet in every direction, with the
determination of spending the remainder of
his existence between the blankets which
resolution he kept most unflinchingIy.


The floor OF his room was covered with
stone fags-certainy not too dry-in one
corner was q fireplace which could only he
used when the wind blew from one or two
points of the compass; the window was per
nanently fastened, and where some OF the
squares had been broken was carefully
ratcred with wood. AT the time of his
death this window had never been opened
frr thirty eight " ars. The sole furniture
cG,arfise1 an antique clock, minus weight
and pemiu,nm. he hands and face Of which
u
small round table Of dark oak, and plain,
unvarni,hed four post bedstead, entirely
without han1ings. In this dreary cell,
whose only inlet for fresh air during thirty
eight years was the door occasionally left
open, did this strange being immUre him>
self. He ohstinately refused to speak to
any one, and, it spoken to; never answered
those who were his attendants. In lact, all
trace of intei1ectna development seemed to
have become either dormant or extinct and
the only faculties which remained in active
exercise were those which man holds in
common with the animal.


His father by his will made provision for
the temporal wants OF biz eccentric son, and
so secured him constant attendant. His
meals he ate regularly when brought to
him, and latrerly in very singular manner,
for in process of time bis legs became COZ
tracted and drawn up toward his body, and
when about to eat his food he used to roll
himself over, and so take his meals in a
kneeling posture. He was generally cleanly
il his habits During the whole period OF
his self imposed confinement he never had
any serious illness.-the only case Of indis-
position those connected with him can re-
member being u slight loss of appetite,
caused apparently by indigestion, for two
or three days--and this, uotwi hstaDding
he ate on the average as much as any farm
laborcr. He certainly, physically, at least,
did credit to his f. cd, for, though arrived
at the long age OF seventy nine years, his
flesh was firm. fair, and unwrinkied save
with fat, AMI the estimate of his weight
was two hundred and forty pounds, or there
abnuts As matter Of course, the curious
came far and wide to see this eccentric be-
ng. and whenevea stranger was uShered
into his den he buried his head in the beds
clothes. About q week before mis- death
his appetite began to fail; his limbs became
partially benumbed, so that he could not
take his food in his accustomed manner.


From This attack he seemed to rally, and
not until the evening of his death wer any
apnrehensions entertained that the attack
would prove ultimately fatal. Shortly be-
fore he expired he was heard to excialm.-
Poor Bill Poor Bill Sharp the most
connected sentence he had been known to
utter for many year. His remains were


Inferred in the graveyard Of the parish
church of tn district in which he had resi-
ded. The greatest curiosity prevailed to
sec the la Of the singular being, and the
church and church-yara were donsely crowd
ed The coffin excited considerable atten-
ton from its extraordinary shape, being
more like great oak chest than Il coffin, -
1t was two feet four inches in depth; and
so great was tie weig',t that it required
EIGHT mpn with strong ru.cs to lower it into
the grave. The weight OF lhe coffin and its
contents was estimated at four hundred and
eighty pounds.