Emma Schaller, a noted living skeleton, was recently married to William Cole of St. Louis. It is a singular freak of Cupid and is best told by Mrs. Cole herself....
"I weigh about 68 pounds now. The joints of my ankles, knees and wrists, have turned to bone. There is no flesh on them. You see, the skin is drawn tight over my wrist, which is hard, bony and unfeeling. I don't think the disease is progressing any now. I feel perfectly well, have a big appetite and am happy. Of course I have not walked in ten years, but I manage to do a good many things about the house with the aid of a wheel chair.
"It does seem strange, does it not, that a big, strong man like Mr. Cole should fancy a helpless, freakish wife such as I am? I often tell him that. He only laughs and says it does seem strange. I believe he loves me and that he will care well for me . If he doesn't, he can pack his ____ box and get. That's all there is to it. I don't see why he should have married me if he didn't love me. I have no money and he doesn't want me to make any out of my afliction. He made me cancel a contract I had made with Ringling Bros. Marriages of this kind are not unheard of however. The handsomest man I ever saw was married to a woman with a lion's head, the ugliest creature I ever beheld. And her temper wasn't good either." |
