AN ECCENTRIC LADY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 378, 23 April 1881, Page 2

AN ECCENTRIC LADY.

One of the moat eccentric old ladies in Europe died the other day at her resK deuce in the Stralaner Strasse, Berlin, where she had lived in: all but absoluteseclusion for nearly half a century. She was well off, and denied herself no luxury in the way cf eating and drinking, but would never permit her apartments to be swept or her furniture to fee. cleaned, aathat, upon entering her dwelling after herdeath, the police authorities found everything within them, except the kitchen utensils, covered with layers of venerabledust from two to four inches thick.. For many years she had worn, no linen or any other body garment but a man’s duffel dressing-gown. It was- her- custom towear a boot on one fool and a shoe on the other, and she never-took off her gloves, day or night, except to change them fornew ones, when fairly worn out Shn always passed the daylight hours, in bed,, rising late in, the evenings and occupying her nights with cooking sumptuous, meals. ■ for herself and her companion, making n point of finishing her repast before dawn.. ; She kept a great many dogs, cats and? birds. In this strange fashion she lived; ■to the age of 82. Her whole property*, with the exception of a handsome legacy to her faithful old servant, is left to a., grandnaice, to revert after her demise to, an asylum for dogs. An early disappoint-. ment in love is believed to have been the, original cause of the misanthropical resolve which prompted her to seclude herself from the world for nearly three--fourths of her long existence.