Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Ruth Ends
If you would like to read Ruth from the beginning, you will need to going to older posts until you come to the front of the book...Page #1. I wanted to keep this story going forever. I thought it would be interesting to take her to the time of her death. But I have been with Ruth since last August....About 8 months. It has been a adventure in my imagination, because there is no known story of Ruth's life or family. I have tried to research her, and other than the short story on this old house, I could not find anything. I wanted Ruth to help me tell her story. I have always loved the Victorian era. I must say it is complicated and very interesting. They lived their life by a code of conduct that I have learned from. So I sadly leave this Victorian time, but with a greater understanding of the things they had to deal with. So with that said.....I shall find other things to do and keep learning. Your Mary, If you would like to read this story, scroll down to page one.
Ruth finds a letter
Page #23 Ruth found her paper dolls, but she also found a letter. Ruth took the letter and got down the Dictionary because she didn't understand what Asylum meant. She didn't read the letter right away, she was afraid of what it might say. So she hid it and fixed her paper dolls. Something was wrong and in her heart she knew it was about her. Ruth knew this letter was to her Mother, that it was not for her to read. Ruth thought about putting it back in the trash can, that's what I will do. But before she would put it back, she started to read it. She had a hard time with the words. But she understood enough to fear what was ahead. It answered the secret, the upper room is for me. And why would the door be locked? Ruth decided to wait, and wait she did.
Monday, March 2, 2009
What Ruth didn't know yet.
Page #21
When they took Ruth to see Dr. Harper, the advice that was given Rachael and Micah was more than they could hardly bare. He said that Ruth would only get worse, that soon she would not have any time between spells. He told them about a asylum in Missouri that she could be cared for in. That she would find children there just like her.
Rachael would not do this, she could not bare the thought of sending her to a asylum, this was not going to happen. But Ruth was getting worse. They were giving her more and more medicine. And it was just to make her rest. But also they were embarrassed about Ruth, they had no real control over her illness. More and more they tried to keep her hid, but she was growing up and it was getting to the point of fear, she could hurt Samuel, she had scared him a few times already.
The upper room was something Rachael didn't want to think about. But the whole family knew it was the room or the asylum. Rachael knew that it was only a matter of time, Ruth had to be controlled. Micah had to be strong in this decision. He marked the calendar and said to Rachael this is the day. I will prepare the upper room and Ruth will stay in the room. Rachael had a thousand questions, but the first was, will she come out sometimes. Micah said no, we can not continue to live this way. So they made their plan. The room was very small, and the only window looked out over the front of the house. Ruth would have no visitors, no one but the family would know she was there. It was understood that no one would talk about Ruth, they would tell everyone that she had gone away to a special girls school in New York. Martha had agreed to take her food, clean the room, and she had the key. Anyone that broke the rules would find themselves out of a job. Martha was paid well for her silence. Rachael and Micah fought many times over this decision, Rachael was sick with this, but the asylum was out of the question. They had heard awful stories about how they treated people. Cages, and beatings, starvation.
This is all so crule Rachael would cry. My poor baby, my poor little Ruth.
Rachael would not do this, she could not bare the thought of sending her to a asylum, this was not going to happen. But Ruth was getting worse. They were giving her more and more medicine. And it was just to make her rest. But also they were embarrassed about Ruth, they had no real control over her illness. More and more they tried to keep her hid, but she was growing up and it was getting to the point of fear, she could hurt Samuel, she had scared him a few times already.
The upper room was something Rachael didn't want to think about. But the whole family knew it was the room or the asylum. Rachael knew that it was only a matter of time, Ruth had to be controlled. Micah had to be strong in this decision. He marked the calendar and said to Rachael this is the day. I will prepare the upper room and Ruth will stay in the room. Rachael had a thousand questions, but the first was, will she come out sometimes. Micah said no, we can not continue to live this way. So they made their plan. The room was very small, and the only window looked out over the front of the house. Ruth would have no visitors, no one but the family would know she was there. It was understood that no one would talk about Ruth, they would tell everyone that she had gone away to a special girls school in New York. Martha had agreed to take her food, clean the room, and she had the key. Anyone that broke the rules would find themselves out of a job. Martha was paid well for her silence. Rachael and Micah fought many times over this decision, Rachael was sick with this, but the asylum was out of the question. They had heard awful stories about how they treated people. Cages, and beatings, starvation.
This is all so crule Rachael would cry. My poor baby, my poor little Ruth.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
The Birthday Party
page # 18 Ruth was so excited about the party, she could hardly think about anything else. Everyone was busy getting the garden ready and all Martha could say is..."It is going to rain!" Della Mae wouldn't let me in the kitchen, she gave me stricked orders that I was to stay out! Father was a man of few words, but he was sick and tired of all the fussing around. "What next, is the Governor coming?" Sydney had to get the buggy ready to pick Grandmama and Grandpapa Carpenter up at the train Depot. I heard Sydney talking to the horses." Dear Lord, it's not like I haven a nuff stuff to do around here, Sydney do this, Sydney to that!" Mother looked like her hair was on fire, running around doing this and that and complaining about everything. I told Della Mae to make me a pink cake, with custard filling, she looked like I had ask her for a kidney. Lord Child, Princess Ruth, "go busy yourself!" Ruth wanted to go to school like Clara Neely. Clara will be going to school in the fall. She will be going to a all girls school, and live there. She will come home on holidays. Mother has said no so many times, but maybe she will say yes now that I am on the new medicine and 5 years old.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Lamp
You may want to click on the picture to see this better. The story of this lamp starts with a lunch with the ladies I have lunch with on Friday's. Across the street from the Cafe' is a consignment store. So before the gang came I went in to look at some of the stuff. This ugly lamp was sitting on the table, for some reason I liked the shape of the lamp, but is was ugly. I paid 5 dollars for it and hid it in my car because no one would understand what I saw. I brought it home took the lampshade off and painted the lamp peachy white and found a shade that I liked and it sat on my table, never really making me happy, but I had paid for a new shade, just make do.
So this morning while continuing to clean, the lamp seemed to be calling me, look think, do.
So I put the beads on the shade and I thought it was okay, but not looking like I wanted it to.
I got out the paint, got out some flowers, sandpaper, glue and this is the results. I may change the tassels, but for the most part, it works for me. Now all I need is the right colored light bulb....it's a little bright. I think it looks better than these pictures... I may have some more idea's for the lamp....
So this morning while continuing to clean, the lamp seemed to be calling me, look think, do.
So I put the beads on the shade and I thought it was okay, but not looking like I wanted it to.
I got out the paint, got out some flowers, sandpaper, glue and this is the results. I may change the tassels, but for the most part, it works for me. Now all I need is the right colored light bulb....it's a little bright. I think it looks better than these pictures... I may have some more idea's for the lamp....
Monday, February 23, 2009
Thank You
I want to take this time to thank all of you wonderful friends that are following Ruth. I hope that you are enjoying Ruth, she is special to me.
For those that are a Little confused by this little adventure...Scroll down to page one...it is a book/journal. Not a true story, but there was a Ruth Carpenter. My hope was to somehow give her a voice. It is often hard to understand how far we have come with medical care, it is hard to
realize that Ruth is only one little person, there must have been many.
Thank You so much...Mary
Everyone has a story, one day I will share mine. But until then there is Ruth.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Janet, I just had to go down the Red Carpet!
Set down Mary...enjoy the show! You are making a fool of yourself!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Rachael's record book....Chicago
page #16
In the time of Ruth there is no medical term for what ills her. It is a time when people were put into asylum's for many abnormalities. Sane people were often shipped of to these holding places where they were mistreated. People were embarrassed and afraid of anyone that wasn't acting normal. These asylum's had for the most part women. In the 1840's a man called Turret's was researching people like Ruth but nothing was confermed and nothing to treat any kind of mental illness. These people were smart, no body disability's, nothing that seemed abnormal. But they started with little ticks, movements that they could not control, sounding more like animal when spells were bad and with passing time they suffered more and more from obscene language. Ruth could function well enough to read, write, be creative, spoke in good English. So in her time she was a mystery. Doctor Brown gave her Laudanum ( a type of Morphine) to put her to sleep, to calm her. Ruth was becoming dependent on this drug.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)