San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-31

In the year eighteen hundred and sew
enty | was matron Of a private and
most exclusive asylum for the insane in
New York city. 1t was in this capacity
that | first saw Mrs. Caroline Green.
From the day of her arrival at the
asylum she became my especial charge
She came to Inc accompanied by Mrs.
Clark Melville and Il deputy county ply
stefan. When entered the reception
room on the morning of their arrival |
could not for the life of me have selected
from the two we'll dressed ladies before
me the one who was to be placed in my
charge. was not long kept in doubt.
Il am Mrs. Clark Melville" said one
| Of the ladies, advancing to meet me,
land have brought you guest, Mrs
Caroline Green. We do not consider
the case a serious one act only on the
advice of my family physician and at
the request of an officer of the county"
Mrs. Caroline Green seemed entirely
unmoved by this novel Introduction. In
fact, think she was the more composed
of the two at the time.
II am informed Mrs. Melville con-
tinued, that your treatment of diseases
of the brain and diseases of the nerves is
invariably successful. Spare no trouble
or expense to make it successful in this
case.
AT times you will find your patient
in great distress of mind. She has suf-
fered most cruelty, and | can't get the
notion out of my head but that for her
connection with my household she would
still be a happy woman.
1T is my wish that she be allowed all
the liberty possible under the rules of
the asylum. If people call to see her let
her act her own pleasure about receiving
them. She has been much in my COM
pany during the past, and do not ex-
pect to be parted from her now. | shall
call frequently"
These are almost the exact words with
which Mrs Caroline Green was placed
in my charge. During the entire inter
view she remained seated, with her eyes
fixed upon the carpet. No one would
have suspected from her appearance that
it was her prospects and her privileges
which were being so hopefully discussed
in her very presence. When Mrs. Mel
vile had taken her departure she lifted
her eyes to mine.
MRS. Clark Melville is very kind"
she said, land am sure she has left me
in kind and sldllful hands. From this
moment shall leave everything to you.
mean to obey you implicitly. Give me
the proper instructions and your patience
shall be taxed no further"
She spoke cheerfully enough, but dur
ing all my long service at the asylum a
face more hopeless, form more shrink
ing and detected never passed from the
reception room into the locked and
barred apartments set aside for patients.
l, in person, accompanied her to the
ward where cases like hers were treat
ed, and gave her the best rooms at my
disposal.
| may as we'll say here that from first
to last l never detected in Mrs. Green
the slightest evidences of insanity. She
talked cohecently, and seemed to be en-
tirely free from the petty whims and
caprices with which patients of her class
almost invariably make the lives OF
their attendants miserable. Her meals
were taken in her own room, and fire.
uuently some of the more rational pa
tents were invited to share them. she
ordered all the daily papers and read
them eagerly.
knew rom tn day q. her arrival