Evening star., 1937-03-09
ReversiOn
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Her husband was a "gentleman"-a
corporation official of considerable
wealth who continued to shield her
from the cares of the world just as
before. She bore three children.
AS DR.. Tucker tells the strange
story in the sober medical journal
which reprints his report to the
Richmond Academy:
Yes, she must have been beautiful
WIEN young, for as one looked upon
her one realized that her features
were delicately chiseled, her large
eyes had a wistful look, her hair al
though turning gray still showed some
of the luster Of chestnut brown, her
skin was thin and transparent in
spite Of wrinkles and her teeth, even
although several we're missing, were
regular and white.
Shielded by Ideal Husband.
Her husband himself did for her
all the chores. He provided for her
a house, servants, comforts and what
luxuries he could afford. He relieved
her from all responsibility. smoothed
out her annoyances and managed
her personal affairs, even to details.
She told me that she had never bought
a railway ticket, that her husband
always procured for her drawing
room, that he escorted her on every
trip, that he assisted her in picking
out her hats and her dresses and
that, in fact, he had been an ideal
husband.
Then, in Ife's prime, he died and
she was faced with handling the estate
and directing the three, then ado
lescent. children. This situation
seemed appalling to her although the
estate wa ample and the children all
that could be desired. She began to
feel that she should be young in order
better 70 understand the children and
be more companionable with them.
So, when the usual period of mourning
was over, she dressed and decorated
herself as a younger woman would.
She sought the companionship of
young married couples and attempted
to take up their activities.
Finding that this still did not COM
pound heI with her children she soon
became as young unmarried woman,
but always, Of course, deporting her
self with decorum. She then entered
into her chilcren's lives. went out
with them, adopted their friends and
dressed as her daughters dressed.
Refuses to Grow Old.
But her children grew older. One
Of her daughters married and her son
went to another State in business. How
ever, she lived with her daughters and
her son-in-law, and although they
managed the house, attended to the
finances and looked affectionately and
dutifully after her every comfort, she
became dissatisfied. for she found she
could not grow older with her chill
dren. Still she must belong to them
and be as close to them as possible.
1T was not long before she gave
the children considerable anxiety by
becoming herself an adolescent and
they had to direct her goings out and
comings in, to try to persuade her
that her clothes we're entirely too
youthful for her and to induce her to
conserse less flippantly. But the
mother continued to get younger at
the rate of a year or so every few
months.
THE patient was sent to me when
she was or years old, although
her actua age was 81. My asso-
ciates and I worked arduously in an
endeavor to set back the hands OF
her personality clock. She wa a nice
little girl in short dresses rocking in
her chair. She read simple things,
but rather badly. She craved atten-
ton She laughed sometimes and at
others she would cry. She talked
childishly pleasant or was mischievous
and delighted in trying to plav Jokes
on or fool the doctors and nurses
She would play with objects as il
they were toys. When her children
came to see her she would act as ii
she were their child.
Reaches Crawling Stage.
Despite our efforts to the con-
trary, in a few months she was or 4
years of age. Her enunciation became
less distinct, she was careless with
her spoon, spilling food and had to
be assisted with her feeding. She
had ceased to read and would have
crawied around on the floor had the
nurse 50 permitted.
I'm several months more she was
in bed, moving her hands and feet
aimlessly, often whimpering and cry.
ing like q very young child, and the
only articulation one could under.
stand was her frequent calling fol
mamma, mamma" although her
mother had passed to the great beyond
some 30 years before. The patient
would take towel or any cloth, roll
It up and hug It to her Is If It were
q rag doll. She now required liquid
nourishment because she could moi
chew, and soon she had to be fec
LIQUIDS with q spoon, taking them with
q sucking movement. She also would
suck the corner Of her gown or sheet
She would eat, sleep. make peculiar
noises ant cry. She liked to be fon-
died and handled by almos any one
Fer only recognition Of her family
was an expression Of delight when