The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Caley

said she didn't want to play because her head ached. She broke out all over with a rash and thedoctor came and put a sign up on our door "Scarlet fever."He looked at young John’s hands and showed me how they had peeled off at the palmsand said John had it first perhaps or she did and gave it to him. I was afraid if Esther got it shewould really have a rough time, as she was such a tiny girl and a very poor eater. I really worriedabout her. But it isn't always the tiny ones who suffer the most. My throat was a little sore andhusband John was told he better get a tent and camp outside because he had to go to work. Thecold air blew through the tent and it was not comfortable so he tried the cellar and that didn'twork either. I handed his meals out to him some how or other he got by. It seemed to me I had adifferent sign up every six weeks. Whooping cough, measles, chicken pox, mumps, scarlet fever,when it rained it poured. All of those children diseases came our way.Winifred was down for three weeks with scarlet fever and the doctor came often. Whenshe felt like getting up she was stiff in her wrists and they were swollen. The doctor gave hermedicine to take the trouble away and it came in her ankles. She dragged her feet, and he said tobring her over to the office for tests, and found out she had rheumatic heart condition. He gaveher more medicine and her face swelled up. We changed doctors and called in a specialist. Forfive months the poor little girl suffered and never complained or cried. She would ask me tocome and sit on her bed and talk to her.One day she said. I wish I had a little sister. I said, "You do have (Esther)." She said"Mother, I mean a real little sister a new one." I said, "Well in time perhaps you will." She saidit more than once about a little sister. Then she would say, “Mother tell me that poem about littleboy blue." I would say not now it’s sad. And she would insist on me telling her again. I can'tremember it word for word but it went like this.Ruth Tagg Caley pg 38