chaise

August 13, 1852

Chaise

Friday Aug 13th  Went to Boston with Oakes A and

Susan in Mr Whites Buggy chaise

Mrs S Ames went in the Cars. Met her at

12 Oclock at Mr Daniells  Ran around most

all day to get a bonnet  Mrs Norris went

with me in the afternoon and at last just

at night found one such as I wanted

 

Evelina had a bonnet to buy in Boston; Oakes Angier had a medical appointment to make. So, sitting snugly in a chaise borrowed from Col. Guilford White, Evelina, Oakes Angier, and little Susie Ames rode into Boston. Most likely, Oakes Angier drove while the females sat beside him and examined the passing countryside. This trip would have been a big adventure for Susie, who didn’t move beyond Easton very often.

Sarah Lothrop Ames, meanwhile, took the train into town. The two women met up at noon at a familiar haunt, Mr. Daniell’s Dry Goods store on Washington Street. From there they “ran around most all day,” Evelina looking everywhere for the right bonnet – at the right price, no doubt. She secured one at the end of the day and presumably went to the home of Robert and Melinda Orr to spend the night, probably with Susan. Whether Oakes Angier joined her there isn’t recorded.

The Ames family didn’t own a chaise, evidently, though such two-wheeled vehicles were quite common. One hears of chaises, known colloquially as shays, being the definitive carriage for rural doctors and country parsons – men who had to move around frequently to see their patients and parishioners, respectively. In 1858, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. wrote a satirical poem about a well-built chaise entitled the “The Deacon’s Masterpiece or The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay” that was quite popular in its day.

 

 

 

June 23, 1851

Chaise

1851

Monday 23  Emily is no better.  The Dr calls her

disease congestion of the brain  About ten Oclock she

was in great distress & I sent for the Doctor.  He was

just stepping into his chaise to go to Taunton

He came up immediately  found her asleep and easier.

Mrs James Mitchell & Miss Sarah Mitchell from

Freeport came to spend the day.  they passed the 

afternoon in Olivers.

 

Twelve year old Emily Witherell, only daughter of widowed Sarah Witherell, had been taken suddenly and seriously ill. Her symptoms seemed to worsen this morning, so much so that Evelina sent someone for the doctor, perhaps Dr. Samuel Deans who had stopped in yesterday. He or Dr. Caleb Swan, the two doctors who usually tended to the Ames family, diagnosed the illness as “congestion of the brain.”

Congestion of the brain was, by some modern accounts, a 19th century catch-all phrase for any number of illnesses that caused swelling of the brain. Known in the medical world as encephalaemia, it could be caused by a head injury or an infection.  Symptoms would include headache, fever and confusion.  Emily certainly seemed to be confused.

Why did Evelina send for the doctor, and not Sarah Witherell herself? Who went for the doctor on a Monday morning, when everyone was at work? Perhaps Michael Burns, who worked for Old Oliver? Good that the doctor was caught before he had left in his chaise for Taunton, and even better that he found Emily marginally better.