Free Ten Days in a Mad-House and Other Stories by Nellie Bly Page A

for unbuttered bread
    and was given it. I cannot tell you of anything which is the same
    dirty, black color. It was hard, and in places nothing more than dried
    dough. I found a spider in my slice, so I did not eat it. I tried the
    oatmeal and molasses, but it was wretched, and so I endeavored, but
    without much show of success, to choke down the tea.
    After we were back to the sitting-room a number of women were
    ordered to make the beds, and some of the patients were put to
    scrubbing and others given different duties which covered all the
    work in the hall. It is not the attendants who keep the institution so
    nice for the poor patients, as I had always thought, but the patients,
    who do it all themselves–even to cleaning the nurses’ bedrooms and
    caring for their clothing.
    About 9.30 the new patients, of which I was one, were told to go out
    to see the doctor. I was taken in and my lungs and my heart were
    examined by the flirty young doctor who was the first to see us the
    day we entered. The one who made out the report, if I mistake not,
    was the assistant superintendent, Ingram. A few questions and I was
    allowed to return to the sitting-room.
    I came in and saw Miss Grady with my note-book and long lead
    pencil, bought just for the occasion.
    “I want my book and pencil,” I said, quite truthfully. “It helps me
    remember things.”
    I was very anxious to get it to make notes in and was disappointed
    when she said:
    “You can’t have it, so shut up.”

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    Ten Days in a Mad-House
    Some days after I asked Dr. Ingram if I could have it, and he
    promised to consider the matter. When I again referred to it, he said
    that Miss Grady said I only brought a book there; and that I had no
    pencil. I was provoked, and insisted that I had, whereupon I was
    advised to fight against the imaginations of my brain.
    After the housework was completed by the patients, and as day was
    fine, but cold, we were told to go out in the hall and get on shawls
    and hats for a walk. Poor patients! How eager they were for a breath
    of air; how eager for a slight release from their prison. They went
    swiftly into the hall and there was a skirmish for hats. Such hats!

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Ten Days in a Mad-House

    CHAPTER XII.
    PROMENADING WITH LUNATICS.
    I SHALL never forget my first walk. When all the patients had
    donned the white straw hats, such as bathers wear at Coney Island, I
    could not but laugh at their comical appearances. I could not
    distinguish one woman from another. I lost Miss Neville, and had to
    take my hat off and search for her. When we met we put our hats on
    and laughed at one another. Two by two we formed in line, and
    guarded by the attendants we went out a back way on to the walks.
    We had not gone many paces when I saw, proceeding from every
    walk, long lines of women guarded by nurses. How many there
    were! Every way I looked I could see them in the queer dresses,
    comical straw hats and shawls, marching slowly around. I eagerly
    watched the passing lines and a thrill of horror crept over me at the
    sight. Vacant eyes and meaningless faces, and their tongues uttered
    meaningless nonsense. One crowd passed and I noted by nose as
    well as eyes, that they were fearfully dirty.
    “Who are they?” I asked of a patient near me.
    “They are considered the most violent on the island,” she replied.
    “They are from the Lodge, the first building with the high steps.”
    Some were yelling, some were cursing, others were singing or
    praying or preaching, as the fancy struck them, and they made up
    the most miserable collection of humanity I had ever seen. As the din
    of their passing faded in the distance there came another sight I can
    never forget:
    A long cable rope fastened to wide leather belts, and these belts
    locked around the waists of fifty-two women. At the end of the rope
    was a heavy iron cart, and in it two women–one nursing a sore foot,
    another screaming at some nurse, saying: “You beat me and I shall
    not forget