Chapter 5 5. An important visitor

I don't want Merrick to live alone, like a lighthouse keeper.He reads and talks to me, but I want him to talk to more people, even women.Merrick had read about women, but he didn't talk to them very often.He was in daily contact with the nurses, but they didn't speak to him often, and in their eyes he was always a monster rather than a man. One day a friend of mine, a beautiful young woman, came to the hospital, and I told her all about Merrick and led her to his room. She greeted him with a smile, "Good morning, Mr. Merrick." She stepped forward and took his hand.Merrick looked at her with his mouth open, then sat down on the bed, covering his head and crying.He cried for nearly five minutes, tears rolling from his fingers to the ground.

My friend sat close to him on his bed, put his hand on his arm, said nothing, just smiled at him, and shook his hand again before leaving. He said to me that night, "Dr. Trevis, that lady is very beautiful. My mother smiled at me, many years ago. No woman has smiled at me until now, but This lady smiled at me and shook my hand! A beautiful lady smiled at me and shook my hand!" The next week my young friend came again and talked with Merrick for half an hour.She came again after this week with another friend, and they gave him some books and drank tea with him.It was better than anything for him, having some friends for the first time in his life.He was very happy, sitting in the house reading a book, and never mentioned such things as living in a lighthouse.

People began to read about Merrick in the papers, so he had many visitors.Everyone wanted to see him, and many distinguished ladies and gentlemen visited him, who smiled at him, shook his hand, and gave him books.Merrick enjoyed talking to these people and gradually forgot how ugly he was.His clients never laughed at him, and he was starting to feel like a man. One day, the weather was very pleasant, and a lady of great status came to visit him in the hospital.I met the lady and took her to his room.I opened the door, smiled at him and said, "Joseph, good morning! You have a new guest today, a famous person!"

Merrick got up from the table.He didn't smile because his face couldn't smile, but he was happy in his eyes.He said, "Great, who is it?" I brought the visitors in and introduced them, "Your Majesty, this is Joseph Merrick. Joseph, this is Your Majesty, Queen Alexandra, now Queen of England .” Queen Alexandra shook hands with him, smiled at him and said: "Mr. Merrick, hello. It is a pleasure to meet you." Merrick didn't move, stood there with his mouth open and looked at her for about half a minute, then said slowly in a strange voice: "Oh... Your Majesty, hello!"

I don't know if the queen heard him clearly, because at the same time he wanted to kneel down and pay her respects, but it was difficult for him to kneel because his legs were too thick. The Queen said, "Mr. Merrick, please don't do this. Get up. I want to talk to you. Can we sit at your table?" He replied, "Yes, of course." They were all in Sitting down at the table, she took his left hand—the good hand was in hers.She looked at his hands carefully and then smiled at Merrick and said: "I often read about you in the newspapers. You are a very interesting person. Although you are difficult to take care of yourself, people say you are very Happiness, is it true?

Are you happy now? Merrick replied: "Well, my lord, yes, I am a very happy man, and now I have a home, many friends, and many books."I enjoy every moment. " She said: "What a wonderful story, I want to hear it very much, please tell me what you read, I find you have many books here." He said, "Oh, your Majesty, yes, I like these books." They talked there for nearly half an hour about them.The queen gave him a little book and some red flowers when she left. After her visit, Merrick started singing.Although his mouth could not sing freely, there was always a strange, happy singing sound in his room in those days.He looked at the flowers carefully and placed them on the table.

The Queen visited him many times, and on Christmas Day she sent him a Christmas card: Dear Joseph: A little Christmas present for you, I think you'll see me as much as you see me, don't you?I enjoyed visiting you very much and I will be visiting you in the hospital on New Year's Day. Merry Christmas! Your friend Alexandra at Windsor Castle 20th December 1888 This gift is a photograph of Queen Alexandra with her name on it.Merrick, overjoyed, placed it beside his bed in the room, and sat down to write to the queen.Here is the first letter he ever wrote: Dear Queen: Hello! Thank you so much for the beautiful card and beautiful photo, the best thing in my room and the best and most beautiful thing I have ever owned.I had my first Christmas in my life and this was my first Christmas present.Maybe I spent a Christmas with my mother, but I can't remember.I also have a picture of my mother, she is beautiful, like you.Now I know many famous ladies and good-hearted people like Dr. Trevis, and I am a very happy man.I am very happy to see you again in the new year.

Merry Christmas my dear friend! Your friend Joseph Merrick at the London Hospital on December 23, 1888