Author's Preface
Tuesday, 13 March 1894
Sister Grace tells me I'm not dying, and that I'm healthy, but it doesn't seem normal. Some of the boys were taken away two weeks ago, coughing up blood. Sister Grace wouldn't tell me, just that they've gone away, but I heard some of the other children say they heard the doctor say they had consumption.
I was coughing during Mass on Sunday. Then yesterday my stomach hurt and I was tired all day. This morning, I had blood on my nightgown. I was too scared to get out of bed. Sister Grace came to find me when I didn't go down for breakfast. She said Ryn was worried about me. I was afraid to get up, but she pulled me up and saw the blood. She seemed frightened by it too when she saw it at first, but then she said it was nothing to worry about. How is bleeding normal?
Sister Grace helped me clean my gown and gave me a belt thing to wear and some bandages. It was so embarrassing. She says I'm going to keep bleeding for a couple of days, but not to worry. How can I not worry? She says this will happen to me every month now too, and that I'm just becoming a lady. Do I have to? Can I not just stay a lass? Sister Grace says I can stay in bed today and not go to class at least.