the elefant man

Chapter 7 THE LAST LETTER

Six months later, in April 1890, I found him dead in bed. He was
on his back in bed, so at first I thought he was asleep. I talked to
him, but he did not move. Then I saw that the skin on his face
was blue, so I knew he was dead.

He did not usually sleep on his back. His enormous head was
very heavy, so he usually sat up in bed with his arms round his
legs, and his head on his knees. He could sleep well like this.
But he wanted to sleep on his back like you and me. He tried to
sleep on his back that night, but his heavy head came off the
bed, and he broke his neck. He died very quickly.
Next day, the Chairman of the London Hospital, Mr Carr Gomm,
wrote to the editor of The Times again.

        The Times, April 16th, 1890
Dear Sir,
Three and a half years ago I wrote to you about a man called
Joseph Merrick. This man was called the 'Elephant Man'
because he was born with a very ugly body. Merrick was not
ill, but he could not work, and he had no money.
The readers of The Times felt sorry for him, and they gave me
a lot of money for Merrick. Because of this money, we could
give Merrick a home in the London Hospital. It was his first
good home, and for three and a half years he lived here
happily. The doctors and nurses of the hospital helped him,
and many important people visited him. He read many books,
he went to the theatre, and in the summer he stayed in the
country for six weeks. Because of your readers' money, we
could give him a happy life.
Last night Joseph Merrick died quietly in his bed. He was a
man with a very ugly body, but he was a good, kind man, and
he had a lot of friends. We liked to talk to him, and we are all
very sorry because he is dead. A lot of people are going to
remember him for a long time.
There is some money left, so I am going to give it to the
hospital. Thank you, sir, for your help.
Yours faithfully,
                     F.C. Carr Gomm
                Chairman of the London         Hospital.