Ruth Ambler d. 1897

AMBLER, HARGRAVE, MARSH

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 4/20/2006 at 13:35:16

ANOTHER HOME IN MOURNING.

Little Ruth Ambler Passes Away Last Night, Death Unexpected.

Another Mt. Pleasant home has been rendered desolate by the visitation of the death angel. Last night about 9 o'clock, little Ruth Ambler, the three year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Ambler of East Monroe street, passed away quietly, but entirely unexpectedly, of paralysis of the heart, brought on by a serious disturbance of the stomach caused by teething.

The little one was sick but three days and the sudden death was like a thunder bolt from a clear sky. Little Ruth has been a sufferer from asthma since she was nine months of age, which weakened her respiratory organs. Last Thursday she was taken sick from teething, cutting all four of her back double teeth at once. Friday Dr. Marsh was called and found a very sick child. Saturday little Ruth was so bad that the physician was apprehensive. Sunday morning there was a decided improvement. Sunday evening about half-past eight, Dr. Marsh called to see the little one and found her in a satisfactory condition. On his return Mr. Harry Ambler accompanied him to bring home some medicine. On his return home, Mr. Ambler was met by a messenger who said Ruth was dying. Sending the messenger after Dr. Marsh, Mr. Ambler hastened home, but his little girl had left him. The doctor followed close after, but of course could do nothing. It seems that soon after the departure of the Doctor and Mr. Ambler, Ruth began to breath a trifle labored, yet not so much so as she often had, and not enough to cause apprehension on the part of Mrs. Ambler, who was at her bed side. Suddenly little Ruth, without a particle of warning, stiffened out, the action of the heart and lungs ceased instantly and life was extinct before Mrs. Ambler could move. Death was caused by paralysis of the heart.

Little Ruth died from the precise cause that carried off her aunt's father-in-law, Mr. Hargrave, two days before. It is a mournful coincidence, but true, never-the-less. In Mr. Hargrave's case his stomach was violently disturbed by food he had eaten. In little Ruth's, teething caused a similar disturbance of the stomach. In the case of both the disturbance of the stomach caused a reflex action on the nerves supplying the heart and lungs, causing the fatal paralysis and instant painless death. In neither case could the end have been foreseen, or if it had been, could human skill have prevented the fatal result.

The death of little Ruth, following so close after the death of Mr. Hargrave, makes the burden of grief of each family doubly hard to bear. The two families are practically one. Mrs. Ambler and Mrs. Chas. Hargrave are sisters, and the two families until lately, lived side beside and on most intimate terms, on South Main Street, little Ruth being the idol of Mr. Hargrave. The little girl was two years old last October and one of the sweetest little maidens that ever lived. She was especially dear to the little folks who knew her. The sympathy of the entire community will go out to this doubly strcken home.

No announcements have yet been made for the funeral.

[Mt. Pleasant Daily News, Monday, December 13, 1897, Page 1.