born in the late winter (february fifth, in the evening) of 1875, emily grace began her life in the town of whitby, ontario. an excitable and curious child, emily loved to EXPLORE; from the many rooms in her family’s spacious home, to the lovely park down the street, to the town where she went with her nanny on errands, and to the various places that her mother brought her to on outings. emily was fascinated with the world -- with all its strangeness, wonder, and life -- and in turn, the world became interested in the exuberant young daughter of Emil and Catherine Grace.
as she chased after novel situations and interesting knowledge, those that she pestered humoured the young girl -- it was amusing for such a small child to be so enthralled by matters both simple and complex. with her parents wide circle of acquaintances in addition to the various persons that she meets every time she steps outside her home, emily learned quickly of the many different shapes and forms that lives took on. subjects of politics, science, business, culinary arts, technology, history, sociology, fine arts, mythology, came to her attention.
( many times, these acquaintances would be visiting her family’s home, looking to socialize with her father and mother. following common etiquette, emily would normally be kept away in another part of the house by the nanny while her parents entertained -- but as she grew older, she was allowed to greet the guests, stay for the beginnings of visits, and to be present during more casual social calls. more often than not, the guests found her to be wonderful addition to conversation. )
in addition to being looked after by her nanny, at the age of five, emily began her studies with a governess. although, she spent much of her day with the nanny and governess, her parents were consistently present in her life. her mother was delighted with having a daughter and often spent mornings with emily visiting pretty places and indulging in light pleasures. her father, though a stern and thick-skinned lawyer, loved his daughter dearly and made it clear that he greatly enjoyed her company. special evenings saved for family outings were quite common. with a family life so balanced and content, it was not surprising that young ( nine and a half ) emily grace was deeply taken aback when her mother suddenly fell ill (tuberculosis) and passed away, all within a mere 10 days. the death of the adored socialite was a heavy weight on her husband and daughter, as well as their circle of friends.
( for days, both before and after the funeral, emily sat on her father’s lap as he cried and so, she cried with him. in a hushed voice, he would promise her that everything would be alright -- that she still had her future ahead of her, that she still had his support and love. yet, the event had opened emily’s eyes to a new world: that of DEATH, HUMAN ANATOMY, FRAGILITY, AND MORBIDITY. )
with the tragedy behind them, the father and his only child moved forward with their life, growing closer to each each and every day. quite appropriately, considering her namesake, emily began to take after her father -- adopting his sternness, independence, arrogance, and gutsiness. traits that served her father well in his employment as a high-end attorney, but were (to emily’s great disappointment) looked down upon when present in a young lady such as herself. she quickly learned how to balance her true nature with the norms and conventions of society.
“i do not have the patience to adopt a cheerful bedside manner.”
emily continued her education and graduated from secondary school at the sixteen, moving onto secretarial schooling and lending a hand at her father’s attorney office. however, even though she enjoyed being in the know about high-profile cases and the world of crime, the hours she spent at secretarial school were incredibly distasteful. it became blatantly clear that this was NOT what she wished to do with her life. after a brief discussion with her father, emily applied and was (after much persuasion) accepted into the university. there, she rediscovered her love for subjects such as sociology and science, specifically anatomy and chemistry.
autumn of 1895 brought a 20 year old emily grace to the doors of the medical school. after four years of rigorous study, she graduated at the top of her class and jumped at the opportunity offered by an advertisement in a newspaper, calling for an second coroner at the city morgue. her application was quickly accepted dr. julia ogden. (sometime before autumn, 1899)
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