The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-10

Mettie was born nineteen years ago in
a little log house in the edge of the woods
locally known as Charter Grove, a part
of :he township of Sycamore, Dekalb
THE CARAVAN FAMILY.
County, III. Her father was country
blacksmith. When Mettie was four years
old NE removed 20 the village of Kane
VILE in an adjoining county. Mettie at
that time was a bright. healthy child, but
two yeas later. just when she was about
to enter school. she was stricken with a
severe attack of spinal meningitis. For
weeks she lay between life and death,
realizing nothing but the acute suffering
which racked her little frame and re-
covering only to the point where the ter
rible pain ceased-the life end activity OF
the growing child were apparently gone
forever. After a few months the useless
limbs resumed their growth and gradual
ly she developed into young woman of
son. ewhat less than medium height, but
the paralysis never departed.
Younger brothers and sisters came TO
swell the cares of the already overbur-
dened father. and the hope of relief for
the afflicted one through medical aid, was
pllced farther and father in the distance.
At one time money enough was saved 10
take her to Chicago Tor electrical ana
massage treatment. She remained there
a short time. deriving some benent from
fl, but the expense was so great ana the
improvement 90 slow that she was
Obliged to return home before any great
change was apparent. She afterwards
went 10 Aurora, H.. but the old story of
big expense and small income again ne
cessitated return home before II was
proved whether she could be cured or
not. Through this aid and by constant
effort on her part, she recovered the par
tal use of her hands, proving that the
case was not altogether hopeless. She
had always maintained that some DAY
she would walk, despite the many as
appointments and disbursements. WIN
her II has always been Just wait until
next spring, or next summer, or next
winter, when papa gets some more money
and then he'll take me to some big doc
tor, and you'll see
But papa never got the money and the
little cripple has remained the little
cripple" and has gone on hoping. one
day last winter a friend in neighborinS
town sent her a package OF some SIX nun
dred cancelled postage stamps, with the
message that If she could collect mil
lion she might get money enough out of
them TO send her 10 a hospital. How the
story originated no one knows, but II was
a common rumor in kaneville that some
hospital stood ready 10 open its doors 10
any cripple who could turn over mill
lion cancelled postage stamps. one leg
less boy was said to have received a cork
leg for his million and another invalid a
reclining chair. No one had any concep-
ton Of what the stamps were used for or
where the hospital was or what the hos
pital wanted of them, but like the drown
ing man with the straw. Mettie was eager
TO collect her million. She told all
her friends. but as her friends consist
ed mostly of kaneville its who received an
average of one letter a fortnight, the col
lection of a million did not look very easy.
Among Metties friends was the Edna
Brown. whose name has become so wide
ly known through connection with the
chain. Edna Brown was Mettie's brothers
afiiaced wife, and of course, very warm
friend of the little cripple. But Edna
Brown had not always lived in kaneville;
she had friends outside OF Kane County,
actually one as far away as Massachu-
setts. To this friend she wrote OF her
coming marriage and her future sister-in-
law and. incidentally Of Mettie's efforts
to collect a million stamps. Now the Mas
sachusetts girl had heard OF chains ,
Hadn't she helped TO build church
once through chain of dimes? If a
chain of dimes would build a church. why
wouldn't chain OF stamps collect mil
lion! she WouIu start at ONCE ohe wrote
three letters of which the following is |
a copy, mailing one TO her friend in I'LL |
nois as a sample of the work she had be- |
gun.
"a medical institution has offered 10 |
treat young lady OF Kaneville Ill. who |
has been a cripple since six years OF age, |
II she can collect one million cancelled |
hostages stamps. So we have strated the |
chain In which we ask your aid
please make three copies OF this let
ter. as have done. only change the num-
Der to the next higher, numbering all
three letters the same. Return this let