Norwich bulletin., 1916-09-02
DEFERRED HOPES

Grace Ladd was left an orphan at 1 the age of eight years. and after her parents expenses were paid, their | daughters only possession was piece | of land on the outskirts of a suburb 1 of a town near Boston, land which no l one would buy and which was then called worthless. for the place was not ! then city, only small country town.
 | Mr. and Mrs. Allen, friends of Mr.
 and Mrs. Ladd, knowing that the 1it- tie girl had no relatives to care for l her. took her for a little while, but that little while heightened into years.
 After Mr. Aliens death, his wife
 moved to Gorham, Me. Financially | but a small sum of money remained for the widow and adopted daughter after her husbands business, which l had been badly managed during his | long sickness, had been closed and
 all the bills settled.
 i Mrs. Ladd managed most economi- ca1ly but she was obliged 70 take | summer boarders and to do fine laun- l dry work for some Of the normal l students to help to defray expenses as she did not want to draw from her | capital any more than she was obliged | to.
 Grace's affection for her adopted ] mother grew stronger and stronger as | the years passed on, for when older l she realized the sacrifices that had l been made for her.
 | After granduating from the high 1 school she entered Gorham Normal to
 fit herself for teacher: After which
 she said that her mother should sit
 with folded hands all the time or else | run about making calls" 1 Her mother laughingly replied, T
 think should be very happy sitting with folded hands all the time, but 1 being together and doing for each other and for others whenever we can l will bring happiness to both of us," and I must admit that I do not feel l as strong as 1 did a few years ago." | Grace's countenance grew pale as l she quickly and anxiously asked Are l you sick. mother dear D
 1 "Oh no, I am not sfcK, only I feel 1 that l cannot always continue such l strenuous work"
 I will leave my studies right now l and care and provide for you, as you have for me" But Mrs. Ladd soon l convinced her that she would be bet | ter able to do so if she finished her
 course, then boarders and outside | work could be given up. But alasi Man proposes but God 1 disposes; for it was years before l Grace was able to carry out her plans ! for just as she had completed half of 1 her course she became suddenly quite | helpless.
 l On awaking one morning she felt
 numb on her right side and found that ] she dragged her leg after her when i she walked, and things which sne took | hold of with her hand dropped. 1 The family physician was called at 1 once, but her limbs gradually grew i worse. She did not appear and was 1 not sick, but the power to grasp and 1 hold things was gone, and she could not step out or up. but dragged her ! right foot in walking.
 l They called a consultation of doc 1 tors who called the trouble inaction of 1 the nerves, and spoke hopefully Of her ! recovery. After she was unable to
 dress herself or feed herself even after 1 her food had been cut for her. She was | placed in private hospital Tn Bos- ] ton.
 At first she responded to treatment 1 and the doctors thought she would re- ] cover much sooner than they at first
 eNPeGted she would but after three | months she had a relapse. She would i gain little, then have a setback and l so it continued. When her hands were | better she could not walk without as slstance, and when she could, her ] hands were worse She tried many | different treatments; then went to a nerVine at Jamaica Plains. l For over two years Mrs. Iadd de- 1 frayed these enormous expenses and | did additional work to increase her ] income, then suddenly her strength l failed and although not sick she was | not able to do any work. As she had withdrawn her money from the bank 1 to defray Grace's expenses at the hos- 1 p1tal and nerVlne she had nothing left | for herself.
 i Several friends offered her home. | but as she knew she would not be able i for while to help them, she refused i this kindness; but she did accept from 1 them the amount which was required | for her to enter an old ladies' home.
 This news caused Grace much sor- row, and a bad relapse. Good Dr. 1 Lanes talk with her both helped and i cheered her. He told her that what | had happened could not be helped but . II would not matter very much, for he | thought that her mothers removal to | the home was only for Q time, for he i was convinced that she, Grace Ladd, was surely going to recover the use 1 of her limbs; it might be quite Q time
 yet, but in time she surely would | But, oh, Doctor!" she cried in a 1 teary voice If only could get well; i;
 but how can I stay here now there is | no one to defray my expenses" Why, my dear your case has been | talked over by the board of trustees | and you are to remain here free of l charge as long as you need to; so brace up and believe me when I say that
 think in time you will fully recover the i full use of your linnhs'
 | Grace endeavored to speak, but words failed her The look she gave l the good man as she glanced up to
 him with fearful eyes spoke more elo- | quently than words and more than re- | paid him for securing the free treat l ment for her.
 Grace many times despaired that her i hopes and desires would ever he full 1 filed; but she tried to be hopeful and to think that they were only checked | or deferred for a time
 ] Slowly, very slowly. she improved | The thought would come to her at 1 times: Don't be too sanguine, for you