The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-17
MODERN MIRACLES.
By Abbie Farwell. Brown Of The vigi
lantea

lantea
While there's life there's hopel
Never was this saying so true as TO-
day.
The achievements of modern surgery,
the ingenious appliances Of modern in
vention, the patient devotion of teachers
in the schools of reconstruction, offer not
only hope but useful future to wound.
ed heroes Many men who in an earlier
age would have been mere pensioners of
the country in whose service they have
become crippled, win live TO make her
still more GRATEFUL
Once upon a time the disabled soldier
was regarded as human waste product.
How that is changed! In the present
need of labor, and in the shortage TO
come when peace Is declared, every man
whole or partially so will be needed. Ev-
cry limb win be an asset, If trained to
the limit Of it's power. Though he may
not be able TO carry on his old trade Just
as before, even the most seriously Grip
pied soldier will find place. He can Ell
Their learn a new occupation, at good
wages, or, still better, learn another
branch Of his old work, for which he can
fit himself as a specialist, If he is patient.
Patience! That is what is needed; by
the soldier, by his friends, and by Uncle
Sam, who win be helping him. The need
of workmen is so great now, that
healthy cripple should find no lack of
employment Of one sort or another. To
carry on" still, and play a mans part
in the world! That is the hope open to
95 per cent Of the injured soldiers who
will be coming home. But they viii be
wise not to choose a temporary Job, at
good wages They must look to the flu.
ture, and their friends and families must
encourage them to do so. Let them train,
as Uncle Sam win help them TO do; let
them be patient for short time, and
get control of the new conditions which
need not always hamper them as at first.
Let them look to a permanent Job.
II is truly wonderful how soon an al.
most helpless man can become efficient.
A course Of five weeks in hand training
can give him handwriting free and in.
dividual. After eight weeks or ten in
the machine shop he is ready for re.em-
ployment In hardly more time than it
takes his wound TO heal, he can learn
new trade in which his sound limbs will
do the major work
/ Think of what men In France are do
ing with two arms gonei They are work
| ing in the fields with the aid Of those
marvellous mechanical arms, TO which
spade or scythe or other tool can be
attached. They are doing secretarial
work with muscles of steel wire or
rawhide connecting artificial fingers,
wrists, elbows, with the sound, living,
strong muscles of their back and shout.
ders. Men whose natural legs are gone
are at work briskly in machine shops, on
| tractors, in garages and electrical plants.
Blind men are taking up score of pro.
fessions wherein they have learned to
sse with their fingers, Men no longer ro-
bust after training are found congeniaI
jobs as foIemen or supervisors in facto-
ries where they were once but unskilled
laborersl All because they have perforce
begun life over again, on new basis:
perhaps with better training and under
sympathetic guidance, with a mother.na.
ton locking on, to whom they had hith.
erto felt no particular kinship. She is
watching them now as her dear sons
They must make her proud again, as
they did when they got that fearful
woundl
In nearly all the great warning coun.
tries of Europe there are technical
schools for this reconstruction. And
America is not going to be behind. Give
her a chance, before the boys come home!
Don't be hurry to greet theml Perhaps
they will not ask even for your sympa.
thy No stumbling down the social lad.
der for them They are to be taught to
climb, perhaps higher than the nimblest
fellow with unimpaired limbs Who can
tell, in this age of miraclei
Wouldn't it be Triumph true croix
de paix-if the returned soldier could
date his success in life from the event
that seemed at first an unbearsble mis-
! fortune7
This is what is happening to-day in
many countries of this wonderful old
globel