Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-25
How They Helped Bud
Overcome His Handicap

Buds idea of q good time when he dances
rs to whirl around with great strides and
ener getic turns with glorious Doug
Fairbanks abandon that winds up with
a strenuous turn, leaving you painting,
breathlcss, but laughing and, best OF all,
Bud cackling sway IN his thin, unchanged
soprano voice.
The particular summer colony VIC have
in mind DOES some very wicked things,
such ~ eat roasted corn or hot docgles
by moonlight or go for n moonlight walk
to the rIver, or go swimming IN moonlight
Our Bud is usually Of these parties He
looks very thin, so that you might fancy a
rough touch would crumble hum, but he is
tough as nails and we have seen him cat
doggics and heavy rye bread and go
swimming after II, and show up next
day. chipper and gay, perhaps to dance
or to sing ut one Of the community camp
fires That Is one time when there is a
temptation to feel sorry for Bud when
YOU sec him standing IN the light of a
campfire and singing, with his head
thrown slightly back. and his sightless
ewes upturncd His voice rs very thin
high but sweet, and you gct soft-hcarted
and little chin -trrmbly. but the grace
less young scamp cuts IN on your grow
ing rntimentality with reckless
"k k-ksty.' and # YOU respond To
that ridiculous d,ttv as we do you know
YOU can't harbor soft feelings when that
Is sung. Indeed, VIZ have been prey 70
many hard, hard. cruel impulses when
warbler after warbler has thrown that
song on the air with a complete drsregar ri
of the car II was going to fall on.
These are but frivolous instances of
"A hE
attitude OF hrs friends, has done for one
little blind boy He will never he failure,
and his chec rsulncss Will ever be q Joy
"a many Of his friends who are under his
hsndicar when ono considers what turn
might have bccn gwen Ia the little, I'M
prrssionablc hlt of clay the child was, 1T
cannot he too strongly emphasized that
the great helping factor IN the treatment
~ the afflicted is cheerfulncss and per
sistcnt refusal to regard their misfortune
as hhghtIng or catsclysmsl The mind
and spirlt of human hcing are tho most
fleublc unreasonable things IN this
flexible. changing world, and our attitude
can make or mar the spirits of those
about us
Although We shall not meet ttthc OF
the human devastation that Europe will
have ~ deal with VIC IN Am"nca, arc
nov entering INTO pcnod II rehahil-
t,hou for the wounded and afflicted who
arr coming back 10 US. The great need Is
81 teach them trade or profession where
The, can 10 supporting. for when a
man earns his own bread he has the
foundations Tor hcIng his own master
After that VIC can consistently heal and
mould his injured spirit toward cheerful
ness and sclf-re,pec1. # We consistently
deny ourselves thc indulgence Of pity
and treat our hurt and wounded a.
though We did not see their hurts. II will
lc hard for All oi us 10 steel ourselves
against this harmful pity, particularly
the family and friends Of the injured man,
for when the heart is full Of gricf, cry
hghtcns It's burden But upon these the
heaviest responsibility Will rest 10 control
these natural feelings 10 put always first
and foremost the thought oi the wounded
man 5 future happiness. Upon them will
ret the steady. arduous but infinitely
worthwhile task of wcoing the afflicted
man hack from the abyss OF dependency
and returning hum to himself, whole in
inInd and spiut lie will he eternally
grateful.