The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-04-11
Once Household Drudge
NOlU She's Normal Girl
Martha Had Poor Start in Lfe-Just An
other Opportunity Case

luERE IL Martha. it plump and
II pleasing. with the reddish
brown hair. and some lovabie
froekles, For the past seven months
Or Bnrsr's Opportunity school has
trea the only rai home Martha
has known for years.
Martha IA AN orphan. and met che
common fate % 80 many little
/ friendleua children - the 'insliiu
tion A" And Martha. d appears. was
a little SRI that simply had Go be
loved Her unfolding mind could
not cope with riEid rules ana cold
charity and Martha grew gradually
INTO a neglected grey little drudge.
unlovrd and uninyrly
Now. the Opportunity school of
r. A. Burge. doctor ~ abnormal
psychology. and humanitarian. was
opened with the purpose Of proYid-
inE "a place who're Fubnormal OF
mentally retarded children might ~
ccivo tho specialized training necea.
rzFy 20 SCI them rightly on ihe
path ~ life, oihersise. hsing De-
nied our public schools The insane
asylum az Msdical lake was tho
only state sustained alternative open,
So. In spite OF tno fact that pr
nurEc's boarding school was planned
CA a sclfauppouinE basia py pay
inE patients. the doctor. heiug the
kind % a man he lu. has been
adding 90 his flock such iricndlcaa
little souls IN need. az thoeo Ne
have previously mentioned. apd
Martha De- one % them. That. 90.
xrthsr with tho fact that many Of
the ''payine paiients' are no longer
t.e.na Paid for. and tho doctor can
not bur 10 turn them adrift just
when. under the specialized care AMI
feeding. their little minds are begin.
ming 90 coordinate. returning 20
normaicy. IA the reason tho school
- going 20 have 10 close ila hos.
piahle doorA unisss Tho people %
seattle can suggest some tout"
when found Martha she WAS
painfully thin aud too under
nouushed 10 keep up with tho in'
stltutlon work. or her lessons, She
had never been given tho oppor
iuniiy To DO and have Tho things
a YOUNG Eirl ought % have. and
year or two moro would have
sealed her fate. mentally. morally.
phy sically.
Martha was making a noble
struggle against heavy Odds. how
ever. and since I brought her here
she has blosaomsd out ns yOuus
Girl should. She lovss the little
children. teaches them 90 play
samen. and Is very much beloved
- us all" said tho doctor. pride
shining thru his eyes
All that's what Martha needed
love! And now that she T. some
tody" snd has found homo
wherein SHE "a understood and esref
for, why. Martha Is making more
than rapid strides sio y catching
up with herself. il splendid In her
lessons. obrdient seatie. and some
day the whole World viii b herr
Just a. the doctor says Martha
u hut on o. tho undcrnouFished.
under privileged. misunderstood ilt.
ito creatures that ultimately drop
Into mental oblivion. living e.
! rifiees that beat out their lives ~.
hind asylum bars. when tho riEht
environment, care and understand
ing would have tldcd them over
and made them into happy. useful
citizsnx.
Does Seattle believe In the need
OF a school such as pr BurEe.
after half lifetime Of specialized
preparation. has opened In scatticg
II ~. LEI some public spirited citizen
come 20 bat with suggestion that
viii put this school on AZ least o
iaro living basis. and permit this
man who Is giving hla life 70 HIS
chosen work continue to salvage
little souls.