Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1925-01-14
Knitting for
Nerves
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS

| neeuleS ana go down to Atlantic City
and sit ON the board walk and knit"
| ME knit! l certainly would look
cute sitting on the beach like some
| Aunt Jemima knitting pink wool
And all the idlers stopping to roar at
me- No thanks"
| David pulled his six feet Of strong
manhood impatiently out of the chair.
The specialist only sat calmly look
ing at him
| You prefer. then, my yornS fell
low, to end your days in hoe for
neuresthenics, babbling forever about
| spring blossoms or trying to Iild a
nice easy place to jump off the roof.
The doctor became more serious
Don't be coward about life. Face
knitting, just simply giving your
hands something to do, will set you
on your feet"
| David laughed. His nerves were not
| quite gone and after all, life had
heaps to offer. He would be sport
and obey the doctors orders Any
| thing was better than the state he
was in. Only yesterday he had shruni;
| from crossing the street alone and
nothing could induce him to go into
the subway. Certainly knitting was
preferable to that mangled state Of
| nerves.
SO David packed his case, told his
sister all about 1t and she gave him
good advice as well as knitting needles
and wool.
But the branstorm that was the
most brilliant Of her career was her
suggestion that David put on Aun,
Efiie's clothes when he came from his
| bathhOuse.
"Her bonnet, with the strings to tie
1t on and her great cloak and ample
skirts-why David you could sit on
the sand and knit prize jumpers and
no one would even cast a glance at
you"
you're the prize brick, Sis"
laughed David. "1ll put Aunt Eaie's
clothes on and knit till | haven't a
nerve left"
| Consequently, the old lady sitting
daily on the white sand attracted little
or no attention David gradually
learned to knit mechanically.
| 1t was Elsies wee dog that first up
set the apple cart of calm thought
The dog dashing about in quest of
| fun, found Davids woolly ball began
playing and ran joyfully off ac"es>
the sand
| And David, because he always keLi
rather stationary when wearing Aunt
| Efie's clothes, just sat and watched
And Elsie. seeing the old lady's pre-
| dicament and the havoc being wrought
with the wool gave chase after Fido
| 1t was then that David's calm de
serted him. Elsie in drenching and
most nifty Of bathing suits. in bot
! pursuit of small dog. caused not
only burst of laughter from David
| but also heavy heart throb. Elsie,
! with fair hair blowing about in the
| breeze and as graceful as a nynph.
| made David tensely conscious th"i
| there were bits in the feminine WORLD
| distinctly wonderful.
| After final desperate plunge the
| small dog was captured
! David's heart beat fast. The girl
| was approaching him to offer an
| apology.
I'm so very, very sorry" she said
| in the sweetest of voices. 'Fido is
| always doing something awful"
''But this Is not awful" David
| quickly told her and when Elsie
| jumped back startled at the great
| boom of his voice he realized that he
was supposed to be lady.
But he has unraveled all your
lovely knitting" Elsie managed to say
| and looked ruefully down at mere
strand Of what had been fairly well
| formed sweater. Couldn't | knit il
back for you? | will slip into my
| bathhouse and get into my frock and
come back here. You will waltz She
! questioned
| 81 certainly will" David agreed with
a slightly modified voice.
AS soon as she was out Of sight
| David arose, dashed into his own bath
| house and emerged in the most trim
| of white flannels.
! He seated himself on the exact spot
| and waited.
When Elsie appeared he knew that
| his nerve cure was making tire
mendous progress and would continue
| to do SO SO long as Elsie would help
| him to pass away the shining hours.
| She WAS dressed in the dainticst silk
| Jersey suit he had ever seen and her
| fair hair. now confined, lay in huge
| coil about her head.
She stopped in dismay at seeing the
| big man sitting where the old lady
| with the knitting had been Somehow
| Elsie had expected to make good her
offer to knit back the sweater.
She was about to turn away, when
| David drew from his pocket a great
| ball of wool and aimed it straight at
| Edo. That wise little animal took his
| cue with the same accuracy that
well trained god of love takes his