New Britain herald., 1927-01-07

Each girl wrote brayely, W The Elwells did not despair com- pletely. In their hearts was the germ of hope. waiting for a word or q sign to tell them that all. perhaps was not lost with Jim.
 And that sign was given them strangely enough, in the form of tears. They were tears that had nc meaning, for they wellcd up in the eyes of the man whose brain was supposed to be dead 10 any phase of emotion.
 Having been advised to let Jim re- main in the hospital under obscr- vation for at least month or so longer. Prof and Mollic Elwell en- Sa ged board and room at a private residence close by so they might be near him.
 Jim Elwel up until the time of his leaving home 10 go to war had ,bcen accustomed since babyhood to being kissed by his mother. II was natural, therefore, that Mollie should still give expression to her affection in that way whenever they were alone or whenever only Prof and Nellie Downing were present.
 Jim could be and was taught some Of the simpler tasks of everyday life such as a baby just beginning to walk might learn. He could feed himself, for instance. and cover himself up when he was cold.
 Whether these actions were gov ernod by any thought or whether they were, as uperintendcnt Bar ton had said, instinctive, was ques- ton the brain specialists did not an swer.
 One day when Molle had kissed him. he kissed her back. Probably, Nellie Downing said later, through mimicry. because he had learned to initiate the actions of others.
 It frightened Mollie at first. the uneXpectcdness of it. But then, look ing at him sharply and seeing only that blank look In his eyes, she be- gan softly to cry.
 It was then that the tears slowly welled up into Jim Elwoll's eyes, and Mollie. seeing them. grew half fran tic with the new born hope that sud denly seized her.
 She called Nellie Downing.
 'I'll make report of it, the nurse said. Tt certainly is q new development. Whether it's cause enough to hold out any real hope for his recovery I can't say. But my opinion is that it requires something more than nero mechanical imita tiveness to produce tears There must be some emotion in him some where that responded to your own"
 In the spring of 1919 doctors and surgeons from all parts Of the world were called to Europe in a confer ence, to try. if possible, 10 work out some means of suppressing the cpl demic of disease that had sprung up in the wake of the war.
 Among these men of science was q celebrated surgeon from New ! ork "a brain specialist. Numerous cases that other specialists had pro- nounced hopeless had been taken over by him and the patients re- stored to normal condition. The hope that on his return from abroad this man might be induced to try 10 put Jim back into the world of re- membered things held Prof and Mol lie Elwcll in New York for weeks after they otherwise would have re- turned home. That-and the fact that Jim E.lwell one day had cried.
 Mollie's first letter to the girls was the most difficult letter she ever had tried to write. She told them as well as she could the condition in which tors had said regarding the unlikeli- hood of his recovery along the lines then being followed. and the danger that would attach to an operation,
 She also told of the probability of their havingrto remain in New York for a month or two and insisted in a letter to John Clayton that the twins were not to try to see Jim until she gave them permission.
 At that time no mention had yet been made of the brain surgeon on whom they were counting so strong ly.
 The answer to this letter came in triple form. Each girl wrote brave ly, with many expressions of her hope, grief. love and condolencc Each tried to console Mollie with the thought that Jim, at least. was alive and while there was life there was hope. John Clayton added his part in the form of q carefully worded request to be allowed to do in his power to lessen the burden that ha1 been laid upon