Evening star., 1928-12-30
Men, Women and Children
Receive Tragic Sentence
With Greatest FOrtitude.
MANY JOKE AT FUTURE
Visitor Given Impression of
Brave Courage in Brief
Talks With Sufferers.
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

Just beyond the Cathedral on Wis
| consin avenue stands great brick
building in plain view of passers-by.
But the average person hardly looks
! at the place as he hastens about his
| business. If his glance should chance
to fall in that direction, it is with an
unconscious sf1udder that he looks the
other way. 1t is not pleasant to think
of unhappy things, and the great brick
building tells of tragedies, suffering
and heartaches unbelievable to the
| healthy, happy rest Of the world"
The Home for Incurables has gath
cred beneath its sheltering wings men,
women and children who have received
with fortitude and courage the crueleSt
! -"incurablei" Children, Grip
pied from birth; young men and women
cut down in the prime of life by acci-
dent or disease; old people waiting and
suffering with superhuman patience
while the shadows of life's closing days
slowly falls upon them.
| A visitor came to Washington for the
Christmas holidays. She had plenty
of time, tender heart and the memory
of a dear one lost in the Great War.
The memory created deep sympathy for
afflicted young men ana sorroWng
mothers. She heard that in the Home
| for Incurables there lay man., ~
wears old, who for two years, had lain
Daralyzed with broken back, the result
of an automobile accident. Perhaps,
she thought, she might be permitted TO
carry a little Christmas cheer to the
youth. so patiently waiting for the last
great call, which would mean a respite
| from his Sufferings.
Graciously the superintendent received
! her, She was led into cheerful room
where the young man has lain through.
out weary months She had expected
| to find a person incapable of feeling
| cheer. The gray eyes of the young man
lightened with appreciation OF ner
| friendly visit and he talked with IN
terest of books, the radio and Christmas
gifts which so many friends had sent
| him.
Woman in Bed 20 Years.
"WiIl you visit some of our other
people?" asked the superintendent. L
Should like YOU to say good morning to
a dear old woman who has lain In her
| bed for over 20 years. Never has a
word of complaint left her lips" AS
they were talking, the two women came
| to the room of the sufferer. smile OF
greeting crossed her face. Not word
! of her own suffering left her lips. How
are you?" she asked. 81 am glad your
cold is better" Not sigh, not hint
of "self" entered into the conversation
of this woman 95 years old.
Crossing the corridor, the superin-
tendent led the way to a room whose
open door showed another woman seated
| in a wteelchair reading paper. How
| she could read was marvel to the
| visitor. Her head was pulled over to
| one side, as though drawn by a cruel
magnet. The hands which held the
| paper were knotted and contracted out
| of shapes the result of relentless
| arthritis endured over period Of years
with unbelievable patience.
"I have so much to be grateful for"
| she said. MY children are so good TO
me and everybody does SO many kind
| things for me-"
Again the woman from out-of-town
| made a note of this quality which char
acterized the people living in this home,
vast, deep feeling of appreciation for
| what was being done for them and an
interest outside of themselves.
The next patient visited was a fine
looking woman Of middle age, who
hustled about her room in wheel chair
as actively as though many years of
paralyzing arthritis had failed to con-
Quer her indomitable will.
This is Mrs. H" introduced the
superintendent. "She is a model Of
goodness and efficiency, taking entire
care of herself, doing her own sewing
and never asking assistance from any
one"
"How do you get about as you do?"
inquired the visitor, noticing the para
lyzed legs resting helplessly on the foot
board of the chair and the knoSted,
twisted hands which still accomplished
so many useful things.
"I could not get along without work" !"
she replied 1.-THE more have to do
the happier it makes me-"
Out in the corridor of the hospital,
delicate, slight woman stood shaking
like an aspen leaf.
Superintendent in a whisper. Aloud to
the patient, she said:
"Tiow are you this morning?
Jokes At Condition.
Shaking like the dickens" was the
reply made with a grim hunor. To be
able to Joke, when life has dealt the
card of creeping paralysis Greater
courage than that no man could know.
thought the visitor as she passed down
"a At the switchboard of the home sat a
middle-aged man in wheel chair, who
turned a pair of courageous blue eyes In
friendly greeting.
II Should like to introduce you to
one person this home could not get
along without" said the superintendent:
For 20 years Mr.. c. has operated
the switchboard. He has been here
with us for 80 years, ever since he left
the Children's Hospital" :.
Are there others besides yourself
who have occupations around the nos
Iv~;fo %Ia
Eyes, many of then," replied the
crippled man, "but should like spe-
cially to mention Bill who came here
about the same time did and who re-
canes and repairs all the chairs in the
home. He also recanes chairs Tor peo-
pie outside and is always glad to get
work, as it brings in little money,
which helps lot"
Then there is little Jimmie" he
continued. Jimmie is only years old.
and has but one finger on one hand and
three fingers webbed together on the
other hand. One of our ladies here.
also completely crippled with arthritis,
has taught Jimmie to paint with his
one hand. Jimmie made SIS at Christ
mastime, painting and decorating
) Christmas cards"
After bidding goodbye to the switch
board operator the superintendent told
how Mr.. c. contributed to his own
upkeep by collecting tin foil and later
selling it.
"They are all very wonderful" the
superintendent said as she led her
visitor to the door. 1--WE cannot do too
much to bring peace and comfort into
their lives. Most Of them bear the
physical pains and mental anguish of
cancer, sleeping sickness, paralysis,
arthritis and other incurable diseases
with a patience and cheerfulnesS that
would seem impossible. Here they come
to the last and only refuge of its kind
in the District, to pass their last days
of suffering removed from home ties
and loved ones. There are over 100 of
these poor sufferers with us now, and
it has made us very unhappy that we