Evening star., 1940-11-03
By JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

Embowered among its tall trees
and green lawns at Wisconsin ave-
nue. and Upton streets Is an in
stitution called the Home for In
curables. Yet. to hundreds 1t has
not meant a farewell to all earthly
hope, but rather doorway of op-
portunity for long and useful lives,
rich in service to others.
Not member of the Community
Chest and almost entirely depend
ent on the generosity of the public,
it has for half a century filled a
need, which by the very nature Of
its incurably i'll patients, it has been
impossible for any other hospital or
institution in the District to under
take.
Concerning it, the late Mrs. Ar
chibald Hopkins, whose name will
always be synonymous with service
in its behalf, was won't to say:
PAY it a visit, if your own pilgrims
pack of this worlds worries and
troubles is rubbing your shoulder.
You will not only come away count
ing your blessings, but you will have
absorbed from these people who
can never really be well again on
this earth, something of their sub
lime spirit in either going around
irremediable handicaps or of ignor-
ing them in happy service for
others"
Phil McGrath has been with the
institution As of its So years. He
is a useful member of it. Despite
his handicaps he has charge of the
newspapers delivered to the home
He canes all of the chairs that need
his services and takes orders for
outside work besides.
Active in Wheel Chairs.
Miss Maude Everly, victim of in
fantile paralysis before the present
measures for alleviating its handi-
caps were known, cleans up her own
room in her wheel chair. During
the last World War influenza epi-
demic the institution couldn't pos
sibly have gone on without her in
valuable assistance in preparing the
meals for its patients, helping feed
them and caring for their wards
all of this in a wheel chair.
William A. Cross has to use
wheel chair, too. He swirls it
around and works happily and alb
sorbedly making all sorts of useful
appurtenances for the home and
his fellow members in it.
Another veteran wheel-chair user
is William Bedell, who acts as a gen.
eral information exchange on the
second floor of the main building
Help all you can" might be the
homes motto, according to Mrs.
Edward r. Finkenstaedt, present
president of its Board of Lady Man.
ayers.
Many Do Sewing.
Those who are able to do little
sewing and mending cooperate in
sewing on buttons. darning stockings
and performing many other helpful
tasks for those who are so incapaci-
tated they cannot do things for
themselves
The home has its knitting COM
mittee, too, busily at work for the
American Red Cross, with an output
which challenges that of many an
able-bodied group.
Yet, out of the institutions pres
ent enrolment of 178 patients, Is
are entirely helpless. On the other
hand, 80 out of the whole number
either get to or are taken to the
dining room for their meals.
The only place south of New York
which accepts cancer cases, it has
Is such patients at the moment.
All have separate rooms and special
nursing care.
Subscriptions of magazines are
welcomed for practically all of the
homes inmates.
1t cares for any type of the in
curably i'll except tuberculosis pa
tients. In every instance, except in
the case of cancer patients, apph-
cants must have been residents of
the District for at least five years.