Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-01
| lust Between
Yourselves
BY Philip H. Love-

A CHAP fOf Wnom / nave the
warmest admiration is Robert z.
Jones, 18-year-old senior at Rich
ard Montgomery High School, Rock
vile, Md. / admire him for the
CONSCIOUSNESS with which he has
adjusted himself to the loss of his
hands. He lost them, as you'll I'M
doubtedly recall, In an explosion in
the schools chemistry laboratory
last January.
Two or three weeks ago The Eve
ming Star published pictures OF
Robert trying out his new artificial
hands. For the benefit of the
photographer - and also for the
benefit OF his mother and sister,
who posed with him for one Of the
pictures-he succeeded In looking as
happy as II he were trying on a
handsome new suit. But his broad
smile didn't fool anybody Of intel
ligence and understanding, certain
ly not his mother, Mrs. Guy Jones,
and his sister, Virginia. They knew
though, OF course, they didn't say
so-that the smile denoted bravery
rather than happiness.
X y y
But the bravery is justified by the
experience of man met several
years ago-one William J. Ferris, IT,,
who lost both hands when he was
only 10.
IT was playing on a railroad
bridge, Mr.. Ferris told me. II had
long wire with stick tied to one
end, and I threw it over power
line, just to see what would hap
pen"
What happened was that when he
woke up his arms were so badly
burned that they had to be ampu-
tated-the left one 4 inches below
the shoulder, the right az inches
below the elbow,
-Four monthsfafter his discharge
from the hospital, he strapped on
an artificial right arm, but year
crawled by before he was ready for
a new left. BY then, he had learned
TO use his wooden right so well that
1t almost seemed part of him.
II feel almost as much at home
with my artificial arms as you do
with real ones" he assured me. II
went to school, the same as any other
kid, and carried my own books. I
even won q letter in athletics-by
playing on my high school soccer
team for two years"
He grew up to become a demon
strator and salesman for a Wash
ington manufacturer of artificial
limbs. He travelled the Atlantic sea-
board from Canada to Florida, aver
aging 10000 miles year. He packed
and unpacked his suitcase, bathed,
shaved and dressed without assist
ance, wrote reports to his employer
with both pen and typewriter-in
short, cid everything for himself ex-
cept cut up food. He never quite
mastered that.
Now Mr.. Ferris has a wife to cut
his food, and has won promotion to
better job, besides. He is manager
Of his firms Boston branch, with
jurisdiction over the whole New
England territory. But he still
travels some, devoting as much of
his time as possible to demonstrate
ing artificial limbs to war amputees.
In Massachusetts,, one must pass a
rather strict examination to obtain
a license to drive an automobile. Mr..
Ferris satisfied i've of the States ex-
aminers, instead Of the usual two,
and came away with an unrestricted
permit. -......
Bill Ferris Is self-reliant, success
full and happy, despite his armless-
ness. That's why 7 thought of him
when I saw the photos of Bob Jones
trying out his new hands. Maybe
Bills story will change Bob's brave
smile to smile of hope. And hope
Is the beginning OF happiness.