Show KATHLEEN NORRIS aid yourself aiding others ONE OF THE CRUELEST problems life could bring to any woman came some years ego ago to lily drake when her husband came homo home in 1948 1046 lily had a girl of 0 3 and a year 1 later ater a boy was born the boy was still an infant when his father was killed in a motor crash they were driving along quietly enough in a summer dusk but the man in the convertible behind them ward drake was wak crowded against a bank the car tipped over over ned was hurt and the man of the family killed lily faced it and was going along well enough when the real trouble developed her little son is an imbecile no one ona knows whether the jarring crash of the accident brought it on or whether it was rooted further back for a little while lily felt as if she face this blow she had an office job at that time received a pension and whatever her mothers slender income added for they au all lived together she sha investigated the situation for defective children and found the right place for at a month you who dont know anything about it may ask why small babies care need cost so much this is very special care children of this type tyke never can be left alone day and night they roust must be ba watched almost every child needs a nurse nurses are well paid little beds need daily changing and airing small garments are replaced replace das as often as four times a day As aa any mother of an imbecile child knows 1 he cannot be kept at home neither child nor mother can stand it so lily tried everything she borrowed money she PW k 1 7 she borrowed money 11 tried to find some kind old woman who would fake take him to the country then heartbroken heart broken she put him into a institution and rented one of tho the cottages on the grounds to be ba near him she commuted to the tha city 40 miles away she got up at caught a 7 15 bus then a 11 street car then office hours and a counter lunch and then the whole story backward in burning summer heat and winter blackness then she broko broke down convalescent deep la in debt but undaunted lily began to make herself useful in tho the institution she had been a war nurse that training was invaluable sho she studied the children ned she could not help but tie he loved to be near hor her in a quiet wistful little way and many another child was wag brought to more normal work and play through lilys interest she is now one of the managers at a month her cottage rent tree free and littlee jane although aware that one of the caren in the tha big tree hospital Is her brother seems not at all disturbed by the tha situation but best of all in this me most st heroic and satisfactory solution Is the fact that lily ila has found herself sho she loves her work her fresh striped uniforms her swarms of small adorers ador ers her serious talks with the mothers and guardians who so much need her advice and the tha cheer she brings them for an attractive woman obviously loved by her charges charge not finding them cepull repulsive sive or even puzzling Is an immense asset in a place like this many a heartbroken mother goes away comforted after a sight of the long dining room with its bowls and bibs and high highchairs chairs the big playroom with its rings of tat fak little cushioned chairs the lawns and playground and older children the six and eghi and 10 group have been known in countless cases to cry to come back after a very briet brief contact with the big world outside mrs drake has introduced changes here that have been copied all over the union said the old head doctor to me just simple things but things that never were done before we first n noticed the change in the noises they made when they were all together now that is over the tha old rule he said was that tha t they marched two and two for 20 minutes after breakfast then climbed into the circle of chairs and stayed there any toot that came down was rapped that was necessary tor for they would have torn each others eyes then now little sets come down in turn and her nurses watch and grade them em these are little changes but any change is sensational here she solved her problem I 1 said in deep admiration yes and no one can do that and not solve a lot of others |