'Marm Lisa could hardly be received in the schools,' Mary told the
listening neophytes one afternoon when they were all together.
'There ought of course to be a special place for her and such as she,
somewhere, and people are beginning to see and feel the importance of
it here; but until the thought and hope become a reality the State
will simply put the child in with the idiots and lunatics, to grow
more and more wretched, more hopeless, more stupid, until the poor
little light is quenched in utter darkness. There is hope for her
now, I am sure of it. If Mrs. Grubb's neighbours have told me the
truth, any physical malady that may be pursuing her is in its very
first stages; for, so far as they know in Eden Place, where one
doesn't look for exact knowledge, to be sure, she has had but two or
three attacks ("dizziness" or "faintness" they called them) in as
many years. She was very strange and intractable just before the
last one, and much clearer in her mind afterwards. They think her
worse of late, and have advised Mrs. Grubb to send her to an insane
asylum if she doesn't improve. She would probably have gone there
long ago if she had not been such a valuable watch-dog for the twins;
but she does not belong there,--we have learned that from the
doctors.
Pages:
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53