Eleven years ago I had the misfortune to injure my back severely while playing in my father's ice-house. An abscess formed, and I steadily grew worse until January, 1903, when I was taken to a hospital in St. Paul and put under the care of a specialist. There I remained for six weeks, during which time another abscess was lanced and a brace strapped about me, with the order that I should wear it three years. My back was very weak, and I was told I had tubercular disease of the spine.
My mother, who had been with me constantly, brought me home, and I gained for a time. Then in May I was obliged to take to my bed again, remaining there for eight weeks, during which time there was a repetition of my former experience. It was a question of life or death, and there seemed little hope of recovery. During the summer, though, I became so much better that I was allowed to walk about, but as carefully as possible, and my mother took me frequently to St. Paul to have the brace adjusted and my general condition noted by the specialist. I was not growing normally, and was not very strong, but the specialist gave his consent to my going to school in September on condition that I would not walk much or romp about. I drove my pony to and from school, but kept growing weaker, until it was feared that I could not attend school any longer. The mere mention of this was, however, so discouraging to me that I was allowed to continue.
About the first of October I began to limp, but fearing hospitals and more surgical treatment, I laid the trouble to one little thing and then another. My father, who feared something more serious, took me to our family doctor, at St. Peter, Minn. He examined me carefully, and found that one of my legs was an inch shorter than the other, and that another abscess was forming. My shoe was built up immediately, to prevent curvature of the spine.
