AStrangeGreeting,aTrueFeeling

　　LastweekIwasinvitedtoadoctor’smeetingattheRuthhospitalforincurables.Inoneofthewardsapatient,anoldman,gotupshakilyfromhisbedandmovedtowardsme.Icouldseethathehadn'tlongto1,buthecameuptomeandplacedhisrightfootclosemineonthefloor.

　　“Frank!”Icriedinastonishment.Hecouldn’t2,asIknew,butallthetime3hisfootagainstmine.

　　My4racedbackmorethanthirtyyearstothe5daysof1941,whenIwasastudentinLondon.The6wasanair-raidshelter,inwhichIandabouthundredotherpeopleslepteverynight.TwooftheregularswereMrs.WestandhersonFrank.

　　7wartimeproblems,weshelter-dwellersgotto8eachotherverywell.FrankWest9mebecausehewasn’t10,notevenatbirth.Hismothertoldmehewas37then,buthehad11ofamindthanababyhas.His“12”consistedofroughsounds——soundsofpleasureorangerand13more.Mrs.West,thenabout75,wasastrong,capablewoman,asshehadtobe,ofcourse,becauseFrank14onherentirely.Heneededallthe15ofababy.

　　OnenightapolicemancameandtoldMrs.Westthatherhousehadbeenflattenedbya500-pounder.She16nearlyeverythingsheowned.

　　Whenthatsortofthinghappened,therestofushelpedthe17ones.Sobeforewe18thatmorning,IstoodbesideFrankand19myrightfootagainsthis.Theywereaboutthesamesize.Thatnight,then,Itookapairofshoestotheshelterforfrank.Butassoonashesawmehecamerunningandplacedhisrightfootagainstmine.Afterthat,his20tomewasalwaysthesame

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