WEBVTT

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[...]

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[Music]

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[Your Tuberculosis Association presents]

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[Unsuspected]

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[Produced by Trident Films, Inc., Supervised by Film Counselors, Inc.]

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[Directed by Charles F. Schwep, Photography: Drummond Drury, Script: Bertrand Channon]

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[Editing: Charles R. Senf, Music: Morris Mamorsky]

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[Music]

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[Sound of man laughing]

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[Sam:] Oh, you women. That wasn't even a near-miss.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Hi, Sam, I suppose not. I think I'd better sit down.

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[Sam:] All right. Ha-ha. Hiya, Johnny.

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Well, come sit down then, Linda. There you are.

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You know, kids do kind of scare you at that.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Who is he?

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[Sam:] Miss Thorpe, I would like to have you know Master Johnny Walsh.

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And son, I'd like to present Miss Linda Thorpe, our public health nurse.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Well, how do you do, Johnny. I'm very happy to know you.

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[Johnny Walsh:] Pleased to meet you, ma'am.

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[Linda Thorpe:] You're new around here, aren't you?

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[Sam:] Yeah. They moved into the county about, oh, about a week ago.

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His folks took over the big old Staley place.

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Well, they've got a big family, haven't you, Johnny?

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[Johnny Walsh:] Got a sister two years older than me.

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[Linda Thorpe:] You have?

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[Sam:] Yup. You've got two sisters, and they're expecting a new baby for Christmas.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Oh, how nice.

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You know, I'd like to meet your mother and your father and your sisters, too.

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[Johnny Walsh:] They're just girls.

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[Linda Thorpe:] They're just girls? Ha ha ha.

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A new baby by Christmas.

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Well, you don't have long to wait, do you?

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[Sam:] Not nearly as long as your folks have been waiting for you to bring the groceries home for supper.

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[Laughter]

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All right, Johnny. Here you are.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Oh. Maybe I better help you with this. You going my way, Johnny?

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Well, I'll take you in my car, then.

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[Sam:] It might be a good idea to get your car off the road, too, Linda.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Yeah, it sure is. Can you get down? Okay.

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Well, I'll see you, Sam.

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[Sam:] All right, bye bye Linda.

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[Sam:] Bye bye, Johnny.[Johnny Walsh:] Bye.

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[Music]

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[Narrator:] It was as simple as that.

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A little boy playing by the road, and a public health nurse making her daily rounds.

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But that is how the local health department first met the Walsh family.

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They just moved in and were still working hard to get their home in order.

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They weren't quite ready to welcome visitors.

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[Music]

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Ms. Linda Thorpe was a qualified public health nurse,

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and an important part of her job was to know how to make an unexpected call like this seem as natural as possible.

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Yes, it always takes a few minutes to get over that first awkward feeling,

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that feeling of being ill at ease and self-conscious.

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Linda also knew that smiling children could open doors of friendship to their parents.

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And when an eager invitation to see the new kittens was offered,

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Linda felt sure that these people would soon be her friends.

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[Music]

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Although hardly a word had been spoken, Linda knew that she had once again made friends of strangers.

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Now she could explain the work she was doing and why the local health department maintains a nursing service, to help us all keep well.

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As part of her work, Linda asked about the baby that was expected in December.

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Mary Walsh hadn't been to see a doctor yet.

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They'd been so busy fixing up the house, and she felt it could wait.

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Besides, she hadn't had any trouble with the other children.

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But Linda explained that where there are other children in the family,

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you can never afford to put off seeing a doctor.

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[Music]

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Mary was easily persuaded to visit the doctor sooner than she had planned.

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A few days later, she went to a local doctor for a complete physical examination.

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She also had a chest x-ray, something which should be part of the routine examination of every expectant mother.

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In most patients, nothing unusual is found,

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but in Mary's case, the doctor discovered a small shadow on one of her lungs.

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It might mean very little, but often, it's the only means of discovering early tuberculosis,

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because early TB has no obvious symptoms.

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It is often unsuspected.

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Mary was called back for further tests, for no diagnosis is complete until specific laboratory tests are made.

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Every technique of modern medicine is put to work until the diagnosis is confirmed or denied.

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Mary Walsh didn't even feel sick, yet she had tuberculosis.

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Now she became a responsibility of the community, and the community went to work to help her get well.

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[Music]

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[Jim Walsh:] Mary and I've done nothing but talk about this since we first read these.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Now you know why it's best for you to go to the hospital.

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[Mary Walsh:] You know, we can't afford a big hospital bill.

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[Linda Thorpe:] It won't cost what you think.

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[Jim Walsh:] I know you mean well, but we can't accept charity.

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[Linda Thorpe:] No one's offering you charity.

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Like the schools, your tuberculosis hospital is part of the local government that you help support.

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Its job is to keep the community healthy.

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Why, by helping you, the community is also protecting itself.

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[Mary Walsh:] But we don't even have enough to pay someone to come look after the children if I'm not here.

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We have no close relations near here.

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Jim is a good man, but he can't do everything by himself.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Miss Swain of our welfare department is good at that sort of thing.

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She'll help you find a way.

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[Mary Walsh:] You make it all sound so simple.

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But what about the new baby?

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[Linda Thorpe:] Your baby won't catch tuberculosis from you if you do what the doctor tells you.

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But no case of TB is simple.

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You're more fortunate than some because your case was caught early.

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[Jim Walsh:] Just how long do you think it'll take in my wife's case?

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[Linda Thorpe:] No one can say for sure, but Mrs. Walsh should stay in the hospital
at least until after the baby is born.

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[Mary Walsh:] But that won't be for months. I won't do it.

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[Linda Thorpe:] I know this is a shock, but when you think of the children as well as yourself,

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I know you'll want to do the sensible thing.

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[Jim Walsh:] We both want to do what's right.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Well, hello Jane and Nancy, too.

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Been playing hard?

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[Jane:] Yes.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Oh, and there's my pal. How are you, Johnny. Haven't seen you for a long time.

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[Music]

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[Mary Walsh:] Yes. And I must protect the children.

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[Linda Thorpe:] Exactly, and the new baby most of all.

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You need rest and care now, good food, a place where there are doctors and nurses,

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the right medicine.

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You can only get that kind of care in a hospital.

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[Narrator:] Leaving her family for the first time in her life was made easier for Mary Walsh
by many helping hands.

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Arrangements had been made for Mrs. Spencer to come and stay at home with the children

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and take good care of them while their mother was to be away.

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[Music]

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Miss Swain of the welfare department had made all the plans and preparations to keep the family as happy as possible.

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Mary didn't know just where or how she had gotten tuberculosis, but she knew she had to go away.

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To protect her children, she had to leave them for a while until she was cured.

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And as she looked at them, she wanted to do everything she could

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to speed her own recovery and return to her family well and happy.

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[Music]

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The tuberculosis hospital wasn't far from home, and here Mary could have complete rest in bed.

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More than that, there was a skilled staff who took a personal interest in her.

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She knew that she had the best medical attention in the world,

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and she didn't have to worry about her family,

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so she could keep her mind at rest.

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This is so important in curing tuberculosis.

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[Music]

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Linda made arrangements for the health department to examine the rest of the family
right away

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to make sure that no one else was sick.

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This was one of the many public health services in the community

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which the local Tuberculosis Association had worked hard to establish.

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[Music]

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The children are treated with special care,

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for more than medical skill is required to make it all seem to them like a natural part of a big adventure.

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[Music]

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Jim Walsh was also examined with the latest x-ray equipment obtained with help from the local Tuberculosis Association.

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When the test showed that none of the others had active TB, the family began to readjust itself,

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with the help of Miss Swain of the welfare department,

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who offered friendly suggestions on how to manage the house while mother was away.

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[Music]

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The weeks passed. Mary was busy and content.

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She knew that her family was well taken care of, especially the children.

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Nellie Spencer was wonderful with the youngsters.

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[Music]

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And such peace of mind helped to speed the progress of her recovery.

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It was comforting to know the farm was doing nicely, that things were good at home.

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As Mary grew stronger and healthier, she began to sit up and prepare for the day
when the baby was due.

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Jim Walsh, too, was counting the weeks and then the days.

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[Music]

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[Phone ringing]

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[Music]

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Congratulations. It's a boy.

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Mother doing fine.

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It was a healthy baby boy, and he was at home now with the rest of the children, growing fast, too.

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Mary knew she was getting better.

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She'd soon be allowed on her feet,

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and then she'd be able to walk around.

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That was almost like being home.

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Already they were making plans for her return.

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Mrs. Benson, the home demonstration agent,

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came in to show Jim how to make it simple and easy for Mary to do the housework when she came back.

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She should not be allowed to overwork.

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It was important to keep her from reaching, bending, or stretching too much.

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[Music]

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Yes, everything was being done so that Mary's work would be easier.

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Everyone was learning to do his share.

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They're all getting ready to do their own special jobs.

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[Music]

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On his regular visits, Jim saw Mary's steady progress, and told her how the baby was growing.

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This was no ordinary farewell.

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Mary was on her feet again.

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The day wasn't far off now when they would all be walking together.

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Then one day Linda Thorpe was able to tell Nellie the good news.

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Very soon now, Mary would be coming home.

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The final touches for the homecoming were made.

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[Music]

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Mother was home again.

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[Music]

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And now the public health nurse moves on

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to help the many others who need her care and attention.

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She is a symbol of the community's continuing effort to keep its people well.

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But she knows that these are more than just her neighbors.

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These are her friends. This is her community, and these are her people.

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[Music]

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[The End]

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[National Tuberculosis Association, Copyright MCMLI]