The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-02-20

One dismally fOggy and rainy afternoon i
November last, when the streets, clothed in
Viscid garment OF thick and slippery mud, wer
passsble only at snail's pace, because ever,
step forward sent you half step back again
when no one whom tate, or equally inexorabl
business, did not drive forth, Ventured TO brayt
the misty atmosphere fraught with catarrh ant
lntlueuza-l heard the sound Of fiddle outside
my window. The Stran was melancholy at
tempt at a Scotch reel; and the ineOngruIty o.
the spectacle it cODjured up to my Imagination
compared with the actual scene before my eyei
had just awaked me to the perception Of tht
comic, when the music suddenly ceased in the
middle Of the second staVe, and heard th,
sound OF fall and faint ejaculation, hall
sign, half groan, which Immediately followed
brought me 10 the door to see what was the mat
ter.
1t was already getting dark, independently
Of the fOg, and | could but dimly discern q
dusky mass lying by the garden gate, but
could hear the plaintiye means that proceeded
from it, aud sOOn with the help OF Betty whom
had summoned to nay assistance, got the
wretched bundle Of humanity into chair, in
front Of the glowing kitchen fire A few
spoOnfuls Of diluted brandy soon brought life
and animation into a weather beaten face, and
produced from liVid lips the eager, almos. say.
age request
For Gods sake give me bit of vittlesl"
"When did you eat lasts"
9 Not since yesterday morning. had a bit
Of bread yesterday morning" ....
It0hl'y enid Rpttv Sain : hat hnr,;I oud b.
is blind man-as blind as a stOnel'
Giving the necessary directions, / left Betty
to manage her blind patient in her own way,
aud In about an hour afterwards went down TO
see what Improvements she had effected.
The poor fellow, having satisfied the de-
dAands OF nature, and supplied his own wants,
had Immediately began tOatteud to those Of his
lnseparable companIOn-his cracked, patched,
dilspidated findle. found him airing it ten.
derby before the fire. then, having borrowed q
cloth from Betty, he employed himself in clean.
1 ing the crazy instrument from the moist breath
Of the fog, aud from the contaminaLions it had
picked up through his fail. This accomplish.
ed, he began feeling il all over as cautiously q
surgeon does the body Of a patient, in search
Of fracture. Fortunately there was no serioui
mischief done, and the poor fellow laughed
cheerfully when he discovered that the only
friend he had in the world mad escaped unhurE
"Well, my man" said |, chow do you gel
oni Not hungry now, hope"
"Bess ZEE, sur mol Pm Fighter nor trivei
now, sir. hadn't had sich feed can't tell
ee when, sir. I'm very much Obleeged to you,
sir, surely. | war altogether done up, and that's
fact"
"Well, then, perhaps you have no objection
to return the favor we have done you by telling
me how you came to be blind fiddler, what
you get by it, and how you manage to live, aud
all about it2'
Not bit Of objection in the world, sir, if
you likes to hear it. There amt much fun in
what got to tell though, cos hain't had much
luck in nay time; but il you wish to hear it, II
course you shall, and L begin at the beginning.
I'm quite agreeable, sir.
81 amt bat a younglsh man, sir, though they
do tell me that looks a reg lar old file, What
mightyou suppose my age sir9
"From forty -eight to fifty"
"There It's agin. Every body says | m fifty,
when I'm not forty yet. was bora in 1911,
SIR in Swan Alley, not far from the Artillery
Ground. My father was a shoemaker--perhaps
ought to say a cobb or, for he didn't make
many shoes, and good reason why: he was al
ways mendin' on EN-. When was very lit.
lie 'un recki lect psrtik lar they was makin'
the Regent Canal, as runs under the City Road,
aud used to get out ators was big enough to
wear trowsers, aud make mud pies out Of the
clay as was turned up. That was the best fun
ever knowed, that was but didn't I get the
strap when my father catched me at i'll An,
knOws what strap sauce is we'll JenOughl He
wanted to iaach ne-cos | was the biggest boy
to make wax-ends, and | wanted to make
mud pies; and manys the likin' l got along o
that there canal a-diggin'. never pass the
bridge now without thinkin' on it. Then, you
know, could see--had as good use Of my eyes
as anybody. liza, we'll, faint no use Srievin
"Mother died, and left four Of us, when |
was about five years old, and then we got more
strap and less vittels / can tell you. Father
got savage, aud took to drinkin, and we never
dared to have bit O lark, 'cept when he was ont
O. DOORS One night when he was gone TO the
public house, we was all a. playin' and larkin
in the room, and my father oHt O. fun, pushed
me right over the kit into the fire. fell with
my fare slap in the middle Of the hot coals, and
was so frightened that couldn't make no at
Nulhpb w hOt oubg Goo NY Apke was up III kLG ali
against the kit. Ny two brothers and sisters
sung out good 'uu, and a woman as lived up.
stairs, came down and picked me ont. was
took off to the hospital, where laid for seven
months and amost died with brain fever
Then was sent home again, stone blind, and
father gave me a hidin' for tumblin' into the
fire, as if hadn't had punishment enough. But
didn't care much for that. ! had friends in
the court among the women and the gala, and
got a deal more vittels and kindness than did
afore.
When was old enough | was sent to the
Blind Asylum, where learned to make baskets
and mats. 1 can make clothes baskets and
hampers, aud that sort Of work, well enough;
but the trade il 20 much cut up by the shops
that it amt worth doin' If makes basket
for awasheFwoman for three shillins it costs me
half crown for the Willows. It amt much
better with the mats--ths rope costs almost the
money they fetch left the Asylum when /
was sixteen, and lived nlsng With another blind
man, as made hampers for the wine merchants.
He had pretty good trade. and might have
done we'll along with him il ] could ha' carried
home the gOOdS; but it amt no 60 for blind