The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-05-27
From Household Words.
TIE BLIND MAN'S WREATH.
sly boy. my pcor blind boy :"


couch to which a Ion. and wasting illness had
confined her. and whcn"c she well knew she
was never more to rise.
Her son, the only child of her widowed
hearth. the sole object OF her cares and a,ltc-
ton, knclt beside her. his face bowed upon
her pillow: for now only, in a moment of
solemn communion with his mother. had she
revealed the fatal truth and told him she
must soon die lie had watched, aud hoped
and trcmblcd for many weary months. bat
never vet had he admitted to himself the
possibility of loo>ing her: her fading check
and Sunkcn eve could not reveal to him the
progress OF dccav and 50 LONG as the loved
voice maintained its music to his ear and
chccrcd him witt, promise of Improvement, so
long as her hand still cIaSpcd his, he had hop
ed She would recover
lie had been blind since he was three wears
old stricken by lightning. he had totally lost
his >ight. \ dim remembrance of his wid-
owed mothers flcc.hc smoothly braided hair,
and flowing white dress. was one of the few
recolcrions cntwincd with the period before
all become dark to him.
The boy crew up. tail. slender, delicate,
with dark rcn>ivc eyes which bore no trace
Of the calamity that lad destroyed their pow
crS OF vision: gravc. though not sad: dreamy.
enthusiastic. and rcquiting his mothers care
with the deepest vcncration and tenderness.
In the first wears Of his chillhool and when
ever his education did not take them to Lon
don and elsewhere, they had resided near a
town on The sca-coast. in one the prctticst
parts OF England
Independently of the natural kindness
which very rarely fails to be shown towards
any person who is blind, there was that about
both the widow and her son which invariably
rendered them acceptable guests: for their
intellectual resources and powers Of convcr-
>a'ion. were equally diversified and uncom-
mon. Mrs. Owen had studied much in or
der to teach her son. and thus, bv improving
her natural abilities, had hecomc person OF
no common stamp: her intcllcctualtv. how
ever. rcinr always sul~crvicnt to. and f,ly
Swallowed hv. The superior feminine a,tri-
tute> Of love. Gcntlcnc>>. and sympathy: for
IJc. Int tI,.,y hot,
are not rrrdoElincnt over any mental cndow-
mcnt> Whatsoever
When they walked ont torcthcr his moth
or took his arm he was proud Of that. he
liked 10 fancy he was >omc support to her
and many rittying eyes used la,tcrlv to follow
the tcurc OF; the widow in the black ,lrc>.
she constantly wore. and the tail pale son or
whom She leaned confidincly as if striyin.
with a sweet deception to convince him tha
he was indeed the staff of her dcclnin.
strength. But gradually the mothers fnn
grew bent, her step dragged YEARLY along
and the expression OF her face indicated in
crcaSin9 weakness The walks were at al
end: and before lone she was too feeble T.
leave her bed, excepting to be carried to
summer parlor. whore She lay upon sot;, be
side an open window. with flowers twininr a
round the easement, and the warm sun>hn
filling all things with JOY. save her iorel,ol
= ing heart and the anxious son who incessan,
, ly hun. over her. Friends often came t
:. visit them, and turned away with a deep sad
ness as 'licy noted the progress of her mal5
" dv. and heard the blind man ask each tim
whether they did not think her bcttcr-ol
surely little better than when they last h,
J. held her.
Among all these no fricn! was so wclcon
= or brought such so.ace to the sick room ;
Mary Barker, a Joyous girl of nineteen, on
OF the beauties Of the county, and the adm
, ration and delight Of all who knew her. Mr.
i Owen had danced Mary upon her knee. an
Edward used to weave laSkctS and make ga
lands for her when he was boy Of twcv
and she little fairy afSix years Old or Their
i. ahout>. stood beside him. prai>ing his ski
o and wondering how he could manage
cIcverv though blind. None of his child,
companions ever led him so carefully As NJ
% ry,o: seemed SO much impressed with h
- mental superiority; she would leave tho,
>. James OF her playmatcs in which his bin,
% ness prevented him from joining. and wouI
=, listen Tor hours to the stories with which II
- memory was well stored, or which his ow
=, imagination enabled him to invent
y, rs She grew up there was no change in II
=, frank aud confding nature of their inte
~ course. Mary still made him the rccipie
OF her girlI>h secrets and plans, and dream
v Just as she had done of her little cricfs a,
=, JOYS in childhood asked him to quote !!
:, iavorlte passages oi poetry, or station he
Il self near him at the piano, suggesting su
)ccts for him to play, which he extempo
lsed at her bidding. Bright and blooming
lie liar! was the life Of every party. beami,
" with animation ana enjoyment, no a,terti
was capable Of rendering her unmndful {
him and she wa. known TO sit out scvey