Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-08-20
The Blind Girl.
BrRLRGToN, N. J.

AhS Dhhu UNI
Many years ago, said the Rev Monsieur V.
when student in the University OF Geneva, 1 was
accustomed to spend the long summer vacations
travelling from village to village in my native
! France, preaching in the open squares the king
dom Of God, distributing His holy Word to those
who would accept it, aud teaching from house to
house the blessed gospel of Jesus, my master. On
such an excursion in the summer of l83-, l enter
ed little vine hung cabin in the environs of Di-
| jon. In its low, wide kitchen, l saw q middle
aged woman, busily ironing boy yet too young
for labor and girl of some seventeen eighteen
years. of a sweet, serious aspect, plating straw
She did not raise her eyes as l entered and, on
near approach, perceived that she was blind.
Saying that | was one sent TO bring glad tidngs
of good things, began 10 tell them the story Of
Christ, his love- his suffering. his death They
listened attentively, and tears rolled slowly from
the sightles eys of the young girl. 1t was indeed
| tidings, and wonderful unto them for, like
others of the simple peasantry of France, they
| were accustomed to sing sweet hymns and murmur
devout prisons to blessed Mary, mother mild,"
| while Christ and his salvation were hidden from
their hearts The next day, and the next, visit
ed the widows poor cottage, and Jesus, the good
shepherd, gave me cause for thankfulness, in
permitting me to guide the mother and daughter
to the fold OF peace.
Poor sightless Marie bow was she affected when
told her of Him who opened the eyes of the
blind, and read to her how blind Bartimeus sat by
the wayside begging, when he cried unto Jesus of
Nazareth passing by, and received sight. Then
an irrepressibe longing. such as she had never
known before, longing for Gods blessed gift of
vision, seized upon the poor blind girl not that
she sighed to behold the blue heaven or the golden
light, or to look upon her mothers smile, or gaze
in her young brothers laughing eyes. No not
these; but she onged to read the blessed words of
Jesus, how he said Come unto me aud 1 will
give you rest"
There dwelt then in Dijon man Of God, who
had gathered around him few blind, whom he
had taught to read and work. 1 sought him out
told him of Marie, interested him in her, arranged
that she should come hour every morning to
learn to read, and procured for her a Bible with
raised letters for the blind.
You should have seen her delighted as she
started of next morning. warm, bright August
morning-one hand locked in her little brothers,
and the other fondly ciasping the precious Bible,
to take her first lesson.
Alas, poor Marie it requires delicate touch
to distinguish the slightly raised surface and nice
outline of the letters, and her fingers were hard
and callous with the constant plating of straw
Again and again was the effort made, bat TO no
purpose. But one day as she sat alone sorrow
fully chipping with her little knife the rough edges
of the straw, happy thought occurred 10 her
Could she not cut away the thick hard skin from
her fingers, and then it would grow anew, smooth
and soft, like the rosy fingers OF child? And so
she whitfield the skin from the poor fingers needing
not the pain--was it not that she might read the
Word of Gods Bnt the straw work could not
cease it bought bread, and the wounded fingers
were slow to heal When the reading lesson was
tried again. warm drops trinked from the bleeding
fingers along the sacred line. 1t was all in vain.
After the first bitterness of her disappointment
Marie strove hard to be cheerful. "GOd had
opened the eyes of her sou" she said and ought
she not to praise him2" And the new Bible All
surely she must carry it back; some happier blind
girl might pluck the fruit from this tree of life
and find healing in its blessed leaves. And hold
iug the dear volume near to her beating heart!
she knelt by her white cot to pray: " Dear and
blessed Jesus who lowest the poor and openest the
eyes of the blind, thank thee that thou hast not
hidden thyself from poor blind girl And since
cannot read thy heavenly words pray that thou
wilt whisper them into my soul, that my spirit may
not be dark like my poor eyes. can see thee with
nv heart dear Jesus, ard thou knowest that love
thee and love thy holy book And she touched
the open Bible with her lips. Oh, joy To the
soft lips the slight indentatOns Of the raised sur
face are clearly perceptible they trace the sharp
outline of the letters with unerring accuracy
With low cry of joy, she passed line after line
across her eager lips she turned the leaf-the lips
loOsed not their power. 1t is all clear and easy
now. The lips could do what the toied-hardened
fingers could not-they could read
A twelve month after, visited Dyon. The low
kitchen wore its old look but what beamIng,
hsnpv face was Maries, she sat IN her rude
chair her basket of straw at her feet reading her
baIovad Bible Blind, it was full OF light. F" est
Il nas beureux" she murmured in her rich musical
fopes-"n'est il pas heuruN de baiser ainsi lts
Jouces paroles pendent que je les lisr IL il not
bIo,sed IN kiss the sweet words as | read
Dear eloquent lips, which the cold clay kisses
NOW told me this tale, and lstenld with starting
tears thinking how the poor blind girl would rise
M in Judgment to condemn the many who (" hav-
ing eyes, see not"
Reader, do you love the blessed words Of Jesus
with love- heart deep, heart warm, as did the
poor blind girl of Burgundy ?-Christian Witness
Il