The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1854-05-10
THE BLIND MANS WREATH
FROM DICKENS HOUSEHOLD WORKS.

"My boy, my poor blind boy"
This sorrowful exclamation broke from
the lips of Mrs. Owen, as she laid upon a
couch to which long wasting illness had
confined her, and whence she well knew she
was never more to rise.
Her son, the only child Of widowed
hearth, the sole object of her cares and af-
fections, knelt besided her, his face bowed
upon her pillow, for now only, in moment
of solemn communication with his mother,
had she revealed the fetal truth, and told
him she must soon die! He had watched
and hoped, and trembled for many weary
months, but never yet had admitted to him
self the possibility of losing her; her fading
cheek and sunken eye could not reveal to
him the progress of decay, and so long as
the loved voice maintained its music to his
ear and cheered him with promise Of i'm
provement; so long as her hand clasped his,
he had hoped she would recover.
He had been blind since he was three
years old; ctricken by lightning, be had to-
tally lost his sight. A dim remembrance Of
his widowed mothers face, her smoothly
braided hair, and white flowing dress, was
one of the few recollections entwIned with
the period before all became dark to him.
The boy grew up, tall, slender, delicate.
with dark pensive eyes which bore no trace
OF the calamity that had destroyed the pow
ers of vision, grave, though not sad; dreamy,
enthusiastic, and requtting mothers care
with the deepest veneratlon and tenderness.
In the FIRST years of his childhood, and also
whenever his education did not take him to
London and elsewhere, they had resided near
town on the ssa- coast in one OF the prett-
est parts of England.
independently of the natural kindness
which very rarely fails to be shown towards
any person who is blind, there was that a.
bout both the widow and her son which in.
variably rendered them acceptable guests;
for their Intellectual resources, and powers
of conversation, were equally diversified
and uncommon. Mrs. Owen had studied
much in order to teach her son, and thus, by
improving her natural abilities, had become
a person Of no common stamp, her lntellec,
tuallity, however, being always subservlent
to, and fitly shadowed by the superior femi
nine attributes of love, gentleness, and sym
pathy; for Heaven help the woman in whom
these gifts are not predominant over any
mental endOvments VIII hatsoever.
When they walked together his mother
took his arm; he was proud of that, he likeC
to fancy he was support to her, and many
plying eyes used latterly to follow the tiig
ure of the widow.in the black dress she con
stantly wore, and the tall pals son on whom
she leaned cen6dingly, as if striving with {
sweet deception to convince him that he wa
indeed the staff of hel declining strength
But gradually the mothers form grew bent
her step dragged YEARLY along, and the ex
preston of her face indicated increasing
weakness. The walks were at an end; ant
before long she was too feeble to leave he
bed, excepting to be carried to summe
parlor, where she lay upon sofa beside
window, with flowers twining around tn
easement, and the warm sunshine filling al
things with joy, save her foreboding hear
and the ANXIOUS son who necessarily hun!
over her. Friends often came to visit them
and turned away with deep sadness a
they noted the progress of malady, an
heard the blind man ask each time whethe
/ they did not think her better--ho surle
little better than when they had last behel
her? ~ .ler
Among all these, no friend was so we
come or brought such solace to the sic
room as Mary Parker, ajoyous girl Of nine
teen one of the beauties Of the country, an
, the admiration and delight Of all who knew
: her, Mrs. Owen had danced Mary upn
her knee, and Edward used to weave bas
kets and make garlands for her when h
was boy Of twelve, and she,. little fair
of six years old or there abouts stood besid
him, praising his skill, and wondering hov
he could manage SO cleverly though blint
None Of his childish companions ever le
him 80 carefully as mary, or seemed s
. much impressed with his mental superiority
she would leave those games Of her play
mates in which his blindness prevented hir