The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-01-27
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for the firesitle o5l,air.
The Broken-Hearted Blind Girl.

And she was blind that beautiful Girl.
could not have thought it. 1 studied that
pure lace, the eyes that-as is often the case
/ with those who are born without sight-arge,
bright and liquid, seemed endowed with rarer
pewers CT perception than is usual-the pol
ished brow, over which auburn tresses were
folded-the oval face, so spiritual in its out
lines and its coloring-the sensitive lips, scar
let as berries-and could not believegfor the
moment that slAe she did not see me watching
her so attentively. She must reprove me, I
thought, by a LOOKOUT no. The eyes took
the direction of tie many voices about her,
wandering now here, now there, but had new
er rested on me. I had not spoken"
The speaker paused. He was a man of
middle age and plainly dressed man of
elegant tastes Keen, quick, and observant of
men and matters. One gentleman who was
with me had been bantering him about his
single state, and had thoughtlessly wounded
him.
| It tissnot safe to- jest upon such matters
The lip may not tremble, nor the eve grow
less steady, nor the color hutter back from
the cheeks, but sometimes our words press
upon buried thorn, and heart is probed and
bleeds anew. The story might have been
told for our instruc- ion. I give it in his own
words:
Twas asyoans man, then fresh from the
country. had become clerk in one of the
first firms in the city, and. consequently felt
myself ablo to live in what seemed to me
good styleA MY friend Frank sAppleby. who
had been my com mpanion at school and my
ehum at college, met me almost upon#th the
moment Of my arrival with the exclamation:
/" I've got capital lodgings little way out of
town-only been there week. but it's a
splendid place, promise you p 9
Solvent with: him, deposited my trunk
in his room, which was handsome and spa
clous, and that night as l returned and sat
downltog supper after an introduction to- the
family. /. first saw Emily Houston. There
Were two daughters. The house was kent
by a'widow who had all her life been. accus-
toned TO the refnements and 5elegahoiesl of
wealth, until the death of her husband five
years before. Since that time she had sup-l
ported herself BY taking in gentlemen board
ers. .93 .Ga8.
Emily was the youngest daughter, the
blind one, whom I have above described
Charlotte, the elder, was far. less lovely.
rthoughsomes would have called her beauty
more striking. I did not. As I said before,
my glances towards Emily were SO frequent
as tocall forth some remarks from Frank APP
pleby. ss.st,s5.s a. ss.s.s. sssess.s ayr
sIsnerer saw so sweet creatufe,ss / said,
with fervorsssss ,.7sasas ss9tha zsiss sseais
: She is a dear little thing, was his care
less reply, aand between you and me,'' he
added more earnestly, {" think she likes me
little too well.'' % sss 7''ey tez' a77s1 80
) never shall forget how 1 felt. as he said
this. "A flush of mingled resentment and
contempt flew 10 my cheeks. 1t seemed sac
rilege to speak so lightly of SO beautiful
creatures Besides, i found that she'had fnasleS
a deep impression on my own Imagination,
and remembered how her eyes had turned
more quickly at the sound of Franks voice
than at any other; that, even when be passed
her.shs seemeat TO know 1, t,Ioilo6k mora 8 sass
gerly, to listenanore intentiys Every day I
became more enamored of this lovely girl,
and it panied me mex xpressibly to see Frank,
as Z thought. tri7c with her He paid real
court to the more regal Charlotte, but his /. !.
vanity could not withstand tiiemute homage
Of her ulster. i offsn watched sheua ts,rstls4s