The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-05-31
KENOsHA, WISCONSIN, THURSDAY, MAY 81, 1866.

T hedges; the blue. sky overhead, with no,
I and then light cloud slowly sailing across
tue soft wind smelling that delicious, tina
we opened our mouths and drew in grea
J long breaths, as though we should never
tired. There were flowers everywhere
I lilac, laburnum, and may; orchards full q
| pinky apple blossoms; while as to the greer
Of the fields in the golden sunshine, all I! i
! was the sight to men who had been coopeC
. up in close London courts, without knowing
) where the next days bread was to conn
+ from! sas5 t5 @A~A
Out in the open country, with fresh beau
} ties at every turn. Why, we were like 81
many boys, running by the carts, larking
shouting and making regular fools of our
selves, which must Of course have beer
owing to the light, free air. I've heerec
talk of prisoners, and sick men, and thei
delight at being out once more but the,
could not have felt happier than we did
out In the open country, on that bright May
day.
Every now and then, though, something
dull would keep coming over me, and
wasn't sorry when it did; for what business
had to be SO happy and cheerful, knowing
how miserable had left some one at home
But so it was; and the bit O. blackness wore
CIT, and | was as lively as the best of them
i've minutes after; for, mind you, it isn't
money as can give the real gladness OF
heart.
4 Well, we got down to the place, and the
work went on nlerrily. The foreman was
a good feIoW, and made me one or two lit
tie advances, and as there seemed to me to
be work for good three or four months,
began to look out for little place where |
could bring some one down to; and com
Portable lodging soon found, made all my
little arrangements, and sent a letter up
with post office order inside, so that some
one and the two little ones could come down
comfortably next day but one. u eI1
Every one, | dare say, has his own fan.
cies; and don't mind telling you O. mine.
don't know any one thing SO satisfactory
as driving nail home. You make small
hole with your bradshaw; in goes your
nail; and, tapping gently at first, you go
on by degrees, until the head gets nearer
and nearer, and at last is driven right into
the soft deal board
Not much in it says you. Perhaps not
to your way of thinking; but every man to
his trade, and, you may depend upon it, in
every trade there's similar feeling Tye
seen backsmiths laugh as they pegged
away at their iron; the old cobblers grin as
they draw the wax-eud tight; the painters
wag their heads as they laid on the flatten-
ing; and something o the same kind in
most trades, and it's only reasonable that it
should be 80, for fellow would not be
much Of a workman if he didn't love his
craft. cavceH mrs Ea#EIF04I
Well, l was busy driving the nails in a
piece o boarding thinking all the time about
the missus coming down; when makes a
false stroke, hit the nail o one SIDE and it
tiew up and caught me right in the eye
Talk about agony No one knows what
suffered, for in short time the inflammation
spread from one eye TO the other, and was
quite blind, so that had to be led home to
my lodging Perhaps you know what
bit of dust, or lash, or anything O. that
kind is in your eye; you know the pain aud
worrying it gives you; so you can thilk
what suttered-a great, tall stout fellow
as lay turning about, with the sweat drop
ping off me cI a]i# ge 81 51.7-
Doctor came, and did all he could. Next
day came pain seemed easier. Next day
after that came, and letter saying my
wife would not be there for another day, |
and some one had to read it to me. for ev
erything was black as night; and at last, |
worn out with pain and consequences, and |
the horrid fear that was to be blind help
less man, turned over upon my face, and
stopped there till the pillow was quite
wet. aas -8a@a $50
Yes | know it was the act of child; but
felt one then, as thought of the bright
light of Gods sunshine gone from me forev-
er; that should gaze no more upon the |
loving face of my own wife, and that the
merry bright eyes of my little ones would
sparkle for me no more That | should |
henceforth grope about in the dark, seek
ing like that sorcerer in the Testament, for
some one to lead me by the hand That II, I
the great man OF bone and muscle, should
be in a moment stricken down helpless, to
be henceforth burden TO my poor wife, and
we poor people. s.as @iasssf4
1t was the act of child, know for,
with an exceeding bitter cry, lay there
and sobbed bitterly, while every tear
smarted and burned like molten lead run
ming over my eyelids.T u yes, it, was the
act of child, and | knew was now as
helpless as the weakest. How lay and
thought of poor blind Samson, and ptied
him! Howl called to mnd those with sight
less eyeballs whom had often passed by UNI
caringly; and how thought and thought
what | could do for my bread in the long,
long night that now seemed my future.
In the dark in the dark = / kept on
groaning to myself as lay and then |
thought of the past time, and of how great
a blessing had thoughtlessIy enjoyed; aud
then the thought came to me of other bless
ings which never seemed blessings before,
for being mostings short o money, | al
ways thought myself hard used, aud growl-
ed more than need have done And at
last of all thinking and suffering, my head
seemed to get hot, aud / turned delirious, =
lhalf9mad, you know and went on terribly,
| suppose, till Two days after, when | seem
ed to wake upin the dark, and lay still
thinking and wondering where was, till
| heard noise as of some one moaning, and
| calls out Who's there?' | knew who it
was directly, for just heard the one word
Tom sobbed out, aud then there was an
arm nnderniy head, and tears falling upon
my poor sightless face, and such tender,
/ hopeful words whispering to me, as made
my heart swell and beat; and felt that.
come what might, come sickness, come
sorrow, blind, or able to see-I had some
QUE to lean on, and to lead me by the hand
We were VERY quiet then, and lay on
my side trying. to look through the black
darkness at that dear old face that ! could
feel close by me. as some one kneeled down
! by The bedside; but no, | could not see it
with my eyes, though coud with my
heart And then she stopped sobbing, and
talked Of hoping for the best, and of how
/ the eyes of the blind had been opened and
that perhaps my affection might, by His
help, yet be removed. And SO we talked
and talked, and she said that we would
sorrow no more about IT. and then how
much she could get by needlework, and all
on SO hopefully, that | seemed to brighten
up; but only few moments, for knew
what dead, hopeless, burdenI should tie.