Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-04-12

trades; and It's only reasonable that it
should be SO, for fellow would not be
much of workman if he didn't love his
craft.
Well, was busy driving the nails in a
piece o. boarding, thinking all the time
about the missus coming down, when
makes false stroke, hit the nail on one
side, and it few up and caught me right IN
the eye.
Talk about agony No one knows what
/ suffered, for in a short time the infamma-
ton 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 O. Dust or LASH or anything O.
that kind is in your eye; you know the
pain and worrying it gives you; so you can
think what | SUFFERED great, tall, stout
fellow-as | lay turning about, with the
sweat dropping off me.
Doctor came, and did all he could Next
day came, and the pain seemed easier.
1 Next lay after that came, and a letter say
ing my vile would not be there for another
day, and some one had 10 read it to me, for
everything was as black as night; and at
last, worn out with pain and lonesomeness,
and the horrid feeling that | was to be a
blind, helpless man, turned over upon my
face, and stopped there till the pillow was
| quite wet.
/ Yes. [ knew it was the act of q child but
I felt one then, as | thought OF the bright
light of Gods sunshine gone from me for
ever; that | should gaze no more upon the
loving face Of my own wife, and thai 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 |,
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.
It was the act Of child, / know for,
with an exceeding bitter cry, | lay there
and sobbed miserably, while every tear
smarted and burned like melted lead run
ming over my eyeballs. 0 yes, it was the
act of child, and | knew that | was now
as helpless as the weakest. How lay and
thought of poor blind Samson, and pitied
him How [ called to mind those with
sightless eyeballs whom I had often passed
by uncaringly; and how l thought and
thought what could do for my bread in
the long, long night that now seemed my
future.
HIn the dark in the dark / kept on
grooming to myself as l lay and then 1
thought of the past time, and Of how great
a blessing l had thong htlessly enjoyed !;
and then the thought came to me Of other
blessings which never seemed blessings be-
fore, for being mostling short O money,
always thought myself hard used, and
growled more than need have done. And
at last of all thinking and suffering, my
head seemed to get hot, and turned delir-
ious,--half mad, you know,-and went on
terribly, I suppose, till two days after,
when | seemed to wake up in the dark, and
lay still, thinking and wondering where l
was, till l heard noise as of some one
moaning, and [ calls out, " Who's there ?"
| knew who it was directly, for just heard
the one word g Tom" sobbed out, and then
there was an arm under my 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
l felt that, come what might-come sick
ness, come sorrow, blind, or able to see
| had some one to lean on, and to lead me
by the hand
We were very quiet then, and I 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 [ could with my
heart. And then she stopped sobbi1g, and
talked of hoping for the best, la of how
the eyes of the blind had been opened, and
that perhaps my affliction 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 ony for few moments, for [
knew what dead, helpless burden should
be. And then she must have seen my face
working, and, poor lass she broke down
herself, when | said she had better have
been left wilder.
At last, in the quiet O that little room,
not sound to be heard but the twittering
o. the BIRDS outside the window, | said, in
better hope, but we got no further than
Thy will be done"
Dick Smith, / never knowed how much
love, and tenderness, and .gentleness there
was in this world until | CROPPED about it
in the dark. I'd been bitter, as many a
disappointed workingman, and rallied at nay
betters; but now, in The midst of my trou-
ID the dark, stumbling about, and not see
ing tAe blessings that were spread Ground
me We never knew want during that dark
month which we spent in that pleasant
country place, where nay wife led ne about
amongst the sweet spring flowers, while
every body had kind and loving word for
me. The governor allowed me half wages,
and somebody did needlework, and they
used TO pay her double and treble, and send
me all sorts O. things, so that we were well
off. Then the doctor came every day, and
told me | wasn't to fret about it, for he
hoped | should get my sight yet
One day | sat trembling in my chair, with
the doctor operating,-not trembling at
the pain, but for fear he might have been
decided; somebody stood there, too, hold
ing my hands, for she had got leave to be
present. All at once there was bright
flash Of light, and then felt my head swim,
and | tainted dead away, for | could not
stand up against the swelling JOY that burst
upon me.
\
AS keen pair Of eyes, as ready pair
of hands, and as willing and hopeful heart
as / hope are to be found in any workshop
in England, Dick Smith and I'm humble
and thankful man for it. But, Lord bless
you, has my fits of i'll temper when things
goes three cornered and then Patty comes
and whispers-God save her-in my ear,
then the sun shines again, and / think of
old times before my accident, and say to
her
"Eyes shut, Patty. I was in the dark ~
OVENS LAKE Over in Tulare county,
between the ridges of the Sierra Nevada,