Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-09-26

your sight entirely just yet but it must
come"
The minister tried TO ask how long ii
would be before he should be blind but
his tongue seemed to clCaVe to the root
of his mouth, and he could only gasp.
DR.. Gordon understood. and answered
kindly, that ii might be a month. posi-
bly, two.
lie stood up then to 20. He knew all
hope was over. He paid his fee and
went out of the roOm-Out of the house.
Ii seemed to him that things had grown
darker since he went in. He hardly
knew how he found his way TO the
cars 1t was TWO hours pact his dinner
time, and he wns faint lor lack of food,
but he did not know it. He got to the
station somehow, and wait Il ill it was
time for the train to start Tor MOntclair
All the way over ne kept whispering
over to himscll--"Onc month, possibly
two as If it was Il lesson on the getting
by heart OF which his lifr depended. lie
heard the conductor call out " MOntciaIr'
at last, and got out OF the cars mechanic
cally. His wife stood here waiting Tor
him. She hau Dccn an NOUS ABOUT hlni
all day.
William - she cried and then
she saw his face, and stopped. Tacrc
was look on ii Of one whom some aw-
full doom is pending white, fixed look
which chilled her. she TOOK his arm,
and they walked on silently through
the summer afternoon. " hen they
reached home, and She had taken OF
her bonnet, he ut lasI spoke:
Mary, come here ana let me look at
you. / want to learn your face bl
heart
She came and knelt 10y him, while he
took her cheeks between his hands, and
studied every linoaincnt.
Are YOU going away?' she asked
after while Tor mis- fixed, silent mys-
FERROUS gaze began 10 torture her.
" Yes, am going-into the daIk.
TO dieU shegaspcd
90 Yes to die to every thing that makes
up mans Life in this world, he ans
wered bitterly. Mary, | am gong
blind. THINK what That means. After
few weeks more | shall never see Yoa
again, or our children, or this dear,
beautiful world where we have lived
and loved each other. The whoic crea
ton only an empty sound forever more.
o God, how can / bear il!
is there no hope ?" she asked with Il
curious calmness, at which she her eli
was amazed.
"None. 1t was my GRAND to town to-
day TO find out. / nave felt it coming
on for months, bur | hoped aga ust
hone, and now knO|. = Mary, TO
sit in the darkness until my death day,
striving for sight OF Your dCar race .
1t is too bitter; and yet what am say
ing? Snail my Fatner not chooSe has
own way to bring me TO the iight OF
heaven? | must say, | cU say, His
viii be done.
Just then the children came running
in-boyish, rompins VIII shy, Yet
nprrx, littlp NloV
Hush. dcars," the mother said, sorl-
Iy, "papa il tired. You bad better run
out again"
40, Mary, let them stay" MI.
Spencer intei posed, and hen he said 50
low that his Wiie's ears Ju caught the
whisper" | cannot see them too much
in thus little whlle-tilis little while"
O how the days went on after that
Every day the world looled DINNER to
the minister's darkcncd eyes. he spent
almost all his time Trying to TX the
things he loved in his memory. 1t W Is
pitiiul 10 see HIM gong round over each
well known, well loved scene, noting
anXously Just how those trec bougho
stood out against the sky, or THAT INA
climbed toward the sunset. lie studied
every little flower, every fern The cIl-
dren gathered; tor ali creation seemed
to take for him Il new beauty and worth.
Most all hc studied the dear home Ia
ccs. His wife grew used 10 his dim,
Wistful ewes following her SO constantly
but the children wondered why papa
liked 80 We'll 10 Keep them III Slg mt WHY
he did not read or study any more.
There came Il time 1t last, one sunday
morning, when tlc brilliant summer
sunshine dawned for him III vain.
ais ii a bright day, dcar?' he asked,
hearing his wiic move about licll room.
Very bri hit, William"
"Open the hnnus, p.elsc, and let the
sun SHINE i'll ut those cast windows.
Mary Spencrr's hear, STOOD sun with
in her, but she commanded her voice,
and answered HIM sIeadily,-
"They are open, William. The whole
room is full Of light.
Mary, | cannot see it The time has
come, am alone III Ii { dalkhcss.'
"Not alone, my love" she cried i'll :.
passion OF griefa and PITY ana tenderness.
Then she went and sat down beside nm
on the bed, and drew his head to her
bosom, and com.oFted him, just as she
was won't to comfort her children. Al
ter a me her tender caresses, her sooth-
ing tones seemed to nave healed Il little
his bruised, tortured heart. lie
lifted up his head ana kissed her-hls
first kiss from out the darkncs III which
he must abide, and then he sent her
away. l think every soul, sanding face
to face with an untllcd calamity, longs
to be Tor a space alone with his God.
Three hours after that he chufcA bells
rang, and, as usual, the minister ana
his wi.e walked out OF their dwelling,
save that now he leaned upon his arm.
In that hour of seclusion, he had made
upn.s mind what 10 DO. lheY walked
up the familiar aisle, and she lefC hum at
the foot OF the pulpit stairs, and went
back to her own pew in hont, lie
groped up the stairs, and then, rising in
his place, hc spoke to the wondering con