Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-07-29

gether but there must be no talk Of marry
ing"
THAT is what she says"
She is right-she must just stay with me-
I You could not do with a blind wife, Harry
you, young man, with your way to make in
the world"
He tore up a handful of grass and flung it
upon the river, saying passionately, "Why
of all the girls in Dalston must this afFliction
fall upon poor Lettie ?" and then he got up
and walked away to meet her coming along
the bank. They had a good deal Of talk to-
gether, which did not listen to; for their
young hearts were speaking to each other
telling their secrets. Lettie loved him; yes,
certainly she loved him.
DR.. Philipson's opinion was the same as
that Of DR.. Nash. Lettie was not so down
stricken as | had dreaded she would be, and
she bade goodbye to Harry Croas almost
cheerfully when he went up to town.
There, Jane, now hope he'll forget me-"
she said to me l don't ike to see him so
dull"
That day Mrs Davis sent her a ticket for
concert at the Blind Institution, and she
went. When she came home to tea she told
me that the girls and boys who sang looked
[ quite happy and contented. And why
should | not be so, too3 what number Of
beautiful sights | can remember, which some
Of them never saw :" She added with a sigh
After this, impercepdbly, her sight went ;
until | noticed that even in crossing thefoor,
she felt her way before her with her hands
out. DR.. Nash again offered to use his infu-
ence to get her admitted into the Institution,
but she always pleaded, "let me stay with
/ you, Janey!" and | had not the heart to re-
[ fuse though she would have more advantages
! there than | could afford her.
Not far from us there lived an old German
clockmaker, who was besides musical, and
acted as organist at the Roman Catholic chap
el in the town. We had known him all our
lives. Lettie often carried him posey from
our garden, and his grandchildren came to
me for patches to dress their dolls Muller
was grim, fantastic looking figure, but he
had a heart of pure gold. He was benevo-
lent. simple, kindly; it was his talk that had
reconciled Lettie, more than anything else, to
her condition. He was so poor, yet so sats-
fed so afflicted yet unrepining
Learn music--I will teach thee" he said
to my sister, So, sometimes in our little par
lor, and sometimes in his, he gave her lessons
in fine sacred pieces from Handel and Haydn,
and taught her to singa they sing in churches
which was grander than our simple Methodist
hymns. 1t was great delight to listen to
her. 1t seemed as if she felt everything
deeper in her heart, and expressed it better
than before and it was all her consolation
to draw the sweet sounds up out of that well
of feeling which love had sounded know
that to remember how Harry loved her gave
a tenderness and patience which it would else
have lacked. She, who used to be SO quick
with her tongue, never gave anybody a sharp
word now.
do not say much about our being poor
though, of course, that could not but be ;
still we had friends who were kind to us ;
even Mrs. Davis softcned and mentioned to
me under seal of confidence, that, if | could
not quite make up the rent, she would not
press me ; but | fortunately had not to claim
her forbearance, or else | do fear she could
not have borne 20 lose a sixpcnce; and when
IT had come to the point we should have had
to 20 like others; she was so very fond OF
money, poor woman Lettie used to 90 to
the Institution, sometimes where she learnt
to knit, and net, and weave basket work
Our rector Ia better man never lived, or n
kinder to the poor,) had her to net covers for
his fruit trees, fishing nets, and other things ;
and to knit woolen socks for himself and his
boys; so that altogether she contrived to make
what almost kept her. Now that the calam-
! ity had really come, it was not half so dread
full as it had seemed long way off, Lettie
was mostly cheerful | never heardher COM
plain, but she used to say often, that there
was much to be thankful for with us. She
had quiet religious feeling, which kept her
from melancholy; and, although | did not
find it out until afterwards, hope that per-
haps some day her affliction might be remov-
ed. Harry had put that thought into her
mind, and do not think that am oyerstat-
ing the truth in saying that his honest manly
affection for her was the great motive to his
working so hard at his profession, in which
he has since become deservedy successful and
famous.
We had six very quiet years, Ii seemed
to me as If Lettie had always, from the first,
gone softly cropping her way, and had al
ways led her to chapel and back. Harry
studied in London, and then we heard of him
in Edinburgh and at last his mother said he
had gone to Paris; and she was afraid he
would settle there and marry a Papist wife
Lettie looked sorrowful and restless for day
or two after that, but presently recovered her
cheerfulness. We had not much change or
variety at home. There was | forever at nv
work. and Lettie forever at her music. She
had great deal of skill now; and many u
time have seen knot Of people standing
at the corner of our garden hedge to lis
ten to her singing. have heard several
grand public performers since then, but never
one who could touch my heart and bring the
tears into my eyes as my poor blind sister did
On Sundays, at chapel, we could hear her
voice, clear and sweet, above all the rest !;
and, though our tunes were wild and simple,
--sung by her they were beautiful. Some-
times she would 60 to st. Johns Church for
the sake Of the organ and the chanting, but
did not feel it right to change; habit is strong
in slow, untaught people aud it did not seem
as if had kept my Sabbath, unless said
my prayers in the homely little chapel to
which our mother had led US by the hand
when we were children. Lettie loved the
grand church music and who could wonder at
it, poor lassie Once or twice when she
begged me to 60 with her, it had seemed to
fill my heart to pain almost so how much
more must il have excited her, who was all
fire and enthusiasm She said il made her
feel happier and better, and more thankful to
God. Perhaps in losing one sense, her en-
joyment through the others grew more in
tense
".
AT the end of these six years Harry Crofts
came home He was often at our house, and
we liked having him; but though Lettie
seemed happy enough he was uneasy and dis
contented. l have seen him stand beside the
piano, and never take his ewes off her by the