Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-03-18
hAisrellanu.


The Mystery Of Darkness.
The weirdcst manifestation of the spiritual
influence to which the human body Is subject
ed is to be found in the expression Of blind
persons face If you want to arrive at a
real understanding of the mysterious life
within life which surrounds MS, and which is
upon Us, search studously the lncaments Of
the blind anil you will then know what kind
OF hidden force is the soul that has wrought
so inefiable an expression. The natural air
of blind face is that of repose 1t is right
that this should be for We believe silence to
be with darkness, and peace to be with s-
lence. There are few faces that have light
upon which in their hours of repose may not
be found am expression as of huugriness, wax
ing fainter or more powerful az we search
down the gradations of intellect. Life COM
municates to the eyes of those that can see
light which beams upon you with sense Of
want-an expression Of unrest--a thirsty de-
sire TO solve fresh mysteries. The suggest
iveness of being finds reflected inquistive-
ness in the open eyes of men, Take the
meanest eyes that ever gazed upon the endur-
ing glores of Gods universe, and, keenly
scrutinising them you will read as it were an
intelligence incorporated with their own nor
NAL consciousness, which stamps on the face
a thirstiness not to be- found on the face Of
the blind. This Incorporated Intelligence is
the knowledge Of things inspired by the
worlds show. 1t has Sided into the express
sion Of .heir eyes unknown to themselves
1t lives within the light of the eyes like the
memories with which some glances are preg-
nant 1t is the life of the eye that is two
fold; firstly, the light with which it has been
communicated. This second light is the deep
er mystery By it the expression Of the lin
eament. is stated, and because this light is the
embodied deep inquisitiveness inspired by the
suggestiveness of the surrounding life, 50 the
faces of those VINO are not blind have ever
upon them an expression of desire which
grows with time through which they live
The peace interpenetrating the lineaments
9 of the blind is the fruit of the silence which
is upon their spirits through the darkness
with which they are encompassed. A sense Of
this surprising peace is only communicated
4 to you when you watch the blind in the hour
of their repose The sounds of life, the ac-
: cents of human voices, the murmer of innum-
cradle things will agitate this repose and at
such time its weird beauty is without impress
siveness. There are periods when repose will
descend upon the spirit like a sense of sleep
it is in this slumbrous wakefulness that the
true expressions Of men come out, just as the
images Of things in water will grow visible
as the agitation on the surface subsidies and u
calm settles upon it, Then the manifestation
of the inwronght peace upon the face of the
blind takes place in all its startling mystery
of beauty. The yearning look which the
l blind sometimes wear, when you meet them
, in the streets or watch them listening amidst
=, audiences, is not the true expression of their
P spiritual being, 1t is an expression that i,
5 born from renewal of their ancient
inner activity by the sounds that are about
e them. Their true expression is to be found
I in the brow which seems to shine out of the
: very darkness of the mind that imparts to il
e its wondrous peace; in the lips that are
u parted and motionless because what whispers
! 20 on within are uttered in darkness, and
! need no movement of the lips to render theil
: significance Ineligible, for the blind do moi
c talk to themselves; in the eyebrows whicl
are contracted with no sense of light, no con
d seriousness of scorn, no cagerness of know
. N"s'' u" ',B""t VI "rN"''"'"" ~, "l''"
beauty OF the expression OF the blind face Il
full of the deep poetry OF pathos. 1t II
thronged with meaning OF exquisite lnconsls
: teney. 1t inspires the heart with the awe
u which tue sense OF darkness always inspires
d 1t provokes all wonder, and invites no sym
: pathy.
4 The seeing can have no feelings in common
" with the sightless-with those whose spirit
Il seem living life lnconeevable and unknown
+. to us who bask in the light OF the albright
ening sun, lind Joy, and music and poetry II
u the flushing OF flowers, the volupious swaylnl
= OF summer trees, the hazy glory OF stars an'
C skies. The souls OF the blind live the llie
deep CONSCIOUSNESS, whlch Is sei-lstehlhg
u seli-nspiring self-actlng, owing nothing Il
y outer suggestions instructive or absolute, argu
u ing with the spiritual logic which is conse
ID quenta only to itself, because II ignores al
N principles of positive and relative, of prece
III dent and comparison. They 1--we III the wor
of darkness, where the black skies OF thos
Is who were not born blind are strcaked acros
with the unillunnatlng mystic pale light q
y memory. In this dar kness they converse WIT
81 the echoes OF palpable voices they hear tn
u. vibrations of inoommunicable music; dream
r. of form and substance float before them an
p inspire them with all the thoughts they have
Is The mystery that follows the departure O
light is upon them. They i've aud move an
ot have their being in weird, phantom-world Q
thought that has no relation with the though
g of the lighted life. Their expectancy Is no
p' ours. 1t Is the expectancy that Is horn' no