The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-03-23

seeing that I could not keep back my
tears, he put his arms around me, say
ing fOndly, "There-dOn't cry, my
{ darling-rm afraid I am often cross
and stupid nowadays; but you know
what we hope summer will bring US,
and feel as though I ought TO strain
/ every nerve to get the means of max
ing my darling comfortable ia her
. great trial"
"YOur eyes are more to yOu-and
me than any thing else" whisper
ed. "I'd rather 90 TO ST. Luke's than
that your sight should be injured"
'.Nonsense-dOn't talk so, birdie"
Dick said, with little nervous shud-
der. Besides, there is nothing the
matter with my eyes. They smart
and feel queer Of evenings, to be sure,
but that's nothing; a good nights
7 rest makes them all right. Come
I take the Builder and read to me
while-sufficient for the day, you
/ knOw-dOn't borrow trouble, Dame
TrOtn
+ His words only half re-assured me;
but did as he bid me, with a secret
prayer that no harm might come to
my brave darling who loved me so
well.
/ The long winter months slowly
I dragged themselves out. Spring came
soft and balmy, with crOcusses and
violcts in her hand, and midsummer
J bright and golden, smiled over all the
land. On my breast lay q wee white
daisy-Baby Margaret; but I was still
in my lofty chamber, and Dick was
Z blind.
Yes-GOd help us the blow had
fallen. Shall I never forget his awful
I face as he staggered in from his Office
and threw himself sn his knees be-
side my bed, gasping out, Margaret!
oh, my poor darling, my punishment
has come. have been stricken all in
q moment. Ny God if had listen
ed to you last winter What will be-
come of us ?''
Aunt Beekey rose from her seat be-
side me. The old lady had softened
wonderfully since she first heard of
the new hope that had come to us.
She had been our constant visitor and
helper Of late, and she was now my
tender, faithful nurse. "Children,"
she said, "this is a terrible edispensation
terrible. You must feel it almost
unbearable just now; but pray-pray
if YOU can for patience. Give me the
baby, Margaret. You ought to be
alone with your husband, and must
90 for help directly. I may not be
too late"
She took the sleeping child from my
arms, wrapped it-in her little blanket
Il knew afterwards that she left her
in the care Of the janitOr's wife, and
,Ns-,-,-,ay11 F-lv-, f.n fnhar,
my poor stricken darling CROPPED his
way to a place on the bed beside me,
and we just cried in company-GOd
help US!
'YOu Will recover from this first at
tack, Mr.. Dalton" said the calm,
kindly voice of the opthalmic surgeon
after a long and careful eXamina-
ton.
''Thank GodW spoke Dick, bending
his head.
"But it will not do to risk a second.
You must not venture to use your eyes
for a year to come, at least. This is
indispensable" =
"But dOctor-gO0d heavens! Ny
wife-my child How can L leave
work for year have no resource
but my professional income"
"Have you no friends who would
assist you? If you would recover your
sight, you should not only give up
work, but it would even be better for
you to go away altOgether-to Europe
say"
"ImpossibleI"
There was a mOmentary silence.
Then dear old Aunt Beckey, brushing
away the tears that had gathered be-
meath her spectacles, took Dicks two
white shapely hands in her brown
wrinkled ones.
."Richard,u she said, 'I'm an old
woman now, have nothing to live for
but to make you young folks happy.
I've been saving up nest egg all
these years, and it comes to a tidy
little sum now. Will you take it
from your cross, grabbed aunty, and
go on this journey? Margaret and ba-
by will be safe with me till you come
home. Will you, my dear?"
I don't know which did it, but GER
tainly either Richard Rugged my aunt
and gave her a sounding kiss, or DR..
Blount did. I think upon the whole
it was both Of them. naa bIesn bIeSipg gromo-
ted for the first time, could only cry
dear, dear Aunt Beckeyw
A month afterward Dick went. 1t
was a hard struggle, parting from my
bonny darling for that long voyage;
that longer absence in q foreign land
above all, when it was still so painful
for him to do more than glance at OBJ
iects through the strange blue specta-
cles they put over his handsome
brown eyes. Baby Margaret and l
went to my aunt's old-fashiOned
house-unchanged since left it to be
a wife. The dear little rooms in st.
Thomas's Building were closed and
locked, the office let to an architecture
al friend of my husband. How hap
py was when the first letter came
after three months. Only few lines
but enough to show that the cure was
working. How / longed and watch
ed for my darling, when the time
drew near for his return-praying,
fearing lest some accident should be-
fall the demonstrating down to the
office in the most unreasonable way
to know if she had been spoken long
before there was any possibility of
such an event. And when the sum-
mertide was at its height once more,
and Baby Margaret could just toddle
to the door, and utter woOing sound
that my fond, believing ears annOunc-
ed to be ''papa," the good ship Europe
fioated safely into the harbor; and
through the golded sunset to the old
house, as he had come many a time
two years ago came my Richard, re-
stored, thank God, to perfection of
sight aud strength.
We are rich people now. Our house
stands stately among the homes of the
wealthy of the land. Its rooms are
filled with every luxury that sense
could demand or artistic taste require;
but on an upper floor is a little room
that is dearer to us than all besides.
No Garnet covers its floor, the furni-
ture is only cane, with one tiny, green
couch among it; a brass lamp stands
on the green covered table; a bright
chronic hangs over the mantel with
quaint screen of Gothic design be-
meath. And here in the soft twilight Of
| ten comes the master and the mistress
of the mansion. There are sounds of
children's voices below. The glitter
ing lights and festal fiower-crowned
table seem to tell that a brilliant din
ner party is soon to begin. But Rich
ard fingers yet and putting his arms
around the "blue-eyed morsel of wo-
man. beside him, he whispers II
am happy now. God has given me
all I could have asked; but Inever can
be happier than when first brought
home my darling wife-my own pre-
cious little Dame TrOt W
CreditabIe TO Washington.
Our National Capital has so mUny
sins to account for that we toke pleas