Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-01-10
The Blind Girl of Dion.

Many years ago, when a student Of the Uni-
yersity Of Geneva, | was accustomed to spend
the long summer vacations travelling from vii
lage to village ia my native France, preaching
iu the open squares the kiDgdom Of God, and
distributing the Bible to such as would accept
it from me.
On such an excursion, in the summer Of
1871 entered little vine hung cabin in
the cnvirons Of Dion. In its low wide kitchen
saw middlc-aged woman ironing, boy
yet too young for labor, and girl of some
seventeen or eighteen, Of sweet, serious as
poet. plating straw. She did not raise her
eyes as | entered aud on a nearer approach |
perceived that she was blind. Poor sightless
Marie how she was affected when | told her
Of Him who opened the eyes Of the blind, aud
read to her how blind Blrtimpus sat by the
waysde begging, when he cried unto Jesus Of
Nazareth passing BY and received his sight.
Then an irrepressibe longing, such as she
had never known belore--a longing for Gods
blessed gift Of yision-seized upon the poor
blind girl not that she sighed to see the blue
heavens, or the golden light, or to look upon
her mothers sweet smile, or gaze 10 her young
brothers laughing eyes; no, not these, but
She longed to read the blessed word Of } Jesus.
There lived at Dion a man Of God who
had gathered around him few blind, whom
he had taught to read and work. sought
him out, told him Of Marie, interested him in
her and soon made arrangements that she
should come every morning and receive an
hours instruction ! also procured for her
Bible with raised letters for the blind.
You should have seen her delight as she start
ed of next morning a warm, bright August
morning, one baud locked in her little broth.
ers, and the other fondly grasping the pre-
cious Bible, to take her first lesson. Alas,
poor Marie it requires a delicate touch to
distinguish the slightly raised surface and
nice outline Of letters, and her fingers were
hard and calous with the coustaut plating
OF straw. Again and again was the effort
made, but to no purpose.
One day, as she sat alone, sorrowfully chip
ping with her little knife the rough edge Of
the straw, happy thought occurred to her.
Could She not cut away the thick hard skin
from her fingers, and then it would grow
anew, smooth aud soft, like the rosy fingers
Of child And so she pared the hard skin
from her fingers needing not the pain. When
the reading lesson was tried again, waEm
drops trickled from the bleeding fingers along
toe sacred lines 1t would not do After
the first bitterness Of her disappointment,
Marie strove hard to be cheerful. "God had
opened the eyes Of her soul, she said, land
ought she not to praise him
Aud then the new Bible ah, surely she
must carry that back some happier blind
girl might be able to pluck the fruit from this
tree Of life, and Gnd healing in its blessed
leaves And holding the dear volume near
to her beating heart, She knelt by her white
cot to pray Dear aud blessed Jesus, who
lowest the poor, and openest the eyes Of the
pnud, uauk rneo that Thou hast not hid.
den Thyself from poor blind girl. And
since | cannot read Thy heavenly words, !
pray that Thou wilt wh;sps- them into my
soul, that my spirit may not be dark like my
poor eyes. | can see Thee with my heart.
dear Jesus, and Thou knowest that | love
Thee aud love Thy Book !" aud she touched
the open Bible with her lips. Oh, JOY To
the soft lips the slight indentatious of the
raised surface are clearly perceptible. With
a low cry Of JOY she passes line after line
acres. her eager lips. She turns the leaf ;
the lips lose not their power. 1t is all clear,
all easy now the lips can do what the toll.
hardened fingers could not she can now learn
to read Gods holy word
\ twclvemon,h after, visited Dion. The
old kitchen bore its cid look, but what a
bcaming happy face was Marios, as she sat
in her rude chair her basket Of straw at her
feet, reading her beloved Bible. Oh, it wa,
full Of light to her Nest il pas doux dc
baiser ainsi les douces paroles pendant que j,
lis ~" Is it not blessed to kiss the sweet
words as | read 2"