The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-11-30

and quiet manners, who addressed him
by name, invited him to sit down, and
then inquired into his symptoms with
such tact and sympathy that he felt as il
he were talking with friend. At last
the doctor asked him to take seat by
the window and have his eyes examined.
His heart beat chokingly, and he whis.
pered under his breath
"Thy will, oh, God, be done; only
give me strength"
DIR. Gordon was silent for q moment
or two--it seemed ages to Mr.. Spencer.
Then be said, with the tenderest and
saddest voice, as if he felt to the utter
most the pain he was inficting:
"I cannot give you any hope. The
malady is ipourable. You will not lose
your sight entirely. just yet but it
must come.
The minister tried to ask how long il
would be before he should be blind
but his tongue seemed to cleave to the
roof OF his mouth, and he could only
gasp.
DR.. Gordon understood and answer
ed very kindly that it might be a month,
possibly two.
He stood up, then, to go. He knew
all hope was over. He paid his fee and
went out of the room, and out of the
house. 1t seemed to him things bad
grown darker since he went in. He
hardly knew how be found his way to
| the cars. 1t was two hours past his
| dinner time, and he was faint for lack
of food, but he did not know it. He
got to the station somehow, and waited
for the train to- start for Montclair.
All the way home he kept whispering to
himself : "One month, possibly two "
as If it were lesson on the getting
by heart Of which his life depended
He heard the conductor call out Mont
clair, at last, and got out of the cars
mechanically. His wife stood there
waiting for him. She had been anxious
about him all day.
"Oh, William !" shc cried, and then
she saw his face and stopped. There
was look on it ef one over whom some
awful doom is pending white fixed
look that chilled Sb e took his arm and
they Wake d on silently, through the
summer afternoon. When they reached
home, and she had taken off her bonnet,
he spoke at last
Mary, come here and let me look at
you. L want to learn your face by
heart"
She came and knelt by him, while lie
took her checks between his hands and
>tudied every lineament.
IS Are you going away2" she asked,
after awhile, for his fixed, silent, mys
terious gaza begun to torture her.
"Yos, Gear. L am going ; going into
the dark "
"To die?" she gasped.
Yes, to die to owe rything that makes
up mans life in this world" he an-
swered, bitterly.
"Mary, 1 am going blind. Thirk
what that means. After few more
weeks shall never see you again, or our
children, or this dear beautiful world
where we have lived AID loved each
other. The whole creation is ONLY an
empty sound forevermore! Oh, God
how can bear itf"
els there no hope9" she asked, with
a curious calmness, at which she herself
was amazed.
None. 1t was my errand to town
to-day to find out. have felt it coming
on for months, but 1 hoped against
hope, and now I know. Oh, Mary, to
sit in the darkness until my death day,
striving for sight OF your dear face
1t is too bitter; and yet what am say.
ings Shall my Father not choose His
own way to bring r:e to the light Of
heavena 1 must say, l will say, His
will be done"
Just then thu children came running
in; boyish, romping Will; shy, yet mer-
~ little May.
&C u,eb 5o,r, - ~, ,~,,4lo.:, -,
~; "papa's tired. You had better run
out again."
"No, Mary. let them stay" inter.
posed he; and then he said SO low that |
bis "ife's ears just caught the whisper:
81 cannot see them too much in this
little WHILE
"Oh. how the days went on after
that! Every day the world looked dim
mer to the minister's darkened eyes.
He spent almost all of his time trying
to fix the things he so loved in his
1t was pitiful to see him going round
over each we'll known, we'll loved scene,
noting anxiously Just how those tree
coughs stood out against the sky, or how
hat hill climbed toward the sunset. He
'tudied every little flower, every fern
he childre gathered; for all creation
seemed to take for him a new beauty
md worth. Most of all he studied their
lear home faces. His wife grew used
O the dim, wistful eyes following her go
but the children wondered
Why papa liked so we'll to keep them in
light; why he did not read or study any
nOre.
There came time at last, one Sunday
noining, when the brilliant summer
unshine dawned for him in vain.
SIS it bright day. deara" he asked,
caring his wife moving about the
DOM.
"Very bright, William"
Open the blinds, please, and let the
unshine in at the east windows"
Mary Spencer's heart stood still with
n her; but she commanded her voice
nd answered steadily
They are open, William. The whole
DOM is full of light"
Mary, l cannot see; the times
ONE; l am alone in the darkness"
Not alone, my love-" she cried, in
assion of grief and pity and tender
ess. Then she went and sat down be.
ide him on the bed, and drew his head
, her bosom, and comforted him Just
S she was wont to comfort her children.
.fter time her tender caresses, her
oothing tones, seemed to have healed ,
is bruised, tortured heart. He lifted
p his head and kissed her. his first
'om out the darkness in which he mnst
bide, and then sent her away. 1 think
yery sOul standing face IN faca With ON |