The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-30

OF perpetual 0arKness. On the Otner
hand, if the blind man stands in the po-
silion of mere consumer, either he does
not read at all, and so, as in the case of
art, is on the whole profited-the proper
ton of poor books to good ones being,
say, as one to a hundred-or else he en-
Joys through the medium of a reader the
cream of current literature, for you un-
fortunate folks with eyes have to dive
into oceans of slush and find and call at
tenhon to the few pearls it contains for
his benefit"
81 must admit that you SO arrange
your facts that
"Pardon me, 1 do not arrange them /;
they present themselves. Only the blind
have the privilege of not being compelled
to witness that which is sorrowful, re-
voting, hateful in the world. They arc
exempt from irritating necessity of con-
templating the arrogance of the great,
the meanness of the petty, the guile of
tile hypocrite. / assure you, sir, that if
such a thing were possible as a COM
munity of blind people, matters would
run more easily and nationally than they
do in communities whose members labor
under the infrmaties of vision. In such
an ideol realm, people would live for the
realities of life, not for its shows"
"You mean that
81 mean this; instead of fashions where
the human mind is racked to bring about
the union OF idiocy and inconvenience,
every individual would array himself
and comport himself rs seemed most con-
venient and natural to him to do. In
stead of living dolls and milliners' show
figures we should have girls and women
who would consecrate to home and the
household the long hours wasted at the
mirror and upon the promenade. Fare
well, then, long farewell, to rouge, pad
ding, false hair, pearl powder! No more
young fops, no more superannuated
beausl No more gliding and fresco,
but all for comfort and use. In one
word-for | must not run forever on this
theme, attractive though it is--there
would be no talsehOod-only truth.
vi.
"You have, indeed" said /, "painted
the subject with masters hand, but
stilr'-
"But still you do not care to enter just
vet upon state of cecity. Pardon me,
for l. have not the pleasure of an init
mate acquaintance with you, but are you
quite certain, sir, that you are moi
blind? :,
"Certain that l am not blind? l should
think | was!"
"EIappy man! l fancied every one ir
the world was blind--this one to Other
peoples defects, that one to his own. IL
not wonder youth blind, who lets the
mistress he loves madly but who doe'
not care for him, squander his fortune
and sully his name? Is not that hus
band blind who-but / have already
touched upon this subject. Is not yol
vain man blind who takes the compli
mcnts paid him in society at a hundred
cents in the dollar? Blind that fool who
rushes into Wall street to barter the for
tune he has for that he will never make
Blind that big-hearted good fellow
whom his pseudo friends pillage anc
rdicule? There is blindness right of u
and blindness left of us and arraying in
trinity against infrmity do you know
that | prefer my variety of blinduess? /
is for this reason, sir, that said at the be
ginning of the conversation which | hav
uniustihnbIy monopoIzed that you hac
not offended or hurt me. And now pra.
excuse me for leaving you; twelve ha
lust struck aud my servant is in waiting
to take me home. This is my card. |
at any time you desire to renew the ar
gument shall be glad to see you-tha
| is, to hear you. Good evening"
And the paradoxical talker left me
feeling his way with his cane.
thought the subject overfor ten min
utes or so; | did not there and then pu
out my eyes, but admitted nevertheless
that there was good deal in what h
had said and that he was philosophe
in the fullest sense of the word.
VII.
A few days afterwards / called at m,
blind friends house, a remarkably fin
mansion up near Central Park.
. "He is not at home, sir," said the sery
| ant who took my card, cor rather he ca
, see no one for few days. DR.. AgneN
+ performed successful operation on hir
, for cataract yesterday--one my maste
has long and hopefully looked forward t
and absolute rest is ordered my maste
n for the present" ....
TUFTS PILLS.
|