Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-11-24
THE BLIND BOY.
iANSLATED By EMILE NAN

In November. lSo Mr. Nay. for
merly professor of music At Toulouse.
came to settle at Mention with his son
Henry. He rented, at the further end
of the town, the ground floor of a
house whose windows looked into
the street, and at the same time ON
the road leading down the mountain
1t was not the beauty of sight that
had induced that choice. but the
peaceful calmne-s and the pure
and fragrant air which pervadc
that part. Henry Nay was blind.
He was about fifteen. whcn his eye
sight, until then excellent, be
came gradually weaker \ very
strange dinness fell over his eyes.
and soon ne had to give up reading
new music; for Henry. young as he
was. had already made his mark as
a violinist. One morning all WAS
night and darkness around him. and
when, placing himself before the sun
he opened his eyes wide.and felt they
were paralyzed, two large tears rolled
on his checks: nothing more had re
vealed his grief.
Then the father took the child by
the hand and searched the world for
an oculist All the celebrated spec
ialists were consulted, and unani-
mously declared that the boy might
be cured, if willing to submit to il
painful and perilous operation.
Mr. Nay dared not take upon him
self all the responsibility BESIDES.
this hesitation could not compromise
the success of the undertaking. The
precocious child was developing
rapidly, and the father resolved to
let him decide later on.
In the meantime they went from
place to place, travelling almost con
stantly; for Henry, whose smallest
wishes were never denied, was led on
by that feverish activity and want of
change which deluded him to Lope
for ray of light.
Five years had gone by. They
were living at Mention, as everywhere
else, very secluded, and very seldom
out before evening The mornings
were given to reading, the afternoons
to music. the old master accom-
panied on the piano, as we'll as his
stiffened fingers would allow him to
follow, the brilliant inprovisations
of his son. 1t was the boys only Joy
to give way thus. for hours at a time.
to the fanciful strains of imagina
ton. Notes sparkled ike jet of
fire under his capricious bow: then
long, melancholy strains would follow
full of regrets and tears for the lost
treasure.
One cool evening, Henry, leaning
on his father, walked to the scashore
He sat on the sand, and there, mo-
tiOnless, his attention centercd on the
dashing waves, he was trying to per
ceive, distinct from one another, the
innumerable sounds which compose
the monotonous harmony Of the sea.
Another day they walked to the
woods, following the road that passed
their house. After half an hour the
boy stopped.
Father, are you tired?"
''Not in the least" answered the old
man.
You could not deceive me-" re
sumed the blind boy, smiling. Your
cane stumbles at each step. Forum
ately, here we are; l hear the wind
rustling among the leaves"
'Not quite yet We are walking
along the railing of a park. whose
trees project their branches over the
road"
Just then the silence of that calm
night was broken by few harmoni-
Gus chords from piano; then after
a pause, the invisible musician playo d
the ''Song of the STAR in Tam
hauser
Henry stopped. his hand resting on
his fathers arm.
us it where the light shines'' he
asked.
"Yes"
"Let us listen. Do You mind"
"With pleasure"
After the Song of the Star came
almost without interruption a waltz
OF Chopin, played with feverish rapid
lty, as if the artist lacked time to fin
ish it. After the waltz nocturne
with sentimental variations, express
sive of grand despair Then, all at
once, silence and darkness resumed
their sway. The light had vanished
with the last sounds.
"We have heard real artist" said
MIR. Nay, taking his son by the arm.
Henry did not answer, but he
thought, 1T was womalnr
With the sagacity of the blind,
whose other senses are wonderfully
keen and delicate, he had recognized
the woman in the nervousness of the
touch and in the penetrating emo
ton of the sentiment. He had even
OWNED that she was sufferer, from
the erratic choice Of her music. and
the brusque transitions of merriment
to sadness. and the varied shades of
her play.
The next day as he questioned the
old woman who waited on them. he
heard that the villa belonged to MIR.
Nalanconrt. a gentleman from Paris,
who had bought it for his daughter
Madeline, "a poor young lady who
seemed very ILL.,"
On that evening Henry did not
mention that he wanted to 90 again
toward the park. He only said he
wished to bring his violin in case he
should take fancy to improvise "A
serenade to the stars. That day and
the following, Mr.. Nay and his son
spent the whole evening Oh the
Shall we 60 to the woolr' said
Af; Nay, one morning; 1t is nearer.
and we should return earlier, for the
nights are getting COOL"