The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-02-05

air of Impotence. Cecile, who was
nearest the bed, took the hand in hers,
trying to calm the sufferer. At this
contact the wasted fingers pressed her
wrist significantly.
'You see, mademoiselle," resumed
the afflicted mother, ''that he would not
have his guardian angel leave her work
unfinished. For PHYS sake do not for
sake him! You have just told me that
you We're returning to Paris in search of
employment. You have found employ
ment. Consider yourself my travelling
companion, and l swear to you that l
will always regard and treat you as my
second child"
Cecile yielded to these moving en-
treaties. She saw that her presence
vas a. necessary to the mother as to
the son.
The hurried journey, the cruel emo
tons she had suffered, had Frustrated
the already ailing Nine. de Chatillon.
and Cecile. besides her other duties,
now had the care of a confirmed invalid.
Ths scene just related seemed TO have
produced a salutary effect upon the sick
man; the fever disappeared, reason re-
turned, he regained some strength, but
his sight grew no better. When Cecile
at length took her two patients to
Vienna she summoned a. council of
physicians. They decided that the iris
had lost its power of contraction. that
amaurosis was complete, hat NJ. de
Chatillon must. resign himself to life
long blindness, a decision confirmed a
few months later by the most renowned
o~culists of Paris.
They then retired TO the Chatillon
estate near Monies. Here, after months
of languishing, the mother died, COM
mending her idolized son to the young
girl she persisted in calling his guardian
angel.
The blind man who had hitherto
borne his affection with a strength of
mind akin to stoicism was strangely af-
fected by this new trial. He became
anxious, p~reoccupied, almost mefan-
choly. When Cecile came to read to
him, to guide him in his daily walk, he
received her with the wonted smile; he
thanked her with the usual touching
emotion, only to fall back into intermin-
able reveries. Her shortest absence
made him impatient, and one day when
some errand to the town had detained
her longer than was expected, she found
i UlIn Oh ueE TtCUTu Tic prey 10 all dOIld-
ton he could not conceal.
His solicitude grew daily. Cecile, at
tributing his sadness to the loss of his
mother, and to his blindness, conjured
him to make an effort to recover his
former resignation.
81 still weep for my mother" he re-
piled, ''but convinced that every pass
ing hour brings nearer the moment of
our reunion, my sorrow loses day by
day its bitterness. Cruel as is my des-
tiny 1 have become resigned to it, and I
must say to you, Cecile, that you have
rendered my lot S o sweet that I have
many times blessed my misfortune. The
cause of my sadness lies neither in the
past mol present; it is anxiety for the
future"
..What then do you fear?sn asked Ce:
Gle. TREMENDOUSLY.
THAT l may lose some day her to
whom l owe so much. l fear this not
only because without her care my mis-
fortune will ssum new horrors, but
because-Il love YOU"
Cecile's face blanched. sItis wrong"
she sobbed, 'for you to doubt my friend
ship"
Your friendship echoed the young
man bitterly; s.Cecile, this word alone
j~ustifies my terrors. What will it weigh,
this friendship, if one day a sentiment
that admits neither partition nor rivalry
comes to take possession of your heart:
No. no! If you would really have me
recover that early serenity; if you would
have me as the first, bear patiently, even
gayly, the lot that cuts nj off from the
number of those who behold Gods crea-
lures and His beautiful world, there
must exist between you and me a tie Other
and stronger than friendship-you must
consent to become my wife"
For a moment speechless, Cecile fixed
her amazed eyes upon the blind man.
She seemed not to have understood his
words.
go, h~eaven.' she cried at length.
How deeply l regret not having reached
''Why, Cecile?n
because you then could have seen
me, monsieur; because if you had seer
me my plain face would have remained
SO deeply craven in your remembrance
as to spare you this new trouble after 81
many sorrows. This confession cost,
my self-love nothing. l am ugly, Mon
SleTr Robert. so nUlV that nv friend.
shin. the friendship that YOU value s,
Iiohtlv. would never consent To oive yor
a comnanion co unworthv of Won
en- ~ aaa not hs nr,,- cao;,o
~. w., YOU 80 Ga ~ uSs' es.ie
hne tses a wien III, tha oah1n m son.;mana
etsthnmost a O.ona ai .n ond Ion;nm nf hoar
can not be without their charm. ther,
must be seductions in the smile that ac
. comnan;es a voice 50 oentle and meme
tratino. And what matters TO me NOR
or less regularity in tbe featuresp
alas, shaI7 never see, What l love il
Won is vonr Sonl and this world hold
not a souI more beantifnj and nnre-"
GO haa - homt15onod -,
uanaad dasuitn harSaif ot 49, ;utor;
Iiaaoeo uepi'e ne,i Nv ooIn "a