Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-01-23


eminent man, after applying something
which / know now was belladonna to
my eyes, and which had the effect for
short time OF wonderfully improving
my sight. peered into my ewes by the
aid o. strong lenses and mirrors re-
member at the time wishing some OF
| those lenses were mine-what splendid
/ burning-g glasses thew would make
Then he placed me with my back to the
window and held lighted candle before
my face. All these proceedings seemed
so funny that | WAS half inclined to
laugh. Ny fathers grave, anxious face
alone restrained me from so doing. As
soon as MIR. Jay had finished his 10
searches he turned TO my father:
- Hold the candle as | held it. Let
It shine into the right eye first Now.
Mr.. Vaughan, what do you sees How
many candles, mean?"
Three the one in the center small
aud bright, but upside down."
Yes; now Try the other eve. How
many there"
My father looked long and carefully.
= cab only see one. he said, 1.-THE
large one
This !, called the catoptric test, an
old-faShioned but infallible test, now al
most superseded. The boy is suffering
from lenticular cataract"
This terribly sounding name took
away all my wish 10 laugh. | glanced
nj my father and was surprised TO
notice his face wearing an expression
of relief
That may be cured by an opera
tion," he said.
''Certainly; but in my Judgment it is
not well to NEEDLE, so long as the other
eye remains unaffected
lis there danger%'
| There is always danger of the dis
ease appearing in the sound eve; hut,
OF course. il may not happen Come to
me at the first sign OF such thing.
Good-morning,
The "reat specialist bowed us out,
and returned 10 my school life, troub-
! ling little about the matter. as il
caused me no pain, and. although in
less than twelycmonth the sight of
one eye was completely obscured |
could see well enough for every purpose
with the remaining one.
| But l remembered every word of that
| diagnosis, although it was Years before
| recognized the Importance of it. 1t
was only when compelled by au acct
dent to wear for some DAYS bandare
over my sound eye that | realized the
danger in VIII ch stood, and from that
moment felt that mercIcSs foe was
ever waiting his time.
And now the time had come. In the
! first flush of m, manhood. wi, h all that
one could wish for ut my command, the
foe had struck again.
He came upon me swittly-far more
! swiftly than is his custom in such cases;
yet il was long before | would believe
the worst-long before would confess
to myself that my failing sight and the
increasing foggincss of everything l
looked NJ were due to more than tenn
porary weakness. | was hundreds of
miles from home, in country where
travelling is slow. \ friend being with
me, | had no wish to make myself
nuisance by cutting our expedition
short. So | said nothing for weeks,
although ut the end of each week my
heart sank at the fresh and fearful adj
vances made by the zoe. AT last, being
unable to bear it, or in fact conceal it
longer, | made known my condition to
my comrade. We turned our faces
homeward, and by the time ! ondon was
reached and the long journey at an end,
everything to me was blurred, dim and
obscured. could Just see, that was
ALL
L flew to the eminent oculst'S. He
was out of town. Had been i'll. even at
the point of death. He would not be
back for two months, nor would he see
any patient until his health was quite
restored.
l had pinned my faith upon this man.
No doubt there were as skillful oculists
in London, Paris, or other capitals; but
it was my fancy that, If | was to be
saved, | could only be saved by Mr..
Jay. Dying men are allowed their
whimS; even the felon about TO be |
hanged can choose his own breakfast. |
SO had an undoubted right to choose
my own surgeon. | resolved to wait in
darkness until Mr. Jaw returned to his
duties.
[ was foolish. | had better have
trusted myself in other clever hands
Before month was over had lost all
hope, and at the end of six weeks | was
almost distracted. Blind, blind, blind!
[ should be blind forever! So entirely
had lost heart that began to think /
would not have the operation performed
at all. Why fly against fate? For the
rest of my life | was doomed to dark
ness. The subtlest skill, the most deli
cate hand, the most modern appliances
would never restore the light l had lost.
For me the world was at an end.
Now that you know the cause, can
you not imagine me, after weeks of
darkness, broken in spirit, and, as | lay
sleepless that night, almost wishing that |
the alternative refused by Job-to
curse God and die-were minep Ii you
are unable 10 realize my condition, |
read the above to any one who has lost |
lgs sight. He will tell you what his
feelings were when the calamity first |
came upon him. He will understand the |
depths of nv woei
l was not left entirely alone in my
trouble. Like JOB, | had comforters;
but, unlike Eliphaz and Company, they
were good-hearted fellows who spoke |
with Cheerful! conviction as to the Ger
tainty OF my recovery. was not so
grateful for these visits as / should |
have been. | hated the thought of any |
one seeing me in my helpless condi-
ton Day by day my frame of mind
grew more and more despoading and
morbid.
My best friend of all was humble
one: Priscilla Drew, an old and trusted
servant of my mothers. She had
known me from earliest childhood.
When | returned to England could not
bear the thought of trusting my help
less self entirely to strangers care,
| wrote to her and begged her 70 come
to me. l could at least groan and
lament before her without feeling
shame. She came, wept over me for
awhile, and then, like sensible wom-
an, bestirred herself to do all she could
to mitigate the hardships of my lot She
found comfortable lodgings, installed
her troublesome charge therein, and
day and night was ever at his beck and .
call. Even now, as | lay awake and
tossing in mental anguish, she was .
sleeping on an extemporized bed just
outside the folding doors. which opened /
from my bedroom to the sitting
room. I
1t was a sitting night in August. /
The sluggish air which crep. in through |
he open window made little perceptible ;
Inference In the temperature Of my
room Everything seemed still, hot !
and dark. The only sound could hear
vas the regular breathing of the sleep