The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-09-23
THE BASnISK,
A STORY OF TO-DAY.
CHAPTER I.
RETROSPECTIVE.

CHAPTER I.
RETROSPECTIVE.
st. Bartimeus's Homo for the Blind.
in Quex-road, Kilburn, is one of those
numerous institutions, half scien tific,
half charitable, and wholly admirable,
which do. so much to justify tho nine
teenth century in its tenure of such an
advanced place among the apes.
Founded by private benevolence, the
Home gives what its name processes to
a limited number Of patients of the
better class. whose means do not allow
OF their enjoying the highest skill, ex-
copt under conditions of painful pub
licity. and who, but for the shelter
afforded by tho Home, would have
been brought, perhaps, to beggaxy by
their affection. OF this tefuge was l,
Frank Coplestocs, Nh inmate; and one
fine afternoon III September. 1883, I
was sitting in the resident surgeons
ssustum, as had for some time past
been rather an established custom,
smoking a long pipe, and talking,
much like other people, over the con-
Germs of our little world with good DR..
Shaw. 49,.
k In the pauses of our intimate and
desultory conversation, reflected for
the hundredth time on tho marvellous
and merciful faculty men possess Of
becoming; if not reconciled, at least re-
signed, to the most dreadful conditions
of existence. Reconciled was not.
But had I looked into = magician's
mirror four years ago, and seen myself
In tho future the blind helpless being l
now was, I should have doomed it a
lying vision to have shown me capable
OF living at all under such an affection.
Four years ago! What an immense
time for young man to look forward
to! What IN Insignificant period to
look back upon, when the years have
hidden their chances, or quickly run
the gauntlet of slumbering ambition.
The last four years had been to me a
dream OF horror, from which I was
only just awakening into a sober dark
ness. And yet 1 could sit smoking
with DR.. Shaw, and talk with every-
day interest over things in general. 1
could not have done it had really
shared Shaw's opinion of my case. I
knew he had come to consider it hope
less. The principle that made me a
tolerable companion, the principle that
kept me living or a sane man, was
Hope.
The life at St. Bartimeus's, if not of
an exhilarating character, was made
as cheerful as circumstances allowed.
We were not, even the most forlorn of
us, left without the sense of sympathy
ano even friendliness. We had q good.
ly number of visitors who interested
themselves in our interests, and Joined,
both actively and passively, in our en-
tertainments. Some were of the ma
turo of real friends, others were those
good souls, who feel that affection
gives brother a sort of claim upon
them. and generally contrive to let him
realize that ho is q sort of poor rela-
ton of the human family, whose rights
cannot be gainsaid, but whose situation
allows of a certain goody-good dis
count upon their benevolence. Our
concerts were, in limited sense, cele-
brated, if I may with propriety say so,
as was the chief musician of the es.
Enlistment. Plays, in which some of
us took part, with the extraordinary
facility which seems incredible, or at
least miraculous. to those who have
not had much experience of tho blind,
were not seldom performed in the
large hall of the Home. These plays
afforded at least as much qualification
to outsiders as to the inmates. Fol
the hall allowed of the erection of a
good sized stage, and accommodated a
largo audience. This being the case,
benevolence and dramatic ambition
went hand-in-hand; and many anna
teurs who cared little for amusing tho
blind, were glad to exercise their talent
upon so favorable an arena, before
their kinsfo]k and acquaintance. DR..
Shaw. though not much of an actor,
being, in fact, as he said, bothered by
having lot Ut ether people about him
was much given to Rotations on these
festive occasions, and being some
thing of q poet, often took the opportu-
nifty of letting off his own compositions
which were generally of q martial
character. AS l was always content
to sit silently, and let my thoughts
run on as they would, while the good
doctor acclaimed bis compositions, he
had come to regard me as q critic of
no mean order, and q useful court, of
first instance.
To-day, with an apologize authority
Of tone, which had learned to inter-
pref as the precursor of q preliminary
reading, DR.. Shaw, our conversation
having turned on the next projected
entertainment, proposed to read me a
dramatic poem he had been writing for
the occasion. I settled myself to
think. He, took turn or two about
the room, and then accompani ed my
thoughts with the not unmusical ca
dences of his partially trained voice.
And as he read I let my mind 20
back to the past, l saw myself again
boy of nineteen, imaginative mpulsive,
romantic. My mother, an officers
widow of scanty means, mad managed
to send me to good school. and was
now contrlving to let me study music
in London. l had taste, amount
ing to passion for music,
and l worked at it with
q will; being resolved not only to
mako a living by it, but some time or
other, to make q name and fame as
we'll. How hard I worked! At school
had done but moderately we'll. l
had no heart in the work there; and
though as have said, romantic and
imaginative boy, l was tollerably