Milford chronicle., 1889-05-17
BLIND AND YET SEES.
A BOSTON MAN WHO WOULDN'T
RECOVER HIS SIGHT IF He COULD.

and His VaIise on wheels-GOes Where
He Likes and Avoids All Distractions
without Guide.
A stone blind man whose vision is perfect
A man who lost his eyesight thirty-hve years
ago, and wouldn't recover it if he could
man who says seeing is quite unnecessary and
a hindrance to the full enjoyment of life
man who gets along in the world much better
and makes more money than many persons
with two good eyes.
Many of the readers of The Globe have
doubtless seen around the south and wesl
ends Of Boston a thick set, medium sized man.
apparently about 40 years of age, with oval
face. blonde mustache and genial expression
walking along with confident step, carrying
a cane and dragging behind him black valise
on little wheels. He keeps to the right OF
other pedestrians, turning out for all OBJ
stacles, picking his way easily through dense
crowds, and when he comes to crossing,
picking up his valise and carrying it to the
other side, where he sets it down and contin-
ues his course. At the first glance no one
would think he was totally blind, but If you
look sharply and notice the peculiar carriage
of his head, and especially if you see the lnces-
SAINT motion of his restless eyeballs, you VIII
be convinced that the physical sense of sight
Is wholly lacking.
This man is Marcus Il. Josselyn. He lives
at 1874 Eustis street in neat and tastefully
furnished apartments Every week day
morning he starts out with his valise to visit
his customers. He has his regular routes
and calls on each Of his 1000 patrons regu-
larly once a month. His business, which has
of twenty years hard and systematic work,
is the selling Of needles, thread, tape, safety
pins, corset laces and 'such Ike articles so
dear and so necessary to the feminine heart
He derives a snug little income from Ills bust
ness.
WALKED AROUND THE COAL PILE
Mr. Josselyn knows the streets Of Boston as
well as any policeman, and can find his way
around the town US easily as any herdic
driver. He can start from his home and so
on foot by the most direct way to Charles
street, for instance, without making any in
uuiries; or he can walk straight home from
Bowdoin square without asking anybody the
way. In tho Same manner he goes direct to
the houses of his customers, no matter where
they live.
Mr. Josselyn was one day going along the
sidewalk, when he suddenly stopped, picked
up his yalise, went out into the street, walked
eight or ten steps and then returned to the
sidewalk to resume his course. Some work
mon were watching him, and one Of them,
more amazed THAN the rest, called out:
"Begorry, sir, if yez blind, how did yez
know pile of coal was lynn on the side
walk"
Mr. Josselyn did not know anything about
the coal that INSTRUCTED the sidewalk, nor
could he explain to his questioner how it was
that he was able to avoid it as well as If he
had seen it. On another occasion he was
standing in front Of a building, when he sud
denly stepped backward close against the
wall The next moment a huge mass OF
snow fell down from the roof right upon the
spot where he had been standing. The blind
man had not been warned by the rustling Of
the snow on the roof, but in very different
manner.
He was stopped one day on the street by q
man who said;
"See here, sir, they say you're blind, but
I've been following you for an hour, and
watching you closely If you were blind
you couldn't get along as you do, never run
ming against anybody or anything, walking
fast and always stopping at the right housC
without hesitating. / don't believe YOU'RE
blind. It's true never saw eyes like yours
except in a blind man, but then that con
tinual rolling of the eyeballs must be simply
a trick of yours. Now you might as well b
frank and tell me all about it."
But Mr.. Josselyn very properly refused t.
crafty the idle curiosity of stranger VIII
had insulted him, and so he merely assured
him that he was in reality as blind as bat
A reporter recently visited Mr.. Josselyl
at his home, not to satisfy himself in regar'
to his blindness, but to asl, him how the worl,
really looked to blind man aud inquire wha
mysterious sense it was, what subtle faculty
what unerring intuition, which supplied tn
deficiency Of physical sight.
OTHERS SEE FOR HIM
'Oh, Pm not blind" said Mr.. Josselyn
cheerily, "and don't like to have it though
that am. see as well as anybody, but in
different way. Not clairvoyantly, but actu
ally, although not with my own eyas, for the
are sightless. Others see for me, and l us
their vision. They are with me all the time
at may not seem very probable or eve
Ineligible to you,n said Mr.. Josselyn in II
ply to the reporters inquiry, "but the onl
explanation l can give is that my guides al
spirits. 1t is they who sec for me and kee
me out of danger. How they are able to d
it is as great mystery to me as to you. BIZ
LuelI ACTUAL GAl5letlCe udFG AO LiJAe uOul
than of my own. And how could l doub
with the thousand daily proofs of their pre-
encei In walking along the street or am
where else, if 1 should turn to the left
avoid an obstacle, feel pressure on m
right shoulder just as distinct and real to n
as you feel tho weight of my hand on yoI
arm" continued Mr.. Josselyn, as he touchC
the reporters arm. 1T is purely physic
sensation, the same that feel when touchC
by mortal hand The nerves are affected
precisely the same way. If ought to tul
to the right, the pressure is on my left shoU
der. If it is necessary to stop and stand sti
feel the invisible barrier right in front
me, making it impossible for me to go {
until it is removed.
"You may think it all a hallucination tn
has no existence outside my brain, but it is
hallucinatioR with a practical value upt
which l can always depend to lead me il
yield myself up to it. Some days, when
am feeling dull or insensible, l am not
susceptible to the warnings, and when d
pend upon myself alone, disregarding the e
ternal influences, l get into trouble"
Mr.. Josselyn, having lost his sight VIII
he was only years old, has not a very viz
recollection of how external objects look
persons with sight. He says he rememb6
the appearance OF the caterpillar craWM
along the ground, and also how the wat
looked that was churned by the wheels of t
ferryboat OF color he has no clear conce
ton. Besides being good business man n
Josselyn is a fine musician, playing the pia
with exquisite feeling He is what Spir
ualists call "a sensitive" and perceives
great many things by finer sense than IL
Of hearing or seeing. Mrs. Josselyn says
can generally tell when he comes home
the evening whether. any one has called
her during the day, and often who has CALI
ayes, and before get into the hous
know your state of mind and how you {
feeling" he said
How docs he know itl-Boston Globe
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