Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-10-29
DOCTOR MAX.

Three months more of sighti I leaned
forward in the big armchair-the only ar
ticle of absolute comfort in my poorly fur
nished room-and looked steadily at the
yellow and brown squares on the wall paper
beyond my study table They stood out
angular and ugly for moment Then the
lamp light changed into reddish mist
that stung my eyeballs, and made the fame
blur in it's sckly center. The figures on
the wall paper wavered, gradually grew in
distinct, then blended into neutral blot
and knew | was going blind.
Overwork, the drudging mental toll that
feeds upon the brain, had touched the win
dows of my soul with it's cold fingers, and
the white frost was quickly gathering on
the crystal panes. Three months more OF
sightl That was the limit The skilled but
kindly oculist had fixed. Three months;
the borderland of years Of darkness and
despair. For the first time | realized that
my life was failure. i cursed the nights
of study that had won for me distinction
in my college classes; | cursed the pride Of
my professor hat had encouraged me to
the prodcal waste of my powers that he
might point TO me as the best Greek and
Latin scholar of a decade; I heaped re-
proaches on the ambition that he'd led me,
an underpad village school teacher to some
day hope for distinction at the bar;
thought and thought, as stared into the
gray half light, till all the subtle nerves of
my body seemed to concentrate behind my
throbbing eysballs. Then the pain was
lost in an agony of mental torture SO fierce
that reason seemed to tremble, and l
threw myself upon the floor
you seem to be in trouble, professor'"
Startled by the sound of voice. | stag
gered to my feet and confronted the
speaker.
II knocked at your door, and not getting
an answer ! came in unannounced." My
visitor was Dr. Max.
| did not reply | was angered and con-
fused by the intrusion. Besides, DR.. Max
was man whose acquaintance had new er
sought He had persistently held aoof
from me; avoided me purposely, | thought.
He was tall and robust, with massive
head. His beard was full and black, with
rich gloss, indicative of fine health and
great vitality. He was Of uncertain age;
past fifty, ] should judge. He had resided
in NJ for five years, and in that time
had built up large practice among the
lower classes in a section of the town
known as Dutch Bottom" For some
cause he was socially ostracised
Your eyes are troubling YOU" DR.. Max
continued, not noticing my constraint.
"Sit down." he said, and before | could
protest he had gently forced me into my
chair and turned my face to the lamp
light. There was an instant's silence,
then lie said, IAN operation may save your
sight but it cannot be delayed"
\ great hope spraug up within me. The
desire for death fled, and the doctor from
Dutch Bottom" faded from view to give
place to a messenger from heaven in his
habliments. | was wild with sudden joy
The world Of light would yet be mine; the
blue mountain and the golden grain fields
of my home, my mothers face, my books
all-and | broke into a fit of hysterca
laughter as grasped the doctors hand
aud caressed it.
81 have no money" said, recollectinl
myself, and for a moment a tide OF hope
lessness swept back and obliterated my
newborn JOY.
but | have, and that is what brough
me here tonight" Dr. Max pushed tn
hair back from my hot forehead with hi
cool, moist hand and peered long anC
searchingly into my aching eyes.
a shudder shook me. The fierce recur
ring shocks Of hope and fear, despair ant
JOY, We're too much for my sCrely trie,
nerves, faintness was creeping over m,
heart but cutched the arms of my chat
with Il grip that forced the flesh on IL,
palms into red ridges, from which tn
blood seemed ready TO start, and waited 70
my strange visitor to proceed.
Like all mankind, ! am selfish" h
said presently, with quiet laugh. II vii
give you the money with which to saw
your sight-perhaps-b have a deman,
to make"
"Go on" exclaimed, petulanty, as h
paused.
"Of course, you are not aware of II, blu
am very poor Greek scholar; in fact,
never was very proficient in the languages
even in my college days. | have in IN
possession Greek manuscript of fit
pages or so that picked up while trave
ing in the east some years ago. | kno,
nothing of its history, save that it was sal
20 have been among the plumber obtaine
by Constantine i'll the temple at Delpho,
1t is very valuable, and have never trus
ed it out of my hands, | want a liter,
translation of it. If you will undertal,
the work will pay you $500.
"WhatW ] yelled, as | leaned forwar
on the edge of my chair and searched h
face to see II he were not in jest.
81 will give you ten dollars a page" ]
went on quietly-"with restrictions"
What do you meanW
THAT you permit no person to see eith'
the manuscript or the translation, and TIL
under no circumstances will you trust ii
original out of your possession, or her
after reveal its contents"
l accepted with INDIGENOUS haste, it
needless to say, and DIR. Max left me
prey to emotions that | am utterly unab
to describe. Long after midnight | f
asleep, but still behind nay burning ey
balls my brain was busy. A phanto
troop swept constantly in review. III
letters of the Greek alphabet took life al
fought innumerable battles. For hours
labored in vast library, piling man
scripts upon miles Of unending shelves.