Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-03-21

name-but oh, Laura, what is to be-
come of US? We have nothing laid
up yet, and have done the last ever
can do, and-what will you do with a
blind man on your handsa'
we will play blind mans buff, as
we used to do when we were chill
dren," she said, smothering sob.
Don't be frivolous, Laura.
Harlow. you are in nv hands now,
and think | can manage if YOU will
let me do it in my own way First,
shall take your place in the store, 1"
on can not do the work.
Il can. And you can keep house.
l shall expect warm meals at regular
hours"
"A blind mans housekeeping"
"Oh, you shall have an assistant
"a servant? We cannot afford one.
"No, a dog.
Laura"
Yes, dear it will be ever so larSy
Haven't we always envied the blind
men who stood on corners with dog
to guide them?"
And hand organs to grind, and
tin cup to carry Harlow was posi-
lively laughing.
II will carry the tin cup, dear, and
fill it, too
Brave little girl. I thought my
life was ended Laura, can you
bear it.'''
ut will be a perfect picnic" She
said, with tears running down her
cheeks -but she managed to keep
them out of her voice
1t was perfect picnic in more ways
than one. 1t always rains at pcnics,
and there was rain Of tears for this,
but also an intermittent sunshine that
soon dried them.
II was decided at the store. when
Harlow's blindness was announced,
that he was to have vacation until
such time as the firm saw fit to sup
ply his place, and for the present his
salary was to be continued.
That is what his misfortune did for
a soulless corporation drew
them out to deed Of
beautiful charity. Then friends
came in to offer assistance, which SO
far was not needed. They came tear
full and full of conventional sym
pathy, and went ava wondering and
rather plqued
Two children who do not appre-
ciate the gravity of the situation,
said one sympathizer, with a sniff.
Why, she talked q bont it as if sud
den blindness was d real blessing,
said another
But no one saw how exquisitely pa
thetic the situation really was. The
two children" as they called them
clinging together to the wreck of
their happiness, both willfully blind
together to the awful realities of the
situation, but keeping up their cour-
age by a fiction in which they were
the principal actors.
They were getting used to the stir
alton in this romantic way, and Laura
had their lives planned out. She was
TO be the working member of the
firm, and come home at night full Of
news for him, and they could still
take long walks together on Sundays
after church, and he was to have
guitar, and learn to play; she had
always laughed him out of it, but
now it would be his one resource.
But what is there for me to do
while You work Laura?'
"Learn to wait dear like Milton in
his blindness. They also serve who
only stand and wait"
Brave little woman" he said,
when will it end?'
.Oh, soon enough, dear, picnics
never last long. Wen get so used to
it we wouldn't have it different if we
could"
Then she went upstairs and cried
herself to sleep.
The next morning She was awak
ened by a JOYOUS shout.
Laura! The sun is shining, | can
see. Thank God / can see.
1T was true. The eliot had gone,
the painless pain was ended Like a
man who had been once tried for his
life and acquitted it could never be
done over again.
There won't be any more Of that
picnic said Laura. almost regret
fully, although it had been such an
awful strain to live up TO for twenty
four hours.
No, thank heaven" said Harlow,
81 won't have to keep house
And we won't need the dog"
Well, we haven't got him yet, Sc
he's no great loss
Nor the tin cup"
Yes you can carry that, and well
see how soon il will be full
That's picnic, answered Laura,
lit shall be our bank
a lover OF Reading.
Baker must be great lover Of
reading. lie tells me he often stays
in his library all night"
Yes, that's So But did he tell
Won that the only library he has IS j