The Washington times., 1895-02-11

over on his way home. Its much like the
one in Berlin. Tiitry it"
lie had to tell MS wife about it.
Il can promise anything said he, "but
it has been DONE
He told the n1atron OF the free nursery also
Strangely enough. this blind baby had crept
nearer the matrons heart than any of the
other little ones that swung i'll the ham
mocks.
"Oh, doctor" she exclaimed, ''if you could
do it. That poor womanr
With this womanly sympathy to encourage
him he prepared himself.
Thursday afternoon came and with it the
mother. The doctors wife had insisted upon
being IN the Office and. sure enough as soon
as the shawl was lifted from the blind baby
she kissed 1t and began to cry. The babys
mother very near broke down and the doctor
was naturally disturbed. Emotion and sur
gerry do not go we'll together.
AS gently as he could he told the mother
that he was going to put the knife to the ba-
bys eyes. He could not promise anything.
He only hoped. Would she trust Mary to
him.
1t was the doctors wife who had made the
conquest The baby's mother trusted any
one who cried over Mary.
The two women went away for an hour.
With the doctor was another professional
man who had insisted on getting into this
case. Their ordinary fee would have been
$500, but they wouldn't have given up Mary
that afternoon for twice that sum.
When the woman came back the doctors
friend sat on the sofa coddling the baby,
whose head was bound about with bandages.
ITS all right" whispered the doctor, as
the child began to whimper.
will she-ever--n began the mother. g
"We will not know for many days. Re-
member, don't want to raise your hopes.
If IN fhlzn
chance to do something, and took il. You
must help me-"
Before she left the doctor gave long in
structions. The baby was to be kept in
darkened room and the bandages were to be
adjusted in n certain way, and under no cir
cumstances was the strong light to fall upon
her eyes. The mother listened greedily. and
the doctor knew she could be relied upon.
''Alleytown" is small and squalid part of
Chicago and the blind baby was born into
one of the poorest families of that obscure
settlement. 1t was, therefore, strange that
the doctor worried so much over Mary's case
that he neglected the prominent stockbroker
who was afflicted with mild astigmatism.
He wandered over into "Alleytown' to sec
IL his directions were being followed, and he
sat In the stufy little room and held Mary's
hand and cursed the luck tnat he could only
say to the mother: "Let us hope for the best
1t will be several davs yet"
The matron OF the nursery had given
publicity to his goodness and strange people
came to his office to learn II the blind baby
would ever see
His wife pestered him with questions, and
friends called him up by telephone to ask if
there was any hope. my
All this excitement over thin baby who,
II given sight, could only look out upon dark
Struggling little houses, ,ithe muddy, narrow
streets, and the drear smoked wall of the
factories beyond!
One woman wrote 10 him: ST am praying
that you may help the blind baby to see. y
The 90 bill tucked within the letter WIS also
eloquent.
There came a day when the doctor stole
away into 'sAlleytown" without letting his
wife know. s3
The mother knelt on the other side of the
crib in the dim room as he unwound ths