Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-05-20

hard because of the strain on his eyes.
Eyes The word brought something
moro to him He had been warned not to
strain his eyes, and by doctor. too, who
lived In street near the bridge.
The hlackhird lit on II hazel twig close
Co him, and shriekod again. The sound
awoko him second time, and he listened
dreamtly rs his disturher uttered q final
cry and reiterated across the open space to
n clump Of jumpers
Winkcd his eyes against the velvety
darkness and gathered up the skein of the
vision again. The sense OF security which
he associated with being in the dark now
explained itself. He had been warned
not to use his eyes much. But he did it
did 1t, always was doing it-aRanst or
ders What said tho vision? 1t was bright
er still, and showed him something more.
The little views OF tho street and tho canal
and the smiling fAces were ranged to-
gether evenly, each in its little frame Of
cloud. The fncness OF their lines was ex-
quisite. Hecrnwled forward for a moment
70 examine them, and RAW that they were
almost too fine Then he withdrew his
gaze with \ guilty start.
cart came into hearing and ratified
over the nints IN . newly mendsd bit Of
road, tumhling the vision cut OF sight and
bringing him back 70 . rude realization OF
the shaw and she damp moss and the
darkness. Then the concrete meaning oc-
CURED to him. He had bsea . steal en-
gravcr once. How lsng age he could not
tell. IL was . battle between his eyes and
the lines in the steel. And the lines had
won, pushed his brains sideways, az IT
sssned TO him % that one day he dropped
his tools ON tho floor and cried for help
and vowed not 10 Ill usc his eyes again
700 late.
Tho vision came TO hi. help once more
1t was more radiant and wonderful The
faces were known to him now. They were
portraits Of his wife and three children
and the peculiar design OF the vision fol
lowed closely in style n frontispiece for a
book Of Christmas stories by Charles Dick
Gus. 1t WAS the most perfect portrayal Of
lie In the world or out Of it, and all his
own. The faces could speak. He could
hear tho echo OF steps on tho pnth under
the bridge. Even the peculiar smell of the
place came hack to him. The hum OF
voices was pleasant music and the smile
was smileof universal recognition. Life,
health and happiness Were concentrated in
the moving scene. IL occurred to him
further that the street was Shephcrdcss
walk and the bridge SPAWNED the Regents
canal
There remained one final TRANSPORTATION
before the whole vanished He could never
describe it properly hccausc the unearthly
beauty of the scene declined to be commit
ted to words But he said that he saw
over all the face OF the great Snowman
who orders and governs all visions and
Il "A.
OF everything he had seen was made mani
fest To him, including the meaning Of his
life within the Place of Yellow Brick His
mind WINS raised ont OF the darkness, and
he looked just for the moment on the bril-
liant landscape, Shepherdcss walk, the
Regent canal, the people in thu carts and
on the paSemcut-, all lit up With one daz
cling iridesccncc reflected from tho face of
Ged
Whether " design or coincidence it may
not h known, hut at this second the moon
leaprd suddenly from behind ridge Of
clouds and shed u -hcaf 81 hcr rays on his
closed eyes. He stretched out his hands
and nwoke slowly and painfully. There
seemed To he a harsh Voice telling him that
1t WAS tim to farsAkc visions and grasp
the real world. 1t must have seemed
very harsh voice indeed To man newly
awakened in body and soul alike whose
clothes wtre wet, whose limbs were chilled
and stiff, and whose chief sensations, were
those Of acute hunger. But liz uhcycd it.
With his hands to his FOR, head he stag
gered forth from the shaw hcrDss the scrub
into the road, u trembling but sane man.
They found hIm-thc two keepers who
had /, cn ernt to scarch-walking steadily
toward London. He turned back with
them without comment or demur, Only
when tiny arrived within sight Of the
Place OF yellow Brick he asked to be blind
foldcd-for the sake Of his eyes, he said
Later he was confronted with tho head
doctor, us are all truauts from the Place
OF Yellow Brick
This is IA bad CASE said tile head doc
tor
There was no reply.
A disappointment, too. to me, he
went on. i thought You We're much bet
ter. Take your hand away from your
eyes
The trunnt dropped his hand to his side
and murmurrd, I was much better, sir, -
He spoke very softly, for fear the dread
ful old self should hear and awake, Con
sequcutly thr Other did not hear him, but
merely leaned lack and looked warily in
to ll- ,yc-. After hals Is minnie, during
which tiny remained in mutual gaze, the
hetd doctor cAtd and reached forward 10
an electric He'll "a the table. Then he
wrote On a half sheet Of paper: "No. al.
Watch carefully and report. As the pen
moved over the paper, No. Al hnew that
tHe=alL terrier lad i,gun "a gain, and a. the
knowledge cuur home TO L!ia he felt the
c.5ud settling CA lis brain.