The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-04-06

~ WuB CrOWueu WIN tniuRS hioro VI w.
distinct. A bridge and roadway thereby
were the clearest. He dared not stare too
hard because of the strain on his eyes.
Eyesl Tho word brought something
more to him. He had been warned not TO
strain his eyes, and by doctor, too, who
lived In Street near the bridge.
The blsckbird lit on hazel twig close
to him, and shrieked again. The sound
awoke him a second time, and he listened
dreamily as his disturber uttered final
cry and retreated across the open space to
a clump of jumpers.
He winked his eyes against the velvety
darkness and gathered up the skein of the
vision again. Tho 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 it, always was doing it--against or.
ders. What said the visionP 1t was bright
or STILL and showed him something more
The little views of the street and the canal
and the smiling faces were ranged to-
gethcr evenly, each in It's little frame of
cloud. The fneness of their lines was ex-
quisite. He crawled forward for moment
to examine them, and saw that they Were
almost too fine. Then he withdrew his
gaze with a guilty start.
A cart came into hearing and ratified
over the fiints in newly mended bit of
road, tumbling tho vision out of sight and
bringing him back to a rude realization of
the shaw and tho damp moss and the
darkness. Then the concrete meaning oc-
CURED to him. Ho had been steel en-
graver once. How long ago he could not
tell. 1t was battle between his eyes and
ha Hua In, hn nd ha inn had
won, pushed his brains sideways, as it
seemed to him, 90 that one day he dropped
his tools on tho floor and cried for help
and vowed not to i'll use his eyes again
too late.
The vision came to his hslp once more
It 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 frontispiece for a
book of Christmas stories by Charles Dick
ems. 1t was che most perfect portrayal of
life in the world or out of it, and all his
own. The faces could speak He could
hear tho echo of steps on the path under
the bridge Even the peculiar smell of the
place came back to him. Tho hum of
voices was pleasant music and the smile
was smile of universal recognition. Life,
health and happiness were concentrated in
the moving scene. 1t occurred to him
further that the street was Shepherdess
walk and the bridge spanned the Regents
canal.
There remained one final transfguration
before the whole vanished. He could never
describe 1t properly because the unearthly
beauty of the scene declined to be commit
ted to words But no said that he saw
over all the face of the great Snowman
who orders and governs all visions and
dreams. And he added that the meaning
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 was raised out Of the darkness, and
he looked just for the moment on the bril-.
liant Landscape, Shepherdess walk, the
Regents canal, the people In the carts and
on the pavements, all lit up with one daz
Fling iridescencc reflected from the face Of
God. r
. Whether by design or coincidence II may
not be known, but at this second the moon
leaped suddenly from behind a ridge Of
clouds and shed sheaf of her rays on his
closed eyes. He stretched out his hands
and awoke slowly and painfully. There
1t was time to forsake visions and grasp
tho real world. It must have seemed
very harsh voice indeed to man newly
awakened In body and soul alike, whose
clothes wero wet, whose limbs were chilled
and stiff, and whose chief sensations were
those OF acute hunger. But he obeyed It,
With his hands to his forehead he stag.
gered forth from the shaw across the scrub
&yS&< IL
They found him-the two keepers who
had been sent to search--walking steadily
toward London. He turned back with
them without comment or demur. Only
when they arrived within sight of the
Place Of Yellow Brick he asked to be blind.
folded-for the sake of his eyes, he said.
Later no was confronted with tho head
doctor, as are oil truants from tho Place
Of Yellow Brick.
This is a bad case" said the head doc
tor
There was 70 reply.
"A d,eappointment, too, to me-" he
|ycnt on. ~ thought you were much bet
ter. Take your hand away from your
eyes"
The truant dropped his hand to his side
and murmurcd, 81 was much better, sir. 4"
He spoke very softly, FOR fear the dread
full old self should hear and awake. Con-
sequently the other did not hear him, but
merely leaned back and looked warily in
to his eyes. After half minute, during
which they remained in mutual gaze, the
head doctor sighed and reached forward to
IN electric bell on the table. Then he
wrote OH half sheet Of paper: "No. AL.
Watch carefully and report" A the pen
moved over the paper, No. AL knew tina,
the old terror had begun again, and rs the
knowledge came home to him he felt the
cloud settling on his brain.
But ~ they led him from the room he
managed to say, 1T was true, sir, while
it lasted-worth ssnything to moi
Hopeless" said the head doctor rs ~
door closed. d.--Temple Bar
His Revenge.
The theatrical agent who goes out ahead