Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-19
STRICKEN BY GODS HAND

Some day / may write paper to be
called 'Compensations in Blindness" said
a Washington lady. still under thirty. who
has been totally blind for nearly a de-
cade. Ten years ago, when l was told
by several distinguished oculists that i
should inevitably become completely blind
within very few months, the shock was
almost beyond my strength. Had / not
been Of great constitutional hardness, The
breeding I permitted myself to indulge in
at first over the specialists pronunciamento
would unquestio-ably have undermined my
healuh. Then forced myself to emerge
from the heavy shadow. and bIaced myself
to submit philosophicaily to the final e1-
friction Of light, for the Cculists were right,
and every morning found tnat perceiyed
objects more and more dimiy. l gradually
nerved myself up to meet The heavy day
when I should awake in utter carkness.
When the cay came it was lot SO bitter
as had anticipated, for had grown used
to the contemplation of the perpetual shad-
ow that was in store for me-
Now, as to the compensation In blind
ness. Can you understand that the world
Sc ems very much more beautiful to me now
than u did when l could read newspaper
by the light of the full moon? We of the
sightless eyes fall uncopScfousiy into the
habit, as time passes, Of tdealizng every
thing that presents itself to our notice. We
lutely, you know, and I suppose it is quite
true that the imaginatiens of blind people
are extraordinarily active. i have often
fancied, since / became blind, that Milton S
deprivation of sight was in reality bless
ing to the world literature; for am firm
ly of the belief that his blindness stimu-
lated his imagination and enabled him TO
portray his colossal pictures with Infinitely
more beauty than ne would have been able
to conceive had he been in possession OF
his sight.
But, as 1 started to say. we of the use
less eyes unconsclously develop into IDEAL
izers. For example, I am visited by many
dear women friends whose faces 1 nave
never seen. am told that several of
these friends are hopelessly plain as to
features. but 1 have observed that those
who, US I hear, ale the least attractive as
to their exterior beauty have the sweetest
voices. which in itself is compensation
for them It is a compensation for me, in
that I am the beneficiary of that alone
which Is the most attractive thing about
them-their voices-and am spared the
acute sympathy I might feel for them
could see their lack OF personal beauty.
Again, my people occasionally take me to
the theater. I venture to say that now.
after having been blind for nearly ten
more than those whose eyes serve them
well. When l was quite young woman.
and possessed Of the best of sight, I recall
that there were many actors and actresses
whose enunciation and delivery Of their
lines were admirable, but whose natural
or assumed mannerisms Jared upon me.
Now hear the voices of the players alone.
and their fine or vicious speeches.; so that
all stage heroes are Sir Launcelots and all
villains Sir Modreds to me. When 1 am
told that girl who comes to read to me
is considered lovely by everybody am sure
after she has been described to me, that ]
picture her very much more beautiful than
anybody with sight does. Again, you know
that many fine musicians, vocal and in
Strumental, men and women, are desper-
ately iil-favored. and the performing man.
rers Of some of them are distressing, as
myself remember. But l only hear their
music, you perceive. and the musicians
are all angels of light to me. When I am
led through the parks, and inspired by the
appealing fragrance of the lilacs, I cannot
see the flowers that are whitening"