The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-11
BLINDNESS.
With It Comes an Idealization That Makes
Many Things Fair.


With It Comes an IdeaIization That Makes
Many Things Fair.
Some day may write q paper
to be called Computations In
Blindness. said Washington la
dy, still under 80, who has been to-
tally blind for nearly decade
''Ien years agc, when I was told by
several distinguished oculists that
should inevitably become COM
pletely blind within O very few
months the shock was almost be-
yond ny strength. Had not been
of great constitutional hardness
the brooding permitted myself to
indulge in at first over the special
lists pronunciamento would unuues.
tlonably have undermined my
health. Then forced myself to
emerge from the heavy shadow and
braced myself to submit philosoph-
ically to the final extinction of light,
for the oculists were right, and
every morning found that I per-
ceived objects more and moro dim
ly. gradually nerved myself up to
meet the heavy day when / should
awake in utter darkness. When the
day came, it was not so bitter as
had anticipated, for l had grown
used to the contemplation of the
perpetual shadow that was in store
| fer me.
"Now, as to the compensation in
blindness. Can you understand that
the world seems very much more
beautiful to me now than it did
when could read newspaper by
the light of the full moons We of
the sightless eyes fall unconsciously
into the habit, as time passes, of
idealizing everything that presents
itself to our notice. We are thrust
upon our imaginations so absolute
ly, you know, and l suppose it is
quite true that the imaginations of
blind people are extraordinarily
| active.
II have often fanoied, since / be-
came blind, that Millions depriva-
ton Of sight was in reality bless
ing to the worlds literature, for /
am firmly of the belief that his
blindness stimulated his imagina-
tion and enabled him to portray his
colossal pictures with infinitely
more beauty than he would have
been able to conceive had he been in
possession of his sight.
6R11f Q0 cfor<od IN ooxv x,v~ 30
the useless eyes unconeciously de-
ve1op into idealizers. For example,
am visited by many dear women
friends whose faces I have never
seen. I an, told that several Of
these friends are hopelessly plain az
to features, but have observed that
those who. as hear. are the least
attractive dis 10 their exterior beauty
have the sweetest voices. which in
itself is compensation for them.
1t is a compensation for mo, in that
/ am the beneficiary of that alone
which is the most attractive thing
about them-their voices-and 1 am
spared the acute sympathy / might
feel for them could see their lack
OF personal beauty. Again, my peo-
pie occasionally take me to the the
ater. I venture to say that now,
after having been blind for nearly
ten years, l enjoy good play very
much more than those whose eyes
serve them well. When twas quite
a young woman and possessed of
the hest Of sight, 7 recall that there
were many actors and actresses
whose enunciaiion and delivery of
their lines were admirable, but
whose natural or assumed manner
isms Jared upon me. Now I hear
the voices of the players alone and
their fine or vicious speeches.. 60
that all stage heroes are Sir Launce-
lots and all villains Sir Modreds to
me. When am told that girl who
comes to read to me is considered
| lovely by everybody, I 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 instru-
mental, men and women, are desper-
ately i'll favored, and the perform
ing manners Of some Of them are
distressing, as I myself remember.
But I 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
lilies. cannot see the flowers that
are whitening. "-Washinston Star.
a Tic OF Relationship.