Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-08-29

"Then. lsss I've looked my last on
IL and on yo1"
For the candle hsd burned down in
| its socket
As they led me back TO the hotel be-
tween them the organ broke into o
Joyous dance, and ! could hear the
rhythmical potter Of the children's feet
tripping it right merrily on the paving
stones. Oh. how full Of the glory and
the gladness of life were these children !
And, oh, the irony of fate that should
make that organ peal out as like q
premssurely old man. passed IL, "Sun-
| shine Above" sunshine abovel
Suddenly I stopped.
"Jack," / asked, "place me with my
face TO the SUM-"
Reluctantly. as IL were. they turned
me round until / could feel its warm
rays kissing my cheeks, but there was
nothing before my lifeless eyeballs but
an unbroken twilight might in the
future be able TO tell night from day,
but nothing more. How had / sinned
that the cup Of promise should have
been held out TO me and then dashed to
pieces Immediately 10 touched my lipsi
They took me into the private sitting
room. There threw myself face down.
ward on couch and gave way 10 the
rebellion in my heart, just az I had
done when my sight had first been
taken from me. Resignation, forsoothl
Let them preach il who have success
fully triumphed over a living death like
mine. At first those with me wisely re-
Trained from those stereotyped words Of
20 called comfort. They knew that
clasp Of the hand and period Of sig
nifcant silence could do more for man
at such time. My mother, good soul.
came and knelt by my side. His will
be Done, she said, struggling TO be
brave.
"His willw I cried. when il
.ssans the ruin OF my lifef"
''Do you think II is not as hard for
me to bear, ;" she rejoined; ''you. who
are the only boy have left 7"
Oh, how ashamed felt Of myself at
that moment Have mercy upon me,
o Lord. for am weakl' cried
Oh, how hated that fickering OF
my dying sight Why had it not passed
from me forever so that might have
been spared che torments OF disappoint-
ed hopes, the bitterness Of souli But
those words Of my mother made me
think II had often regretted lacking
the opportunity Of proving my man
hood and that better self which | be-
lisved was In every man, had not now
one chance in thousand Of asserting
III No sooner had this thought possess
ed me than became Ike my old self.
Just then a messenger came TO say
that the Almora was signalei and the
tender would start Immediately.
insisted on Jack and Kate going out
10 meet the ship. Better tell them TO
20 on to London. said in my trouble.
"Anyhow, it's several months since she
spoke as she did about my blindness.
Ones mind can alter in that time Let's
give her the chance OF breaking with
me IL she wants 10"
II / could not be altogether reconciled
20 my fate, az least i tried TO think OF
her, though what il cost me to speak as
did no one can tell.
They left me alone in the room at
my own request, and the minutes drag
ged ON like eternities. / had settled
things satisfactorily in my own mind
and waited to know my fate. There was
as thought murmur Of voices on the
stairs for the hundredth time, and
again | was disappointed. Fool that l
was TO think that fresh, beautiful
young life could come 10 link itself with
such wreck Of humanity Women
loved to be heroic II was all very well,
and natural enough. for her TO come to
me as she did at first, when the shock
OF horror on hearing Of my lost sight
had given way TO food Of pity. She
was doubtless true TO her better nature
when she said that my blindness made
no difference in her love- But was II TO
be expected that it could last forever
under such conditionsr She was young,
and time had been given her 10 realize
calmly the folly Of continuing our un-
fortunate attachment Was she to be
blamed il she drew back at the eleventh
hours No; il were wiser to do so. IL
she came, | myself would tell her 80
But she would not come. Another age,
and then. just outside on the landing,
there was the sound Of footsteps. One
step there was no possibility Of me at
least mistaking; il was quick, free and
buoyant. Some one knocked; my heart
stood still for a moment, then throbbed
on violently. rose to my feet to show
her that my manhood was not altogeth-
er dead found my voice, and the pro-
sale "Come in" became tragedy In
two words. The door opened and shut.
Involuntarily both my hands went ont
to her, and knew that, weakly enough,
my eyes were filing with tears. Oh,
what a magic there was in her pres
encel The conventional words Of well
come stuck in my throat, but it did not
matter, for in another moment her
head was pillowed on my breast. "Oh,
Dick" she cried, II am crying because
I'm so gladl Yor will never, never let
me go away againr'
My stern resolutions went to the
winds as held her head and kissed her
on the lips
Blindness forsoothl was the happi-
est man in the three kingdoms!
1t is now some FIVE years since my
wife and I chose this quiet northwest
ern London suburb, where in the early
spring one can throw open the windows
and allow the sweet scent OF flowers
and the singing Of birds to come in to-
gether. There are no such things as
gloomy skies or fogs to the blind. My
life at least is one Of perpetual sunshine.
Ask any one Of the five and twenty
!, s, 3