Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-11-30

the fever of expectancy for the past few
nights had caused me % sleep badly.
this did not strike me a. odd / became
conscious Of mysterious voice in my
head which sang in unison with n hand
organ which kept grinding ont can
tumn Leaves' in a neighbCrinE street
The lazy lap of the water the easy
laughter Of some seafariug men pushing
of in a small boat sounded a. II from
the clouds. and the measured raspinS q
saw in carpenters shop hard by
seemed very unreal and far away. sons
one grasped me by the arm. II was
second or two before ! realized IL was
Kate.
Dick. I've brought your green
glasses You mustn't leave them of
just yet. you know Let me put them
on you. old boy. at once.
What had come over me that / should
think we were some considerable dis
tance apart instead Of being close to-
setherg The voice in my head struck
up another tune and the hand organ ac-
compauied as before . The rasping and
Kissing Of the saw. the tapping of the
water and the calls of the sailors became
a confused tumble Of sound A sudden
chill crept over me. my heart finttered
painfully. a horrible presence possessed
Inc.
Was il "the fiickering of the candle
the great oculist had spoken about /
found my voice and cried:
Kate. isn't Gods world very bean
tifulT'
"Yes, Dick. ." she answered. with n
woman's unerring instinct '.But not
so beautiful as humanity" and her
arm went round my waist.
Then. lass. I've looked my last on
il and on youi"
For the candle had burned down in
its socket
As they led me back to the hotel be
tween them the organ broke into a
joyous dance. and / could hear the
rhythmical patter 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 chlidreni
And. oh. the irony of fate that sh0ald
make that organ peal ont, as like a
prematurely old man. passed il. ''Sun-
shine Above. " sunshine abovel
Suddenly | stopped
Jack, " I asked. place me with my
face 10 the sun.
Reluctantly. as il were, they turned
me round until / could feel its warm
rays kissing my cheeks. but there was
nothing before my lifeless eyehails but
an unbroken twilight. might in the
future be able to tell night from day.
but nothing more. How had I sinned
that the cup Of promise should have
been held out to me and then dashed 70
pieces Immediately Il touched my lipsf
They took me into the private sitting
room. There / threw myself face down
ward on couch and gave way TO the
rebellion in my heart. just as / had
done when my sight had first been
taken from Inc. Resignation. forsoOthi
Let them preach it who have success
fully triumphed over a living death like
mine. At first those with me wisely re-
Trained from those stereotyped words Of
so called comfort They knew that a
clasp Of the hand and period Of sig
nificant silence could do more for a man
at such a time. My mother. good soul,
came and knelt by my side. His will
be done. she said. struggling to be
brave.
''His will" / cried when il
means the ruin of my lifef'
''Do you think it Is not as hard for
me to bear, she rejoined; you. who
are the only boy have leftf''
Oh. how ashamed felt Of myself at
that momenti Have mercy upon me.
o Lord, for | am weak cried
Oh, how / hated that fSckering Of
my dying sight Why had ID not passed
from me forever SO that I might have
been spared the torments Of disappoint-
ed hopes, the bitterness Of soulG But
those words Of my mother made me
think If had often regretted lacking
the opportunity of proving my man
hood and that better self which / be
lieved was in every man. had ! not now
one chance in thousand Of asserting
it2 No sooner had this thought possess
ed me than became like my old self
Just then a messenger came to say