The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-11-23
THE BLIND MIN"
g. S1y cs Nsgc-szsn;.

Etie, bearing, rs they do, the magic touch
~ that vanished band" In every symba-
,hetic turn Of thought ana language. One
~ the most touching OF them all Is this
-keieh OF tho Blind Man, unsurpassed for
ya'Los In any tongue.J
What is that Joy which animateg us
MT first sight Of the rising, sun? Why
Is II that this luminary, as it touches
the earth. fills our bosoms with
The Joy OF being alive? The
whole sky 10 blue, the meadows
arc all green, the honses all shine
white, aud our ravished eyes drink in
these glowing colors which so delight
our souls. Then are we possessed
with the impulse TO dance, to run and
sing--a happy citation lifts our thoughts
it 10 some kind of swelling tender.
ness; we would like TO embrace tho
sup.
Those blind mon ut the gate, I'M
touched in their eternal darkness, are
calm rs ever in the midst Of our new
found gayoty, aud without the least
perception OF it, they quiet their dogs
tbat would like 10 gambol in the light.
When they come home, at close of
day, leaning on the arm of somo little
brother or Eister, ii the child say,
Tho weather was beautiful to-day"
the blind man replies, 81 know il must
have been fine, for Lulu would not be
quiet u moment"
Once upon time i knew one OF
these men whose life was the most
cruel martyrdom that I can conceive.
lie was n peasant, the son of Nor
man farmer. So long as his father
and mother were alive he received q
little care; he suffered only in thought
Of his horrible iniirmity; but as soon
IA the parents were dead an atrocious
the home OF one Of his sisters, every
one on the farm treated him like q
beggar, who ate the bread that be-
longed to others.
At each meal they grudged him his
food; they called him loafer and a
churl, but, inasmuch as his brother
in-law had taken possession OF his in
heritance, they regretfully gave him n
little soup, just enough to keep him
alive.
His face was pale as death, his eyes
were large and white rs waters; so he
sat unmoved by his wrongs, 50 self
contained that they wondered whethe or
he felt at all.s Never had he known
the least tenderness, for even his
mother had always treated him rough
Iy and loved him little. For in the
fields the useless man does harm, and
the peasants do like the chickens, thcy
kill those of their number who are in
firm.
So soon as he had swallowed his
soup he went aud sat down at the door
IN summer, or in the chimney corner
In winter, never stirring thence till
evening. lie dill not move n finger
nor turn his head; only his eyelids,
moved by some nervous affection, at
times closed the white spots he called
eyes. Had he a mind. thought, any
clear idea OF his life? No one ever
asked him.
For q few years matters remained
thus. Buthis inability to do anything,
and most OF all his impassibility, at
last exasperated his relatives, and he
became tho butt, tho martyr fool-prey
given over to the natural ferocity and
savage gayety of those about him.
They devised all kinds CT cruel farces
that his blindness could suggest. And
to pay themselves for what ho ate, they
made his meals hours of delight for
the neighbors aud of torment for the
helpless man.
The peasants who lived in the
houses near by came to the "show :"
the word was passed from door to
door, and the kitchen at the farm was
full every day. Sometimes they put
cat or dog on the table right by his
plate when he began to drink his soup.
The animal knew his infrmity by in.
stinct and quietly rs possible came up
to the plate, and without any noise
Tapped from his plate. And /. il by
chance, in its eagerness, the animal
smacked its lips aud attracted the at.
tention Of the poor wretch, it drew
back quickly to avoid tho blow from
his spoon which he aimed ct random
toward the noise.
Then there were nudges, laughing
and stamping with JOY by the specta-
tors ranged along by the wall. But
he, without a word, began to eat again
with his right hand while with his left
he tried to protect his plate.
At other times they gave him corks
to eat, or bits of wood and leaves, for
he could not tell the difference until
he had it in his mouth.
But finally they tired of such cruel
Jokes, and his brother-in-law,e nraged
at having to feed him forever, struck
him and boxed his ears increasingly.
laughing at the futile attempts that
the blind man made to avoid or return
the blows. Here was q new game; the
game OF smacks! And the plough boys,
the hod carrier and the servants stuck
their hands into his face, which made
his eyelids blink most rapidly. He
did not know where to hide himself.
hut stood with outstretched arms try.
ing to keep them away.
At last they compelled him to beg.
he was placed at tie roadside on
market days, and as soon as he heard
wagon or carriage rolling near he
stretched out his hat, stammering
"Charity-if-you- p-l-e.a-s-er'
But the peasant is not very liberal,
and often for weeks he did not get q
cent.
Then IMPLYING hatred was un.
chained against him. And here is
how he died.
One winter the ground was covered
with snow and it was freezing cold.
Nevertheless, one morning his
brother-in-law took him long dis.
tance to stand by one of the chief
roads and beg aims. He left him
there all day, and when night came
he said at home that he could not find
him any more. And then he added
"Pah! It's no use OF bothering about
him; some one has taken him into his
house, because he was cold. You
may DO sure he is not lost. He Is
certain tn Gonna in IN ,,o,~o,, e. ~: