The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-04-03

drawn very near by their mutual trou-
bic and by all the strange events Of
that strange week. and together they
talked of the accident and of Clara and
James and their eldest son. and then
Mrs. Hardy said as she trembling drew
her husbands face near to her:
Robert, Go you still have that i'm
preston concerning the time left you
here to live? Do you still think this
week is to be the end?"
Mrs. Hardy had vague hope that,
the shock of the accident might have
destroyed the impression Of the dream,
but her hope was disappointed.
MY dear wife," replied Robert.
''there is not the least doubt in my
mind that my dream was vision of
what will happen. There is no ques-
ton but that after Sunday shall not
be with you. This is Wednesday. How
lightninglille the days have flown.
How precious the moments are! How
many of them have wasted in foolish
seltishness! Mary. should go mad
with the thought if l did not feel the
necessity of making this week the best
week of my life, only l do not know
what is most important to- do. If it
had been seven months or even seven
weeks, might have planned more
wisely. Oh, it is cruelty brief. the
time! But Unjust make the wisest
possible use Of it. This accident. so
unexpected, has complicated the mat
ter. | had not reckoned on it,"
How many Of us do reckon on acct
dents? They always come into our
lives with a shock. Yet it seems posi-
BILE that a man who lives very close to
God every day might be SO ready for
everything that not even the most ter
rible catastrophe could make much
difference to his plans for daily life.
least of all deprive him of his reason.
as it has so often done. Robert Hardy
was just beginning to realize dimly
that life is not one thing, bnt many
things. and that its importance is the
Importance which belongs to the char
acter of God himself.
He began to talk calmly with his
wife concerning what he would do that
day and was still talking about it when
James came in with doctor. who OF
once went up stairs. He was just from
the scene of the accident and bore
marks Of hard nights work. His
first glance at Clara was hard and pro-
fessional, but as he looked he grew
very grave, and an expression of seri-
Gus surprise came over his weary face.
He laid his hands on the girls eyes and
examined them, raised her hand and
dropped it upon the bed agnin. Then.
turning to the father and mother, he
said gently:
"You must prepare yourselves for
terrible fact resulting from. the acct
dent to your daughter She has suffer-
ed shock that will probably render
her blind as long as She lives
Mr.. and Mrs. Hardy listened. pale
faced and troubled. 1t was hard to
think of the girl. so strong willed. so
passionate and yet SO capable of noble
impulses and loving desires. as Ill her
life shut up within the darkness thus
| 1t was bitter to think of this for her
What would it be to her when she
awoke to the whole consciousness of
| it?
/ The doctor spoke again slowly:
"There is another thing you ought to
| be prepared for. In rare cases like this
| it happens sometimes that loss OF
hearing accompanies the loss of sight"
| Then, after a pause: and with the
loss of sight and hearing it is possible
the peculiar shock has deprived your
| daughter of the power of speech. l do
not know yet whether this has happen
ed, but prepare you for the worst"
Blind and deaf and Dumb" MUIR
INJURED Mr.. Hardy, while his wife sat
down and buried her face in the bed
| clothes and sobbed. 1t seemed terrible
| to them.
| The doctor, after little further ex-
animation, said nothing more could be
done at present, gave. directions for
certain necessary treatment and de-
parted after giving a look at Will and
Bess and prescribing for them.
Mr.. Hardy went down stairs and
| quietly told James all that the doctors
had said. To man living on the
verge Of eternity, as Mr.. Hardy was.
| there was no time for evaSiOnS or the
| postponing of bad news or the utter
ance of SOFT speeches.
James took the news more calmly
than Mr. Hardy thought he would. 1t
was evident he did not realize all that
was meant by it.
Can you love Clara under these con-
| ditions?" asked Mr.. Hardy, looking
at James with sympathy that the
| young man could not help feeling.
Yes, sir; more than ever. Why, is
she not more in need Of it than ever?'
True, but what can you do with q
helpless creature like thatY'
Gold help us. sir! Ii she We're my
wife now and were dependent on me-
don't you think l could care for her
tenderly, better than any one else in
| the world?''
Mr.. Hardy shook his head. This is
u hard blow to me, James | don't
know just what to say yet. But it is
| possible the poor girl may not have to