Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-12-31

IN. UST as the clock struck the man
III laid. down his magazine with a
L. sigh, and glanced at the time Z
piece on the table before him. Ten
o'clock, and tomorrow was New
Years day-to-morrow, that would
end this lonely life of his and a
him home. Home to the people who,
with the dear faith of ones own KIN,
] still believed in the genius he had
failed to prove to the rest OF the
world. His face frightened as he pic
| tured his welcome there, and with
childish impulse to quicken to-moI
rows coming he rose from his chair
and began his preparations for the
night.
AS he undressed his mind reverted
to the story he had been reading
a tale of a man whose family had
been cursed with hereditary blindness
and who had at last seized the cow
ards refuge rather than face the trag-
edy of his Inheritance.
He shuddered slightly, for the story
had made its peculiar appeal to him.
He, too, knew the sick horror OF sucn
a heritage. His grandfather and great
grandfather had spent their last years
In darkness, and, although his W
father had escaped, he knew too many
victims of the caprice of atavism to
hold himself exempt.
: The chill air of the December night
struck his face as he opened his win
: dow and he shook off his momentary
depression as the little refrain, with
all it meant, sang once once more in
his brain-"to-morrow is New Years
!. day"
At length he fell asleep, his eyes
resting on the cheerful little point OF
O fame in the night-lamp which shone
through the p door of his dress
ing-room full on his pillow.
Outside, the wind in the valley was
blowing the clouds into a heavy pail
( across the sky, then, rising suddenly In
a passion of destructiveness,' IT
m snapped the trees beside the mans
~ window with a crash that reused the
. sleeper to a sitting posture.
Gazing, unknowing, into the black
= ness around him, with his first con-
y seriousness he raised his hand to bis
2. eyes to brush away the veil OF sleep
f. The action woke him to a sudden real
in ization of the intense darkness before
him. Where was the light that always
q, met him from the faithful little night
! lamp? Where vas the gray out-of,
Y doors that meant early morning
~ Blackness, thick, impenetrable, CLOSED
't- in on him. God! could it be that thu
light still burned-but not for him
,e- That the sun was rising-but to hin
rs it would always be night?
Nv He slid from his bed and grope
IA his way to the window, straining hi
i eyes vainly to perceive the slightes
outline in. the formless
Then terror gripped him close and II
panic babe him scream-ty-escap
The from this fiend of night that had fold
K ed him in her infinite embrace.
With one last effort at control a
reached for the familiar match-bo
and struck one of the tiny torche
that meant lifelong night or day I
him. He heard the scratch and snal
but not a spark of light rewarded b
ia agonized effort to see. The mate
am fell from his nerveless fingers al
iay the cold sweat of despair soaked b
, a niaht-clothes with it's dank chill.
His whole future was silhouette
before him, a black shadow again
TIE sunlight Of the world. His ey
gh sight gone. his career ruined, his gYe
nan hook still unwritten-only LIES emp
ing shell left to mock him. To-morrc
Iicz would begin the drear, black proce
lked sion of days, stretching like pall-bea
him ers to the grave. Tomorrow! y
ttav God! the irony of it-to-morrow W
80 tbe new year! An impotent sob 70
choking in his throat. Was this to
'pio his home-coming-led ! a blind be
gar to be a burden where he b
end hoped to help?
ara All his mans courage and fierce
,eora sistance to Fate rose in him..
o,,e would never yield to that. Rather
With his sudden energy his hng'
oi1s closed on one remaining match q
have instinctively, with the vigor born
FOR desperation, he struck it along
,sga- wall. A quick blue flame sprang
life and showed the open door,
Th., e~xtinguished lamp, the headless ma
full to at his -opJe y 10 ave -
Chi fore, 30 irauShe win
now.
With a cry of relief. the man spri
ea to the gas-jet, and as the room J
4 flooded with the blessed light he 81
prop trembling to- his knees, and the .
III vs. of midnight sang in his ears: TO
OF a is the new year.''-The Wright Ma
airing