The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-09-22
MRS. cHIsHoLM's WAY.

= score OF Years She Was EyeA
for Her Blind Husband.
Elsie" said Laura Garfield. as the
girls waited on the threshold of the
Cnisholm home, III you'd told me we
were going to see a blind person 1
should have begged off. Blindness
breaks my heart. That's one reason
I've run away for this visit to YOU"
You mean on account of your Aunt
Mercie?'
Yes. It's terrible, Elsie. We can't
express pleasure in a thing we see
"ltnout the unhappy feeling that she
can't see 1t. too. We're getting so that
when there's beautiful sunset or a
fine illustration, or anything pretty, we
just point at it silently, so she won't
know the difference"
is she going to live with you after
this, Laura?"
"Oh, yes! She's fathers only sister.
you know, and she hasn't another soul
belonging to her except an adopted
daughter, who doesn't know any more
than to send her a water-color land
scape for Christmas present. Think
OF that-to blind woman! Wasn't it
heartless-or at least thoughtless
Yves. 1t wouldn't be if you sent it
to Mr.. Chisholm, though. But then,
Mrs. Chisholm has a way
The door opened and Mrs. Chisholm
greeted them brightly. Just see, Nor
toni" she cried, as she led the way
into the sitting-room. Its Elsie
Brooke and her friend, Miss Garfield,
and they've brought us this great
bunch Of red partridge-berries, all nes-
tied in among glossy dark green leaves.
Aren't they lovely?"
smile so beautiful as the one on the
face Of the courtly man who rose to
meet them.
Its real taste of the woods, isn't
it?" he said, as his fingers caressed the
leaves and berries. Where shall we
put them, Mary?" and he seemed to
look at his wife through the dark
glasses that shaded his eyes.
Right here in the bay window.
where we had the yellow blossoms yes
terday."
'Oh, yes! With the green of the
maple-tree outside for a background"
And the sunlight filtering through
in patches" she prompted.
ITO be sure! Mrs. Chisholm never
leaves out the sunlight" he added,
turning that beautiful smile to the
girls again; and Laura found herself
doubling that this could be the Mr..
Chisholm who had been blind for TWEEN
y years.
A minute later he handed her the
photograph Of his one grandchild.
isn't that fine boy for months p
he asked, proudly. ''See the shape of
that head, and those little chubby arms
pretty aren't they? The picture come
this morning, and we were as excited
as two children. We could hardly wait
to get it OPEN"
Laura almost gasped. He was total
~ blind; Elsie had said so. And yet,
listen! He was talking about the
squirrels in his yard now.
They're as tame as Kittens" he de-
clared. You ought to have seen them
| this morning! They'd let Mrs. CHS
holm and me get close to them, and
they'd run little way ahead and look
back at us as saucy as you please. They
| f1irted with us"
WELL" put in Elsie Brooke, gaily, II
can't blame them a bit, If Mrs. CHS
holm had on the pretty blue gown she's
wearing now. She looks so lovely l
can't help speaking of 1t"
Mr.. Chisholm reached for the hand of
the little woman at his side. "She al
ways looks beautiful to me-" he said,
tenderly. ''And-what is more, my
dears-the whole world looks beauti-
full to me, and has for twenty years,
through her youths Compan-
ion