The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13
Chicago Correspondent New York Her
al

Chicago Correspondent New York Her
aid.
i'm DOR DICK" said Maisie, the
w selfish heroine of Rurvard
Kipling's famous novel, 1.-The
Light That Failed" when she walked
into the Lendon studio and saw Dick
Heldar, her lover, stricken with blind
ness. Poor Dich" And then she left
him, and Dick Heldar went out to the
soudan, and luckily, was shot, and Maisie
dropped out Of tho story, having set a
and lack of feeling.
Poor mel said Mrs. Nathan Hammer
of Chicago. when her husband, with
whom she had lived for sixteen years,
went blind. well. can't allow myself
to be tied down to a blind man for the
rest of my life. How can I?''
Mr.. Hammer got q divorce on the
ground Of cruelty, and he left Mrs. Ham
mer in possession of such worldly goods
as were left mutually to them-approxi-
mately $4,000 worth OF furniture-and went
out into the world. The woman, probably
breathing sigh of relief. watched him
go without tremor and turned away to
make her own way In life.
And Hammer, the blind man, the help
less one, the CASTOR of a wife, the home
less, went into the insurance business
The woman knew. but she knew also that
a blind man is helpless. But Hammer
case, 1t happened, through some strange
reasons. was an exceptional one He did
not fall. Instead, he prospered. His bus
mess grew; his reputation grew. and with
the story of his misfortune and domestic
troubles to help him he began to get
more and moro insurance business to
handle. Now. two years and half after
the divorce. he is making an income
which, while not as generous as tho one
he had when his eyesight was whole,
would be sufficient to provide for his for
mer wife in the manner to which she had
been accustomed. He is prospecting de-
spite his blindness, and tho woman Is
not--at least, not in like proportion.
Taken all in all, the story is Of heroic
proportions and full of stern and solemn
and uplifting lessons.
The marriage, which eventually led to
the events Of this chronicle. took place
in Cleveland in 1896. Hammer at that
time was a travelling salesman. He was
successful. although in no sense of the
word rich. His income was rather above
the average travelling salesman's. he had
been on the road a long time, his trade
was esta blished and he had saved some
money He had paid premiums for sew
eral years on a considerable amount Of
life insurance, and in every way he was
what is listed on the matrimonial mar
ket as good provider." a
Sober, steady, firmly established in his
vocation, Hammer was just the kind of
man to attract the kind of young woman
that became his wife. Perhaps it was a
case of love on her part; perhaps it
wasn't.
At all events, they were married. Then
followed sixteen years of married life
the average married life of the average
American couple. Hammer provided
we'll. His wife had her good clothes
and flnery and they lived happily-at
least as happily as most married people
live. The husband was on the road much
of the time; the wife sometimes accom-
In her reply to Hammers bill for divorce
the woman admits that never was her
husbands conduct anything that the con-
duct of a husband should not be. re
took good care of her and he treated
her we'll Unquestionably he loved her,
for some trace Of the old affection still