Newark post., 1912-02-21
THE ANGEL OE MERCY
BY NELMA CALDWELL MELVILLE

TOR rev minutes all were silent,
then the first voice went on:
1T seems hard enough to be
counted old and only fit to be
banged around without this
dreadful blindness added
She paused again, and someone
asked the cause of her misfortune.
1T is inherited. My mother
was blind and not Of much use
but to raise colts, they said.
Whether they knew that blind
mothers are liable to transmit
their misfortune | do not know,
but the fact remains. | could see
all right unit | was four years old
then one day getting pretty
warm. a mist seemed to come over
my eyes. 1t grew steadily more
dense until at night | was entire
ly blind and guided only by my
mate. When loosened from him |
could not find even the familiar
watering trough. What ails
kate?' somebody asked. while
someone else said. She acts as if
she were blind. | have never seen
a ray of light since, and no words
can describe what | suffer. No
one has any pity for a blind
horse! 1t is just push it along. |
am so nervous, everything startles
and territies me. | am always
slipping on stones. or brusing my
self against things | cannot see. |
stretch out my neck to listen and
am jerked and called an old blind
fool! Nearly all my brothers and
sisters went the same way
"Pitiful indeed" voice said
kindly, ''but not as sad as the
story my old mate here, Nell, can
tell you. Repeat it, Nell."
Without apparent volition on
his own part, the minister found
himself beside ii slender brown
thoroughbred who, despite her
hard life was still beautiful. Her
voice was gentle, but the ring of
pathOs was unmistakable.
Il was bred on Il fine farm, -
she said, land early became the
property Of one Of the young sons,
a headstrong, high tempered fel-
low, cruel in the extreme. Bar
ring some merciless poundings
and reckless driving | got on fair
ly well until one day when we
were ploWing. My mouth was
terribly sore owing to his nervous,
way Of twitching and
jerking the lines. EXasperated at
last, | worked the bit up 50 as to
hold it with my teeth. Instantly
flying into passion, he pulled out
his pocket knife and gashed my
mouth back on either side.
AFTER that he seemed to es-
peclally owe me Il grudge and
beat and drove me harder than
ever. One day when we were
plowing again he tied my colt to
my side. At last it got so hungry
and tired that it could not go an
other step, but he was in a hurry
to get through and kept prodding
it with a stick. | endured it as
long as | could and then | stop
ped short in the furrow. The poor
baby made feeble lunge for her
dinner. but with a singing blow
| was ordered to 90 on, but | had
made up my mind that the colt
should rest for minute and have
something to quench it's thirst if
he killed me, and I refused to
move. Dropping everything but
the whip he came around in front
Of me and cut me over the head
and face till the blood flowed. |
tried to close my eyes, but once in
my frenzied pain | opened one.
and the knot on the end of the
whip cut into it and put it out.
My colt was choked to death in
the struggle and | was glad of it
poor little thing. Two years later
as went into my stall | found a
stranger tied there. but as there
was plenty Of room | walked
quietly i'll and began to eat hay.
Suddenly, with terrible oath.
my master rushed toward me with
a knotted stick. The first blow
he gave me in the face almost
stunned me: the second tore out
my remaining eye.
There, you old fool you
You haven't any eye now he
said. and went off laughing
The minister shuddered.
1t was broad daylight and mid
summer weather when he and his
guide paused at the Chicago