The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-04-15


 tenderness of his
 Forty thousand people qualIed in their hearts What had they gone forth to This? Women begin ming to become hysterical Strong men guped. But the Blue choked and knew.
 "I wonti" cried the agonized voice. higher pitch. Let alone Why-I can't Sce!"
 Struggling, fighting with all the force of hundred football engagements the blind haif-bac protesting and sobbing, borne from the field. He was bound in the of those who when they not fierce as gorilias can be as tender maternity.
 When the referees strident whistle announced the beginning of the play MT. and Mrs. Alexander Penwith not to be
 The Penwitt house had been hushed for six weeks. In darkened room, upon his bed the lad lay. He knew the He had read it in his mothers change. Her soft and yielding The had become tender, woman1y, tactfuL He knew it from his father. He diVined the graven wrinkles, the white hair He felt it in the long, strong mas culine grip that said everything and needed word of explanation.
 The boy did not know the of it. but he knew his condition. Absolute blindnessi The surgeon had explained the accident the parents with great ing The player had been hit upon the optic comris- the sensitive in the occpita1 region that connects the optic t1alam There was nothing to do but rest in bed and wait. It only question whether the injury serious for absorption If so the boy was blind for life. There skill on earth fhaf could save him. only his clean past
 Nothing allowed to excite the 1ad-no stories of football reports of the solcitude of his college mates.
 
 were deeper the mans face more silver on his head, grimmer, tenser carrying of the jaws He would take two stairs time in soft bounds glide into the dim seat himself the bed grasp the lads hand in his and ask:
 flows my boy tonight" That was all Then the two would be silent for long time There was nothing to say. But what thoughts theirsR To the rapidly aging looking down upon the uncertain outline of his only child what shattered dreamsl What systems of work never to be donel It was monstrons that he had built in vain. It was in- tragedy
 And what thoughts were the boys during these long robbed him that as great honor suts t9s would a2e trained? Did he wonder if the loss of him cost his team the yiSory S Did he regret his shattered college waste of his manhood? Did he contemplate blind the humiliation of it? No one knew. The boy lay silent and grim His fathers grip his only daily 
 Mrs Penwth had bosterous nature, not given to intuition the refined evidences of deicacy The dis tace between horseback and the sicroom the country club and blindness had been stumbled over with comment But did the lady now for the first time be- g gnnng eo question .de valne or tne m1tary iaea analysed it himself? When his keen anticipated wall as if too tired to speak or to be spoken to- A nice observer disciple of psychotherapy might have which he did not wish interrupted by unsympafl1etic influence. However that may be, this phenomenon did But both mother and father recognized the mighty struggle that the lad made for life. Sudden blindness to Hercules is life; it is assassination Young Penwh obeyed orders eagerly and without murmur waned It seemed if his years of preparatory and collegiate training in athletic subordnaton had been only for this of subissveness. Told relax he did so. Ordered to sleep he slept. Commanded to vegetate, he became in his mind cabbage, He played athletics from his mind he promptly forgot even the signals sig g and f plays Gf 5 football M Requred # to G eliminate 6 courses from his brain When he found himself un- activity he resolutely communicated sleep i'm posed upon him not to think eyes; What an order to that almost superhuman he substituted the thought of toes, Blessed and harmless substitutonl electrified in him the whole value of the tragic horror. 9a as n1s M 5 % aH 1 hs Blood G and h ia of t-and then he ashamed because he had broken orders.
 It is curious fact that the continuation of tragedy
 It was about in the afternoon, just following straight at his mother standing by his bed. To one accustomed to the dim light objects are easily dlsn- Mrs Penwith stood rooted She hardly dared breathe specting her. Her full bosom rose and fell What did he think he saw? What was he about to say? What additional horror was to be hersF For she knew that
 Mother the voice came naturally and evenly @You have grown aWfu1y thin. It's too bad"
 Too startled8to realize what this meant Mrs Pen- with dropped the foot of the bed; and then the stared at each other.
 How do you know" she asked, hoarsely
 Its perfectly plain"
 How many fingers I holding up? She raised her hand above her head
 Two" without hesitation, the
 Then Mrs. Penwith knew. She did not cry. She did not embrace. She a soldiers daughter, and if cured her that this exactly the time for self restraint.
 "You mustn't talk" she said very quietly. T to telephone the office. He" she stopped, gripped with the emotion she to evoke.
 'Do you know first" she whispered, leaning toward her boy, "how the game came out?"
 The lad turned his head wearily to the wall. "I don't care" he said, distinctly. T want my