Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-05-08

Lake Como, opposite Caddenabbia.
That lake was the last thing / really
could see. / came home practically
sightless!
But / hoped-yes. hoped. And /
prayed. I hoped to prolong my vision
by iridectomy and took the chance
1t was useless. And my eyes went
out on that last awful Sunday in
1910"
The clergyman was referring to that
day when he went to the reading desk
to read the litany for his congregation.
He found that his eyes had failed him
completely-he was stone blind, and
the types could not reach his brain.
Please finish It," he said to his as
sistant, turning helplessly away.
| Il am blind" he said to people in
the pews, some of them weeping, 81
have lost my sight; please bear with
me-"
But let him tell some of the rest of
his story. as he revels today in vision
that Is perfect when he puts on his
big lenses-he cannot see without
them.
/ Joy Of Restored sIaht.
Il love a picket fence, 1 love a mud
puddle" he said, wiping the tears
from his one time sightless eyes. 81
love everything around me; l can see
them all again. To think of going
blind; not to know the faces of your
friends. first, and then noting that it
was going blacker every day-it's all
too horrible!
so went to DR.. John E. Weeks.
Patience he told me. you must wait.
And could only take a chance on one
eye at time; the risk was too great.
II we failed on one eye. we still had
a chance for the other.
"Other eyes helped me-those of
my good wife and Of my curate, the
Rev. Mr.. Ivie. My wife read me my
personal mail; my curate took charge
Of the official business Of the church.
l decided to learn to write, though
blind. Half a dozen members of my
congregation came in and read to me
every day for two or three hours. II
Is hard to realize what it means to
have such friends when they must be
eyes for you.
And 'patience!' DR.. Weeks was
saying to me all the time.
THE sexton led me to the pulpit
every time / preached. and led me
out again. walked about with 9
cane in the familiar streets near my
house and the church. One day q
pathetic thing happened. a mar
bumped into me. I'm blind he said
please help me across the street.
And could only say, so am l. In
blind. too
Struggle to Save Eyesisht.
But still had to wait. The cat
aract had to form itself before / coult
20 on the table for DR.. Weeks. l wa
In such a condition that l couldn'
baptize a child or deliver the Sacra
!, ment I learned the service by heart
but when there was a funeral l ha.
to be led to the coffin. I had to b.
put to bed at night. And keep doinl
: things was DR.. Weeks everyday tall
to me. You must work on II we ar
! going to save your eyes
DR.. Van De Water told Of his strue
giles to see his fingers in the broa'
daylight. when he held them in from
of his eyes: of the falls he had whel
: he tried to make his way about nj
own home in the darkness that wa
' his: of the weary waiting for tn
!. time when DIR. Weeks could say
, Were ready. now!"
! And of his thoughts when he coul
% see nothing:
81 learned most of the psalms b
!. heart" he said. 81 revelled in Rober
Burns, and especially in his 'Epistl
to a Young Friend had White
read to me-his Hymn on Eterns
Goodness And over and over agai
they read to me John Forster's essa
on .Decision Of Character. But ever.
thing was as night to me. And | ha
to wait.
e "During all those long wear
e months. from October to April. in tn
n darkness. my mind unconsciously wei
o back to my boyhood days. coul
d recall the days when l didn't was
n nv face and when I never wanted
It take a bath. The old-fashioned hymn
.lcame back to me. I remembered be
ter these things than what had ha
!" pened only a few short years befor
d But I was blind"
le Seemed the Dawn Of Heaven.
n The clergyman was speaking alor