Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-03-03
BLIND FAMILY Is MADE HAPPY.
Lake George, Col, Family of Four
Soon to See Through New
Born Babes Good Eyes.

In little home at Lake George,
% miles from Colorado Springs,
there is a baby boy, who, when he
grows up, will be able to tell his
father, his mother and brother and
sister of the beauties of the noun
tain region in which they live, but
which have been shut out to them
throughout their lives.
This baby, the pride and wonder
of the entire district, possesses the
blessing of sight, denied all other
members of the family. The babys
father is Benjamin Richards. He is
blind The little mother, now the
happiest woman in all Colorado, was
Miss Myrtle Highly. She was born
blind. She was a student in the
State School for the Blind and while
there met Richards. His sight had
been destroyed in an accident.
| Drawn together by their affliction
which sent them thru the world in
darkness, Richards and the little
blind girl were married. Five years
ago baby girl was born. Anxiously
they waited for the word that
would tell them whether the inno-
cent little newcomer had also enter
ed the world in darkness. Their
hearts were torn when they were
told the baby girl would never see.
Three years later a baby boy arriv-
ed and he, too, had been denied the
gift of sight.
Two years passed. A little girl,
now five years old, played in a world
of darkness about her mother, who
had also never seen the light of day.
A little boy CROPPED about the floor,
his sightless eyes turned toward the
mother whom he knew only by the
sound of her voice or the touch Of
love from her hand 1t was a home of
darkness. Father and mother una
bic to look upon their children and
the little ones growing and blossom
ing despite the blight cast upon
them at birth. But neighbors told
Mother Richards that her little ones
were pretty children and she smiled
and coddled the little hands and
faces she could not see.
Time went on. AS mother Rich
ards heard the voices of her two lit
tie ones as they played in the dark
ness of their baby lives. she knew
that the great good bird, the Stork,
would soon hover over her home
again. She knew that he was about
to bring another baby soul into the
world and mother Richards prayed
that this innocent might be spared
the blight of eternal darkness. Mo-
Their Richards was cheerful and hope
full, but when the time came for
father Richards to summon the vii
lage doctor, his heart fairly stood
still.
Some friends accompanied the
man or medicine to the Richards
home. They knew of the prayers of
the mother and father and of their
hope. The doctor could only tell
them that he hoped, but there was
prenatal influence to overcome.
Before him was the sightless mo-
Their. Waiting with the mountain
friends was the sightless father and
the children of night. The doctor
came from the room. His face was
wreathed in smiles. He grasped ia.
ther Richards by the hand.
"A boy; seven and one-half pounds
and perfect eyes. He Sees" the
big man told the father even as he
himself was overcome with emotion.
There were tears of joy in the
Richards home that day. Though
they did not know just why, the
childis' laughs of the little ones of
darkness carried new note of cheer