The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-12-15
MOLLIE is ONLY ONE OF
MANY

DOOh, anu IL was uOt hail 10 buo
as l had anticipated.
She brought her beautiful boy
out and put him In my arms and,
little book, the Madonna herself
could not have had greater
look of exhaltation on her face
when she bSnt over the lowly
cradle in the manger than Mol
lie had as she raised her face
from her baby's to mine. felt
that I was going to lose my poise,
but Mollie's voice Gained me.
ut could be worse, Margie,"
she said softly as her hand stray
ed softly over the little downy
head close to my breast.
l must have looked my mega
ton, for she repeated:
Eyes, dear. it might have been
worse. l might not have had
him at ALL" When she said she
took him from me and stood with
him held to her heart as tho she
would hold him there against
every power.
Just then I heard Chad begin
the WEAKNESS and hopelessness
of Beethoven's fifth symphony
across the hall in the music room.
Mollie's face clouded and she
gave the baby to me and hurried
to her husband. The music did
not cease, altho | heard a low
conversation; Mollie's voice coax
| ing and Chad's toneless and de-
spairing.
In minute she came back,
look of hopelessness on her face
which she did not have when she
was bringing her baby to me.
"Margie," she said, unless I
can bring Chad to better under
standing of what this means to
him and me, I will not be able to
go thru with 1t all. Since the
baby came he has not seen anyone
but me. He will not even see Pat
and he does nothing but wander
around thru the rooms and final
ly seat himslf at the piano and
play for hours.
at is bad enough when he
plays the old masters, but when
he begins to improvise. some
times think it will drive me mad"
"Tll go in and see him."
"He told me, dear, that he
could not bear to see even you.
You see, Margie, altho the doctor
has told him that our boys blind
ness is in no way blamable to
him, yet he knows 1t is an hertz
age from his father and he says
that, knowing that, he should
never have married.
Every time l 60 to him he
says: 'Mollie, Mollie, can you
forgive me? Are you going to
hate me all the rest of your life?"
And, Margie, love him more
than 1 have ever loved him be-
fore. WY, want to take him in
my arms Just as do my baby and
let him get all the comfort and
solaces he can in listening to the
beating OF my heart; haven
that has always been his from the
first moment l looked upon his
dear face. 1t matters not to me
what his father and mother were
except that because of their sins
we, their children, must suffer
even unto the third generation.
But it all comes to this, Margie,
because of my blind baby, many
other blind babies will be taught
to help themselves; because of my
misfortune, please God, many 9TH
er unfortunate and despairing
mothers will be able to give their
children some comforts that they
never thought could be theirs"
Then you are going to build
a homer" l asked.
yes, Margie, a home, a school
and hospital DR.. virot is going
to help me add It to his children's
hospital. This gives me mex
pressible comfort, my dear, for
you see l can't help thinking of
those other mothers who have
gone thru what / have gone thru
with no hope of making their chill
dren's lives anything but long,
dreary night"
Does not this appeal to Chad?
He is usually SO sympathetic to
all Ideas which tend to the help
of the helpless"
"He has not been able yet to
look at it in any way except as q
special dispensation OF torture
that has been meted out to him
alone.
"oh, Mollie, Mollle, cant you
see that here is place where I
am selfish enough to let the whole
world go hang II only and mine
could have escaped, he cried the
other day.
HThe torfura- 4ha tar.on 81 .....