The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-08
"ME. AN LII ARKY IS BLIND"
What woast 70 the
Looks lind y

Miss Linda Neville looked at the
envelope and smiled. 1t was ad
dressed:
tn lady who loks afr
Blind children,
Lexint0n kintuky.
After the postman had gone. Miss
Neville opened the letter and read;
Dere lady
Me an Lu Arky is Blind Kin yu
all let we uDs cum tn skule for
Blind Children.
Mr.. Willard Brown.
Miss Neville went to her desk. She
picked up her pen and wrote. She
told Mr.. Willard Brown that she
would be glad, indeed to make ar
engagements for himself and Lu Arky
at the School for Blind Children.
Some days later in little shack
forty miles back in the Kentucky
mountains tn letter was read aloud
to Mr.. Willard Brown and Lu Arky.
rs ii really true?" asked Lu Arky.
"Of course its true" replied Mr..
Willard Brown. Il done toll you all
the Lady who looks after bin chilern
would say come right here. done toll
you that and she done did it
Lu Arky burst into ters.
"Mebbe" sobbed Lu Arky "we'u be
able to see some day. see all sorts of
things--fowers an'-an-"
The scourge OF trachoma among
the mountain felix came TO the notice
Of Miss Neville when she was girl.
Later after graduating from Bryn
Mawr and while teaching Latin at d
school in Kentucky, she determined
to investigate the situation and her
investigation prompted her to stop
teaching and to devote all her life to
preventing the spreading of blindness
fx~vr lar rE a
without compensation, is simply the
service of Christian woman Miss
Neville is a member OF the Episcopal
communion and for years has been
giving personal service of the kind for
which the Episcopal church seeks re-
cruits in its nationwide campaign
row being conducted for the expan-
SION of its activities at home and
| abroad.
| 1t was through the efforts of Miss
Neville that conditions prevailing in
| Kentucky mountains were brought to
the attention of the Federal govern
ment, When the extent of trachoma
vas seen to be distinct menace the
lublic health service sent surgeons
! into the state and established clinics.
| And in this work Miss Neville has
| been a leader because of her knowl-
| edge of conditions and because or
the trust and confidence she has in
,spired among the mountaineers. Also
\ she has done much to obtain rem
| edial Legislation in her own state.
How quickly the light may fail Is
! shown IN the following case recently
reported by Miss Neville in the Bulie-
tin of the state board of health of
Kentucky.
"One Monday in April. more than
three years ago, when | walked into
our house I found n man waiting to
talk to me about blind child. He
was poor, rough-h handed farmer
Ct Central kentucky. With re-
r:essed emotion he said: have
come to Lexington with a neighbor
of mine and his little boy. ten years
cd, who has losl his sight He was
all right until last December when
he caught an eye disease and now he
is blinds 7 have been begging the
father TO bring him to a Lexington
occulist but the man has kept putting
| II off couldn't make him realize
how serious the trouble was. The
! boys sight is worse today than it was
on Friday; he can just tell daylight
from darkness today / left my
ploughng this morning to come with
them to Lexington. We have taken
the boy to three occulists and they
all say there is no hope One OF
them wrote a note to you about get
ting the child into a blind school.
The man and the little boy are wait
ing at the charities building
Il found the child helpless. hopeless
almost lifeless. In his blindness. I
did not say much to him or to his
father, Sometimes I am struck dumb.
And the father. who had heard that
morning the truth told in no uncertain
terms did not say much either
we four walked down the street
together bought little harp for
the child. but he showed no pleasure
in having it. The father said It WAS
a pity the child did not care for music.
The two mon and the little boy re-
turned home. The scene Of tragedy
was shifted back to the country. the
boy playing the chief part. without
ever having tho Joy of seeing. oven for
one moment
Often. indeed IN most cases, Miss
Neville fnds her patients ere too poor
TO pay the expenses Of = trip to Lex
ington. To meet their needs she has
organized the mountain fund. The
contributions that come TO her enable
those to come for treatment who other
wise could not afford to come.
RAP rnAPA than IAN ~Anpa NArv nHlaS