The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-07-26

4
IL life. Mr.. and Mrs. T. ]. Nc
Cullan never have seen each other.
They are blind.
The house is quiet. Then there Ia
a football on the stair. Mrs. McCul-
lan's alert ears hear.
Tom" she says. you will find me
in the dining ROOM
And how does she know that it is
Tom, her husband, who approaches?
1 said she was blind. And the blind
know. I cannot tell you why nature
takes care of its own-or how.
only know it is true. Attention, while
the blind woman speaks:
I'm compensation for the loss of
my sight, God has sharpened my other
senses. The touch of my finger tells
me, for instance, when a pie is ready
to be removed from the oven"
Mrs. PhiIomen McCullan was born
in Syracuse, n. Y. She is 81. She
became totally blind when she was
girl. Her husband is 10. He was born
blind.
1t was at a school for the blind at
Batavia, Ohio, that Philomen met
Tom. There were no soft romantic
moons for them. But into the dark
ness Of their lives there crept a new
light that has shone on through the
years. In that city it revealed to Tom
that Philomen was beautiful, though
beauty he has not seen.
7 +alI
story of their wooing There are
sacred grounds upon which 1 do not
tread. But three who were Hind met
together-Tom and Philomen and
Love.
.McCullan is a well-educated man and
speaks with the diction and vocabu-
larry OF a scholar. He is a graduate
of New York school for the blind
and Of the school at Batavia.
Well grounded in literature and
music, they were married at Am
sterdam, n. Y, soon after leaving
school, They own their own home
and an adjoining residence.
They have supported themselves by
concert tours. travelling over most of
the United States.
They came to Lorain in 1885. Be-
fore that they lived for two years in
Cleveland, where Mrs. McCullan has
a brother. Rev. Alonzo Mayou.
For a time McCullan was the or.
ganist at st. Mary's Church. In 1913.
however, he fell and sprained his wrist
and it has been impossible for him
to play anything but the violin since
them.
They have had four children, only
one Of whom. a daughter is living.
Mrs. McCullan's kitchen is imrnacu-
late. Each article has its place where
she can reach 1t without hesitation.
She is a mystery to the housewives
Of her neighborhood.
But Mrs. BIcCullan does all of her
own homework. And it would be
hard to find one who does it better.
go
The McCullans are keenly inter
ested in radio. Through 1t they see
emancipation for the blind. It sup
plies them with news. with music.
with lectures. The McCullans arc
hoping for the day when they can
have a larger and better radio set. 1
hope Santa Claus has the hives and
is paralyzed in both arms until he
looks after that.
There is one great difference be-
tween this aged pair
When Mrs. McCullan dreams. she
says, she sees the things she dreams
about. When her husband dreams,
he still is blind For Mrs. McCuIlan
has seen things, but to her husband
the world always has been dark.
I wonder, then, what 1t is like to
be blind. How can the mind of the
blind picture thing it never has
seen? Think that over,
I'VE still are sweethearts," says
Mrs McCullan "In spite Of every
thing, we have lived happily together
I would not trade my life for those
of many who have their sight"
Then when the three met for their
tryst-Tom and Philomen and Love
Love was not so blind after ALL For
when Love conquered the hearts OF
this now aging pair he looked down
the years along a pathway on which
wondrous light still shines.