Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-01


Dimly, through my closed pupils,
could distinguish shadows-the shadows
Of people came in contact with, and of
objects around me. But that was all.
Like Coming Out of Fog.
Today all is changed 1t is like COM
ing out from thick, impenetrable fog.
A trolley car formerly to me was
huge shadowy blackness which streaked
by my eyes. Today it is real to me,
with windows, wheels, and with living
people in 1t who somehow have lost
their ghostly aspect.
The operation, performed by DR.. G.
H. Moore, a specialist on the staff of
tie Graduate Hospital, Philadelphia,
was full of complications. The adven-
ture, for such it appeared to me, was
the greatest thing that had ever hap
pened in which played prominent
part.
On February I was placed on the
operating table. Two days later the
bandageS were taken of and was
given black glasses to wear. Two weeks
later amber colored glasses were substi-
tuted and some time later ordinary col
orless glasses, the kind I am wearing
now, we're given to me. / shall never
forget the biggest thrill of my life,
which came soon after the operation
when my mother came to visit me. 1
had word that she was coming and was
prepared for it.
Mother a Stranger to Him.
Yet when she stood before me I
somehow could not believe my, shall 1
say, relncarnated eyes Formerly she
was to me a blurred living person with
voice. / looked at her and saw a
stranger in front Of me. / closed my
eyes and heard her speak. and she was
again the mother I had known all my
life.
1t was the same with my other rela-
tions and friends. 1 even began think
ing OF myself as a stranger in the en-
vironment IN which I spent most of
my life.
1t had frequently been described to
me what the stars. the sun, the moon,
the trees and flowers looked like.
OF those objects that 1 could touch I
was able to form definite pictures in
my mind. The appearance of the
things couldn't touch I merely
guessed at
Now I am convinced that had near
~ in all cases underestimate every
thing. Flowers look more beautiful to
me than I had imagined them to be.
The furniture in my home and little
children playing in the street have
more attractive appearance than
imagined.
Has Yet to See Stars.
OF course. my ideas of beauty may be
limited by my experience in seeing
things. My sight is not yet. perfect.
When I gain my eyesight fully, it may
be that my ideas will undergo another
change. am not yet able to judge
things from their appearances to me
as they appear to other people
have yet to see the stars in the sky,
which, I find, are too small to dis
ttnguish. / think of them as resem-
bling the sters on the American flags.
The moon and the SUM- also, are not
quite clear to me. I still don't know
what a bird looks like
Yesterday, for the first time in my
life, I saw dog Hundreds of times
before 1 had stroked such animals, but
l was amazed to find how intelligent
looking and beautiful the dog is.
Ever since the advent CT the talkies
I used to go to the movies quite fire.
quently, just for the sake of hearing
sounds. Looking at the screen / could
see series of lights flashing before my
eyes, but I was never able to dis
tinguish anything
went to the movies again yesterday,
and was amazed at what I saw. The
scene OF a river especially appealed to
me.
I find now that I am going to regain
my eyesight fully; that 1 will have to
start my education in reading all over
again. I had already made a good
start in this direction
Reads French in BrailIe.
Two weeks ago I started learning the
alphabet from, am told, book used
by kindergarten pupils. I have al
ready learned the alphabet and nu-
merals. Of course, at present / can
only read large capital letters.
Starting all over again as little
boy felt rather queer. Especially since
/ had advanced far in my education in
using the Braille system of reading. I
have even learned to read and speak
French in this manner.
am most amazed at the large num-
Der of colors that I am able to dis
tinguish. saw bright, vivid color, and
was told that it was red. Another color
came to know as blue. and still an
other color as yellow. There are still
some colors that l cannot clearly dis
tinguish
The other day somebody showed me
calendar. Learning to read it was
extremely easy once / found that the
week started with Sunday at the left
hand top corner of the page, and con-
tinued across to Saturday. Similarly
it was with learning to tell time by
the clock
There is still much room for improve
ment in my vision I cannot see far
away objects and scenes. / h&ve still
to learn what mountain looks like,
although, riding through the country
the other day saw what was told
was a hill
When you're blind you get to know
people by their voices, but mostly by
their personalities, Your sense Of
touch is very important, as well as your
sense Of hearing.
have been sort of cheerful all my
life, and after q while lost all sense of
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