His grandmother made him nice things to eat, and his grandfather sat beside him a little while many times a day, and both were as good to him as good could be. His grandfather was faithful as well as kind, and reminded him of past misdeeds--the sins of his youth, he called them-- and warned him of worse things that were in store for him unless he turned from his evil ways. It was "hitting a fellow when he was down," Jabez thought, but he listened in silence to all he had to say. Indeed, through all these dark days he lay without a word, fighting his battle with his fears and his rebellious murmurs alone, asking help from no one. Fidelia came in to see him for a minute or two every night on her way home from school, and gave him a summary of school work and school events generally, and enlarged more than would have been wise at another time on the amusing incidents of the day, for the sake of bringing a smile to his sober face. But even Fidelia got few words from him, and it was a good while before she came to see how miserable the poor fellow was in his solitude; and even when she saw it she did not know how to help him. "What are you thinking about, Jabez?" said she one night, when she had scarcely got from him even the usual response. Seeing the look on his face, she did not wait for an answer. "To-morrow is Saturday. I shall bring down the books and have school here, if doctor will let me. Or shall I bring Eunice? Yes, if it is a fine day I will bring Eunice. She has wanted to come for ever so long, but she has waited till she should be able to have a good long visit with you. If any one can do you good, Eunice can," added Fidelia, laughing, though, seeing Jabez's sober face, she did not feel much like it. "I shall be glad to have Miss Eunice come and see me," said Jabez gravely. A good while after that, Jabez told Fidelia what he had been thinking about that afternoon, and indeed what he had been thinking about most of the time during these sorrowful nights and days. "The `blackness of darkness for ever.' Yes, I did feel hard. I thought I was going to be blind; and I would a great deal rather have died, only I was afraid." Eunice came to see him, but even Eunice did not seem to help him much on her first visit. Before her second visit, something had happened. Mr Swift had paid Dr Everett a visit, and they had had a little talk together. The doctor owned that he was anxious about Jabez. No, he was not afraid he was going to die. It was his eyes he was in doubt about. "Blind?" said Mr Swift. "He'd better die." "Only one can't die till his time comes. Blind? No, I am not afraid of utter blindness. But I almost think it would be easier for Jabez to find himself blind than with just sight enough to potter about and do a little. He is a bright boy, Jabez, and ambitious." "Dr Everett, do you suppose you know all that is to be known about the eye and its diseases? Hadn't you better have help?"