Alabama -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction; Domestic fiction; War stories
"Poor little lamb, she is so excited she can hardly speak, and I am not
strong enough to talk much. Huldah, daughter, tell Miss Edna all about
it."
"Mr. Murray heard all I said to you about praying to have my eyes
opened, and he went to town that same evening, and telegraphed to some
doctor in Philadelphia, who cures blindness, to come on and see if he
could do anything for my eyes. Mr. Murray was here this morning, and
said he had heard from the doctor, and that he would come this
afternoon. He said he could only stay till the cars left for
Chattanooga, as he must go back at once. You know he--hush! There!
there! I hear the carriage now. Oh, Edna! pray for me! Pa, pray for my
poor eyes!"
The sweet, childish face was colorless, and tears filled the filmy,
hazel eyes as Huldah clasped her hands. Her lips moved rapidly, though
no sound was audible.
Edna stepped behind the door, and peeped through a crack in the planks.
Mr. Murray entered first and beckoned to the stranger, who paused at
the threshold, with a case of instruments in his hand.
"Come in, Hugh; here is your patient, very much frightened, too, I am
afraid. Huldah, come to the light."
He drew her to the window, lifted her to a chair, and the doctor bent
down, pushed back his spectacles, and cautiously examined the child's
eyes.
"Don't tremble so, Huldah; there is nothing to be afraid of. The doctor
will not hurt you."
"Oh! it is not that I fear to be hurt! Edna, are you praying for me?"
"Edna is not here," answered Mr. Murray, glancing round the room.
"Yes, she is here. I did not tell her, but she happened to come a
little while ago. Edna, won't you hold one of my hands? Oh, Edna! Edna!"
Reluctantly the orphan came forward, and, without lifting her eyes,
took one of the little outstretched hands firmly in both her own. While
Mr. Murray silently appropriated the other, Huldah whispered:
"Please both of you pray for me."
The doctor raised the eyelids several times, peered long and curiously
at the eyeballs, and opened his case of instruments.
"This is one of those instances of congenital cataract which might have
been relieved long ago. A slight operation will remove the difficulty.
St. Elmo, you asked me about the probability of an instantaneous
restoration, and I had begun to tell you about that case which Wardrop
mentions of a woman, blind from her birth till she was forty-six years
of age. She could not distinguish objects for several days--"
"Oh, sir! will I see? Will I see my father?" Her fingers closed
spasmodically over those that clasped them, and the agonizing suspense
written in her countenance was pitiable to contemplate.
"Yes, my dear, I hope so--I think so. You know, Murray, the eye has to
be trained; but Haller mentions a case of a nobleman who saw distinctly
at various distances, immediately after the cataract was removed from
the axis of vision. Now, my little girl, hold just as still as
possible. I, shall not hurt you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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