Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1913 — MADE LIFE A TRAGEDY [ARTICLE]

MADE LIFE A TRAGEDY

WOMAN'S SUFFERING WHEN SHE HAB TO ADOPT GLASSES. Everything Seems Changed for the Worse, and Her Consolations Are I Few—Sly Scrutiny a Thing of the Past I wear glasses! It’s positively tragic, I look so wise and owl-like. It was bad enough to have an intellectual nose, but with Intellectual eyes as well I am hopeless. None but insignificant men like wise-looking women. Be capable, but look incapable if you to be a success. These little windows to my soul reveal what I for so long have attempted to conceal. How shall I ever adjust myself to this reorientation is a problem. With a coy upward glance at my next to best young man, who is tall, I meet the top of my glasses instead of two fond eyes and feel foolish; with a coquettish side glance I strike a wide reflection and feel awkward. I will have to get a short man so I can look straight ahead; but I don’t like short men. A sly scrutiny of my neighbor’s gown is no longer possible. I must turn and boldly stare or remain absolutely ignorant whether the embroidery is hand or machine made. Never, never more will I see with my shoulders. My head will bob up and down, to the right and to the deft, but goodby to the sly-sneaky glance with which one takes in a roomful and yet poised and unconscious.

The week under belladonna, when all was dim and blurred, brought with it a realization of what actual blindness must be and a resolution to read to those unfortunate creatures so afflicted when my own sight was restored. How my letters piled up during that week! Mother kindly offered to read them to me, but I didn’t think it nice to have other people’s letters read. Just fancy Mother reading aloud, “Sweetheart,, what magic spell have you cast about me? I live in a dream and I tread on air,” or “Madam, kindly send us your check for $95 for the gown purchased two months ago,” and you had only owned up to fifty! No, it certainly is not the proper thing to have letters read to you. The one consolation for that belladonna week was that I had all the mending and darning done without a murmur. The family thought ft strange that I could find all those rents and holes in my garments with such poor sight, but ,J my of/ touch was becoming accentuated? For a few days I thought I was getting good looking. My complexion took on a soft, velvety appearance and I was beginning to beam like a beauty and have an aggravatingly self-satis-fied air; but when I put on my glasses, which magnify about five times, I rushed to mother and asked her if she was sure I hadn’t the smallpox, everything looked so big and people seemed s 6 coarse with large hands and feet. I wouldn’t take some lovely shoes I* had ordered because they made my foot look so large; but while I was looking down at them my glasses fell off and the foot returned to its normal size, so I consented to accept them. Now in purchasing pearls, diamonds and such I always remove my glasses.—Exchange. »