Elizabeth Gilbert and Her Work for the Blind Part 17

A MINISTRY OF LOVE TO ONE BLIND AND DEAF.

Near him she stands, her fingers light In quick succession go Across his yielding palm, as white, As swift, as flakes of snow.

The diamond on her hand, that gleams And flashes when it stirs, Toward other eyes may fling its beams, But never gladden hers.

No word she speaks, no whisper soft His inner mind to reach; No glances casts, tho' looks are oft More eloquent than speech.

The smile that gilds a friendly face Shall never meet his eye; Songs, footsteps, laughter, tears, give place To dreary vacancy.

Silence and darkness, brethren twain For ever at his side, Still hold him in their double chain Inexorably tied.

Yet love is stronger still, and she Even hither wins her way, And soothes the long captivity Beneath that iron sway.

Such tenderness, long years ago, The nymphs of ocean led To stern Prometheus stretched in woe Upon his stony bed.

Or in the shape of insect, flower, Or bird has helped to cheer, In later times, full many an hour Of bondage, sad and drear.

But what can comfort, like the heart That sorrow's self has known; Since that has learnt the healing art From sufferings of its own.

And casting selfish grief away Forgets its own distress In sorrows heavier still, that prey On some more comfortless.

This she has learnt--the secret this Of her calm life below; This gives those lips that sober bliss And smoothes that peaceful brow.

Yet more; the love of human kind, How pure soe'er it be, Can never fill the heart, designed To grasp infinity.

True, when the night of grief is dark It gladdens us to ken The distant cottage fires, and mark The peaceful homes of men.

But such as upward lift their eye Will see a worthier sight, The myriad stars, that in the sky Seem homes for angels bright.

Thus guided they pursue their way Thro' loneliest heath and dell, Till on their work of mercy, they Come where their brethren dwell.

And such as she no earthly glow Would e'er suffice for them, Shine on her, 'mid these dwellings low, Thou Star of Bethlehem!

The "Song of Elizabeth" from the _Saint's Tragedy_ was published during the year 1859, and Bessie writes to Addison and Hollier to say that instead of an engraving she will have the price-list of the a.s.sociation on the t.i.tle-page. This remarkable decision they seem to have induced her to abandon, for the t.i.tle-page is of the ordinary kind. There were at this time about a hundred and fifty blind persons deriving benefit from the a.s.sociation: sixty-three were supplied with work at their own homes; forty-seven were employed at the Euston Road; the remainder were pupils, agents, travellers, shopman, and superintendent, whilst three received pensions. So many more were applying for work and instruction that at the May meeting the Bishop of Oxford offered a donation of 20 on condition that nineteen similar donations were announced in a given time. He thus raised 400 for the relief of some of the more pressing cases amongst the applicants. The increase of workmen made an increase in the sales necessary, and the trade of the a.s.sociation was a.s.suming formidable dimensions. The buying and selling, the control of workrooms and management of stock, the care of ledgers, accounts, bills and receipts, might now with great advantage have been made over to a competent and adequately paid sighted manager. Such an arrangement would have left Bessie free to devote herself to the charitable part of her enterprise; to elevate and educate the blind, to investigate cases, and make experiment with trades. With Levy as her faithful coadjutor how much might she not have done!

She was pledged, however, to a more ambitious attempt, and felt herself bound in honour to show what the blind can do alone and unaided. A proposal was made in January 1859 to employ a "sighted" accountant, but as this was opposed by Bessie it was not carried. And yet at this very time the incessant and anxious work of past years was beginning to tell upon her, and she had urgent need of rest.

She was mainly responsible for the funds necessary to carry on the business. Being familiar with every detail of the business, she was called upon to explain its intricacies to her Committee. She had often to justify and secure the carrying out of arrangements which did not meet with general approval. Every scheme, proposal, experiment, rested ultimately upon her; upon this one blind lady, whose health had never been good, but whose strenuous energy and strong sense of duty forbade her to say no to any appeal on behalf of fellow-sufferers.

Museum, boarding-house, sick fund, musicians' a.s.sociation, with its cla.s.ses for vocal and instrumental music, endowment fund, fund for establishing a West-end shop, fund in aid of tradesmen who had lost their sight; all these are the outcome of a single year's work. There are also letters innumerable to be written and answered, appeals to be made, applications to be replied to. She threw herself with fervid zeal into all her work, and a day was accounted lost if she had not accomplished in it something for the a.s.sociation.

Two sisters were married in 1858, but the diary contains no other record of such important events than "unavoidably nothing done." Her heart beat warm and true as ever, home and friends were dear as ever, but for a time her horizon was bounded by the narrow walls of one small dark house in the Euston Road.

Herr Hirzel, director of the blind inst.i.tution at Lausanne, who had visited the a.s.sociation during the summer, was so well pleased with all he saw that he decided on his return to Switzerland to open workshops for the blind. At different times some six inst.i.tutions had also applied for teachers or blind superintendents, but no workmen had been trained or were qualified to fill such posts. Bessie saw that this was an omission in her scheme, and at once resolved that special facilities for the training of intelligent blind men ought to be provided.

In the autumn, however, the long threatened reaction from overwork set in, and she was prostrated by weakness and depression. In November she was induced to try the effect of complete rest, and paid a long promised visit to Miss Isabella Law, at Northrepps Rectory, near Cromer.

She took with her a Foucault frame and taught Miss Law to use it, and what further employment she found during her short holiday is best told in Miss Law's letters.

Writing at Christmas 1859 she says:

It is just six weeks to-day since you left us. I can never forget that miserable morning; it is always haunting me like a dreadful dream that I try in vain to get rid of.... I hardly know what to tell you about myself; it is a very difficult subject to write about. I have been trying to do more in the school lately than I ever did before. I think of you when I am there, and try to do my best. Still I am afraid, as Madame Goldschmidt said of the clergyman, my best is very little. My sisters are going next week to spend a few days with some friends in the neighbourhood: how I should like to have you with me then. I remember so well your once speaking to me about accustoming myself to be alone whenever it was necessary, and not to depend too much on others for companionship, so now you see I am going to have a little trial in that way. You will think of me then, won't you? and I shall be thinking of you more than ever.... I took a bit of my writing this morning to show the school children, and they seemed delighted with it.... I must say good-bye now, ... and how much love I send I never could tell you.

On the 5th of January 1860 Miss Law writes:

I sincerely hope that this new year may be a very happy one to you and to all who are dear to you. It seems so strange to me to look back to this time last year. I feel somehow as if a change had come over my life since then. I mean I seem to see things in quite a new light, and to feel my responsibilities far more than I did before; and I know it is all through your influence. I feel it would have been indeed a happy year to me if the only blessing it had brought me had been your friendship, which I value far more than I can ever tell you.... My heart clings to every little remembrance of you one by one, and they are all very dear to me.

No account of her life would be adequate which did not bring out the stimulating effect of Bessie's friendship, and the way in which even an hour spent with her would have its result, and open a way to useful activity. Miss Law was specially influenced with regard to her poems, in which Bessie took a warm interest. At first they were sent for approval and criticism, but before long Miss Law was more than able to stand alone, and she published a small volume, which was well received and favourably noticed.

The following pretty lines have been preserved amongst Bessie's papers:--

Will you please tell me very truly what you think of this little poem? You know I have a great respect for your opinion, and that is why I send it.

WHAT IS SYMPATHY?

It is the perfect tune that lies Underneath all harmonies.

The brook that sings in summertide Between the flowers on either side.

It is that voiceless under part, That, still unheard, heart sings to heart.

The interchange of thoughts that lie Too deep for louder melody.

The breath that makes the lyre move With silent echoings of love.

ISABELLA LAW.

Bessie paid other short visits to old friends at this time. We hear of her with Miss Bathurst at Stanmore, and greatly interested in Miss Bathurst's most honoured friend, Lady Byron. She also stayed with Miss Butler, who remembers that one day when she was about to mount her horse Bessie stood stroking his legs, saying: "Surely this must be thorough-bred." Another time, as Bessie stood near him, the horse stretched out his head and took the rose she was wearing so gently from her dress that she did not know it until she was told that he was eating it. Bessie used to drive in a pony carriage with Miss Butler, and to puzzle her hostess by a request for a description of the scenery.

On one occasion a gentleman who had become recently blind was asked to meet Bessie at Stanmore. It was very touching to see her sit by the blind man's side, take his hand and try to encourage and comfort him.

Work for others, help for others; these were the things she told him that would make life worth living, and her own ardour was able to inspire him as well as others with hope and energy.

FOOTNOTES:

[7] _Town and Country Sermons_; 18. "Character of Peter."

[8] Page 8.

CHAPTER XV

TIME OF TROUBLE

"Good times and bad times and all times pa.s.s over."

BEWICK'S VIGNETTES.