Страна слепых

           Hewantedashrine—ahandsome,cheap,effectualshrine—tobeerectedinthevalley; hewantedrelicsandsuch-likepotentthingsoffaith,blessedobjectsandmysteriousmedalsandprayers. Inhiswallethehadabarofnativesilverforwhichhewouldnotaccount; heinsistedtherewasnoneinthevalleywithsomethingoftheinsistenceofaninexpertliar. Theyhadallclubbedtheirmoneyandornamentstogether,havinglittleneedforsuchtreasureupthere,hesaid,tobuythemholyhelpagainsttheirill. Ifigurethisdim-eyedyoungmountaineer,sunburnt,gaunt,andanxious,hat-brimclutchedfeverishly,amanallunusedtothewaysofthelowerworld,tellingthisstorytosomekeen-eyed,attentivepriestbeforethegreatconvulsion; Icanpicturehimpresentlyseekingtoreturnwithpiousandinfallibleremediesagainstthattrouble,andtheinfinitedismaywithwhichhemusthavefacedthetumbledvastnesswherethegorgehadoncecomeout. Buttherestofhisstoryofmischancesislosttome,savethatIknowofhisevildeathafterseveralyears. Poorstrayfromthatremoteness! Thestreamthathadoncemadethegorgenowburstsfromthemouthofarockycave,andthelegendhispoor,ill-toldstorysetgoingdevelopedintothelegendofaraceofblindmensomewhere"overthere"onemaystillhearto-day. 

           Andamidstthelittlepopulationofthatnowisolatedandforgottenvalleythediseaseranitscourse. Theoldbecamegropingandpurblind,theyoungsawbutdimly,andthechildrenthatwereborntothemsawneveratall.