DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Fanomena, March 1948

Transcribe
Translate

Fanomena, March 1948

Page 24

a very charming gentleman in spite of his blindness, and if anything in regard to him makes you feel you should leave, perhaps it can be settled in a happy way. I love you as a daughter and if you feel [[?]] he [[?]] anything to you or have felt that your staying here might lead to something serious?"
"Not that! Though any woman would be proud to love him. But it is not that. I hate to say it, because you have been so good to me, but he really is not blind. Someone must tell you; he is not blind at all. He is just pretending to be blind because he thinks you are and that if he is blind, and you think he is, you will be happier. Oh, I should not tell you but it was a terrible thing you did to him. You wanted him to come back to you. Everything you tried failed. And then you lied to him. You wrote that you were blind. You asked for his sympathy; perhaps you thought that once he came back to you, you could explain, make a final effort to win his love. I never knew you wrote the letter. If I had I would have done everything possible to make you destroy it; even would have tried to rob the mailbox."
"You are going to far!" cried the mother.
"Not far enough. Do you realize what he did when he received that letter? He wanted to sympathise with you; wanted to have a complete understanding of your blindness. So he put a bandage over his eyes; for xi months he has worm it. His eyes were perfect but for six months he never allowed himself to see the moonlight. All the beautiful things in life he deprived himself of, because he wanted to share your blindness with you. Do you understand what he has done for you? And what you have done to him? You lied to him to bring him back. You thought that was love. Freda understnads it; she hates you. And I hate you and just how John would feel I cannot tell but I am afraid to be where you are and he is when he learns the real truth. So I have to go---before he finds out---for if I stay here another day I will have to tell him. I cannot let him keep on with an useless sacrifice just to help you be happy."
"You mean," asked the woman slowly,"that there is nothing wrong with him? Nothing wrong with his eyes?"
"That is what I am trying to tell you. He is not anymore blind than you are; but you know and know what you have done to him and I think the dog knows and I have to leave before he knows."
"I will tell him myself," said the woman proudly. "What he has done shows me that he loves me, and he will forgive and forget and keep on loving me."
"You do not have to tell me, Mother," cried the man from the other side of the rose bushes. "I am sorry but I heard it all. I am sorry Veronica told you. Sorry she had to tell you. But now I would have only one reason for wearing the bandage and that is to make Freda happy." He tore the black band off his face. The two women saw him standing there a few feet from the edge of the cliff. Freda was pulling at the chain, moaning, and suddenly the man cried out.
"My God! I cannot see anything. They told me that might happen and it did. I'm blind; made that way by my own mother. And this is what they call Mother Love. I guess I had better take Freda and go back to America."
"Don't say that, John," cried the woman. "Let me explain everything. It was because I loved you so and needed you so," and she started to run toward him.
"Keep your hands off me," warned the blind man. "Let me get to my dog before she kills you!"
But turning, he stepped in the wrong direction, toward the cliff instead of away from it. For a moment he swayed, and in that moment his mother caught him, soon enough to hold him, late enough to fall with him over the cliff to the wave-tortured rocks a thousand feet below. Veronica ran toward the dog who was barking and straining at the chain holding her fast.
She threw her arms around her neck, "OH, Freda, Freda!" she cried, "What shall I do?"But sh knew the answer before she asked the question. Trembling, she hugged the quivering dog and slowly, with shaking hands loosened the chain, and then fell face downward on the grass. Bumblebees and butterflies sipped nectar from the roses drenched with sunshine. The dog howled once and hurled herself over the cliff.
24

Saving...

a very charming gentleman in spite of his blindness, and if anything in regard to him makes you feel you should leave, perhaps it can be settled in a happy way. I love you as a daughter and if you feel [[?]] he [[?]] anything to you or have felt that your staying here might lead to something serious?" "Not that! Though any woman would be proud to love him. But it is not that. I hate to say it, because you have been so good to me, but he really is not blind. Someone must tell you; he is not blind at all. He is just pretending to be blind because he thinks you are and that if he is blind, and you think he is, you will be happier. Oh, I should not tell you but it was a terrible thing you did to him. You wanted him to come back to you. Everything you tried failed. And then you lied to him. You wrote that you were blind. You asked for his sympathy; perhaps you thought that once he came back to you, you could explain, make a final effort to win his love. I never knew you wrote the letter. If I had I would have done everything possible to make you destroy it; even would have tried to rob the mailbox." "You are going to far!" cried the mother. "Not far enough. Do you realize what he did when he received that letter? He wanted to sympathise with you; wanted to have a complete understanding of your blindness. So he put a bandage over his eyes; for xi months he has worm it. His eyes were perfect but for six months he never allowed himself to see the moonlight. All the beautiful things in life he deprived himself of, because he wanted to share your blindness with you. Do you understand what he has done for you? And what you have done to him? You lied to him to bring him back. You thought that was love. Freda understnads it; she hates you. And I hate you and just how John would feel I cannot tell but I am afraid to be where you are and he is when he learns the real truth. So I have to go---before he finds out---for if I stay here another day I will have to tell him. I cannot let him keep on with an useless sacrifice just to help you be happy." "You mean," asked the woman slowly,"that there is nothing wrong with him? Nothing wrong with his eyes?" "That is what I am trying to tell you. He is not anymore blind than you are; but you know and know what you have done to him and I think the dog knows and I have to leave before he knows." "I will tell him myself," said the woman proudly. "What he has done shows me that he loves me, and he will forgive and forget and keep on loving me." "You do not have to tell me, Mother," cried the man from the other side of the rose bushes. "I am sorry but I heard it all. I am sorry Veronica told you. Sorry she had to tell you. But now I would have only one reason for wearing the bandage and that is to make Freda happy." He tore the black band off his face. The two women saw him standing there a few feet from the edge of the cliff. Freda was pulling at the chain, moaning, and suddenly the man cried out. "My God! I cannot see anything. They told me that might happen and it did. I'm blind; made that way by my own mother. And this is what they call Mother Love. I guess I had better take Freda and go back to America." "Don't say that, John," cried the woman. "Let me explain everything. It was because I loved you so and needed you so," and she started to run toward him. "Keep your hands off me," warned the blind man. "Let me get to my dog before she kills you!" But turning, he stepped in the wrong direction, toward the cliff instead of away from it. For a moment he swayed, and in that moment his mother caught him, soon enough to hold him, late enough to fall with him over the cliff to the wave-tortured rocks a thousand feet below. Veronica ran toward the dog who was barking and straining at the chain holding her fast. She threw her arms around her neck, "OH, Freda, Freda!" she cried, "What shall I do?"But sh knew the answer before she asked the question. Trembling, she hugged the quivering dog and slowly, with shaking hands loosened the chain, and then fell face downward on the grass. Bumblebees and butterflies sipped nectar from the roses drenched with sunshine. The dog howled once and hurled herself over the cliff. 24