海伦·凯勒/HelenKeller
; , ofcourse, offreemenwhohaveachoice, notcondemnedcriminalswhosesphereofactivitiesisstrictlydelimited.
Suchstoriessetusthinking, , whatexperiences, whatassociationsshouldwecrowdintothoselasthoursasmortalbeings? Whathappinessshouldwefindinreviewingthepast, whatregrets?
, avigor, , ofcourse, whowouldadopttheEpicureanmottoof "Eat, drink, andbemerry," butmostpeoplewouldbechastenedbythecertaintyofimpendingdeath.
Instoriesthedoomedheroisusuallysavedatthelastminutebysomestrokeoffortune, , orhavelived, intheshadowofdeathbringamellowsweetnesstoeverythingtheydo.
Mostofus, however, , , , hardlyawareofourlistlessattitudetowardlife.
Thesamelethargy, Iamafraid, , , , ofnotbeingconsciousofhealthuntilweareill.
Ihaveoftenthoughtitwouldbeablessingifeachhumanbeingwerestrickenblindanddeafforafewdaysatsometimeduringhisearlyadultlife.
Darknesswouldmakehimmoreappreciativeofsight; silencewouldteachhimthejoysofsound.
NowandthenIhavetestedmyseeingfriendstodiscoverwhattheysee.
RecentlyIwasvisitedbyaverygoodfriendwhohadjustreturnedfromalongwalkinthewoods, andIaskedherwhatshehadobserved… "Nothinginparticular" , forlongagoIbecameconvincedthattheseeingseelittle.
Howwasitpossible, Iaskedmyself, towalkforanhourthroughthewoodsandseenothingworthyofnote? , ortherough, ', velvetytextureofaflower, anddiscoveritsremarkableconvolutions; , ifIamveryfortunate, , theactionofwhichstreamsthroughmyfingertips.
