people would think it more useful to manufacture steam-engines than to
search out the system of the universe. Other great astronomers besides
Newton have been endowed with mechanical genius. There was David
Rittenhouse, an American,--lie made a perfect little water-mill when he
was only seven or eight years old. But this sort of ingenuity is but a
mere trifle in comparison with the other talents of such men."

"It must have deen beautiful," said Edward, "to spend whole nights in a
high tower as Newton did, gazing at the stars, and the comets, and the
meteors. But what would Newton have done had he been blind? or if his
eyes had been no better than mine?"

"Why, even then, my dear child," observed Mrs. Temple, "he would have
found out some way of enlightening his mind and of elevating his soul.
But come; little Emily is waiting to bid you good night. You must go to
sleep and dream of seeing all our faces."

"But how sad it will be when I awake!" murmured Edward.



CHAPTER IV.

In the course of the next day the harmony of our little family was
disturbed by something like a quarrel between George and Edward.

The former, though he loved his brother dearly, had found it quite too
great a sacrifice of his own enjoyments to spend all his play-time in a
darkened chamber. Edward, on the other hand, was inclined to be
despotic. He felt as if his bandaged eyes entitled him to demand that