ROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT EYES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 127, 26 June 1909, Page 3

ROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT EYES.

The recent refusal of a railway book-ing-clerk to issue a ticket to a blind man who was unaccompanied by a guide would have sounded rather ridiculous to James Holman, the famous' "blind traveller" (says a Home paper). Although absolutely sightless, this remarkable! man visited, very early an the last century, almost every place of note in the world, and throughout his wanderings he was quite unattended. Yet he never met with any serious mishap.

ARRESTED AS A SPY. His' energy and adaptability were marvellous, lie staled ilofty mountains, forded broad and rapid streams, and crossed in safety sandy deserts that taxed to the utmost the powers of normally-constituted individuals. Xaturallv he met with many adventures, some of which lie incorporated m a most interesting volume, now long out of print and .very rare. At one time he was travelling in the wilds ot ■eastern Siberia, driving his own sleigh, which lie picked out eaeli morning from n number of others and harnessed himself. This was reported to the Russian Governor, who ordered him to be arrested anil deported as a spy, believing his blindness to be assumed. TWICE ROUND THE WORLD. 1 He was probably the only male EuroI ne-in who has ever been conducted over >au Oriental seraglio, an experience ! which befell him not once, only, but <m ■ three occasions. This was done to I ..ratify the curiosity of the dusky beauties o'f the harem, 'who were glad to be I able to see and converse with an educated white man without losing caste liy bein« seen in their turn. ' Manv"olhiT blind travellers have since made similar extended tours'; and one of them, Dr. Louis Sheppevd, has recently beaten all records by going twice I round the world, covering, in the course I of his sightless wanderings, over one. I hundred thousand miles. But then, of I course, travelling is not now the difficult and dangerous business it was' in Holnian's time.

The Javanese method of coniittig ag* anpears most peculiar to english ideas. Xo matter what time in the year the Japanese child is born, whether in .May, the middle of the summer, or bite in December, it is always said to be one. year old mi the first day of January next following.

Of Sovereign States. Switzerland givs, the best military training to its bovs. j Although the maintenance of a standing army is not sanctioned by the Constitution, every al)le J bodied ovale citizen from twenty to fifty in' liaililc for military service, and hoys at school begin at the 'age of eight to he trained as soldiers, ,

I t k t t

•DOCTOR WHO WROTE l'Wo OR i THREE EACH DAY.! |

AMUSING EXTRACTS. All love-letter records have been broken by Dr. Hubert Karl Dornhurst, medical officer at the Cottage Hospital. Aberdarc, who was ordered a few weeks ,ago at the Middlesex Sheriff's Court, Westminster, to pay £3OU damages for breaking his promise to marry Miss .Uary Annie Morgan, a variety actress. "The correspondence is probub'iy t)ie most voluminous that has ever passed between any two lovers in the world,'' fluid Air. Doughty, who appeared for .Uiss Morgan, as he produced three heavy portmanteaux crammed with letters written by Dr. Dornhurst, •'They were on affectionate terms for

four years, and Dr. Dornhurst wrote

regularly to Miss Morgan two or three times a day. In the intervals of letterwriting he sent telegrams. "Dr. Dornhurst's lather holds a high position in Ceylon," he continued, "ami Miss Morgan is one of the Sisters Morgan. Her people are widely known in Cardiff.

•the two met in Aberdeen, and two months later Dr. Dornhurst proposed marriage. Miss Morgan was very young, ..nd would not accept him. REGULAR BOL'QUETS.

"Afterwards Miss Morgan appeared in a pantomime in Cardiff, and Dr. Dornhurst journeyed from Aberdeen to see her. lie gave her many handsome presents, and presented a bouquet to nui- and her sister every night. "Then this voluminous eorrcspo7idencc began, and at Dr. Dornhurst's request Miss Morgan used to take his letters from place to place with her.

I '"Dr. Dornhuirst proposed again in Dundee early in 1003, and although Miss Morgan would not definitely accept him [she accepted a ring. In July of that year they became engaged, and from that time Dr. Dornlmrst's letters became evn more numerous.

"Miss Morgan went to South Africa in 1006 to fulfil an engagement, and she returned in April, 1(107. They were on affectionate terms for some' time, but lata' Dr. Dornhurst wrote the, most callous and brutal letter a man could 'write to a girl. Without warning he wrote:— "This is a mock hypocrisy of love, and I don't want to have'''any thing more to do with you.'

"And," Mr. Doughty added in indignant tones, "he stated that lie had no money."

When Miss Morgan —a tall, pretty brunette, wearing a blue costume with a large hat and veil—entered the wit-ness-box, wedding-bells began to ring: from the neighboring church of St. Margaret's, Westminster. They continued while she gave evidence, and almost drowned her words at times. She admitted, with a blush, that Dr. Dornhurst's letters to her began, ,( My very own fond darling sweetheart." "When I went to South Africa he began to send his letters by registered post," she stated. "He wrote that although the mail did not go until Friday he would writ* on Wednesdays, so that his letters would .be in good time. BILLOWS AND PILLOWS.

There was keen expectation in court when counsel dived into the pile of loveletters. Loud and unfeeling laughtir succeeded the silence as the following extracts were read:—

"Although it is only a few days ago since 1 held you in my arms and implanted my kisses on those pretty ruby lips of yours, it seems to me like aj.!« since I last saw you. Oh, Annie, darling, it makes nie feel so sad, even al this moment, to recall our partiu« day. I hope you will return to me soon, for I do mise you, sweetheart nir.ie, very, very much.

"When that horrible hell rang to signal your departure last Saturday at Waterloo Station I felt as though 1 would choke with grief. It was too terrible to have to part with you, Annie darling, for I do love you with all my heart and soul.

"I did all I could to keep up mv spirits when that horrible train o'f yours left the platform, but it was 10 use, sweetheart mine, for the tears came gushing inTo my eyes in volumes after your departure. "Oil, Annie darling, I fed as though I could write of nothing else but my devoted love for you, for my heart rad soul wholly to you. What happiness could a n,a'„ wish for more than to lie loved hy such a true and admirable girl as you"; "There is no .getting away from the tuct that 1 idolise and worship you, Babsy darling. | could not sleep at wight for thinking of my sweet darling girl out on the rolling billow* on such a rough night. "I hope you were not much directed by the wind, darling, r | llv , vith ]nv '•curt on the pillow thinking of vuu Annie darling, and how far "you were out at sea." Another letter run:—

I have had ninny opportunities of kissing girls under the mistletoe but l ' ov ,° ~V° U ,"> much, darling, t „ut I.feel | could lu . vor kiss am ; ()l|i(ir girl in my l,fe. ] could easily wit'istand the onslaught of Jlattcri,,.. Xrltsoir" 811 '' 8 S,U '" l '' " 10 " C< '" si "'' ~ *U'CTrATIX(i AFKKCTIOX. huVst. wrole:-"'"''" 7 ' 11,,,S ' D '- D °'-»-

<l2r'!' J 1 "' 1 '/ 0 "'"'""K 1 "™ was taken .simply to do a duty that 1 owed to TOU as my fiancee. I have no doubt vnu Imvo Hoarly . W n for S o m , to Past that my fooling toward, you have been very fluctuating, n „d I wish to confess to you openly that I could nuer lie the same to you again, for tte low hat I had for you in the paw has died away us"iw°"'f Jf far " i«ttor for toUi of i* that, ,f the worst is to come, it ush that I was not the son of such honorable parents. ,J F i 0r th ? I last three weeks I have 2 l?Z - h t0 coventrate my mind on anything, and night after nM,t 1 He on my pillow thinking what an I 7"* - TOU * was a happy Z In J IU, «» y»«r hcanty wd set my heart aglow with a. passion which I W very difficult to overcome at the time. Like the hot-headed fool nobody to give me good „ (] viee I made up my mind to follow you and have you for my own at any'cost It was not love that 'made me I>«r*u, you at that time everywhere my dear child, but mad infatuation and conceit to w m y 0 „ f rom the hands ol other men."

"I have never seen him since I re c e iXd lettCT '" jMiss Mor s an (,c - The case had been remitted fro m the High Court merely for the assessment at S KeS ' am ' th ° jm ' y fiXod tho s " m