100 Darknefs and Light.

have mentioned, who had been fo covered over
by the fand that it had even got down their necks,
and made them uncomfortable all over. Among
thefe was Roderick, who cried a great deal more
than he ought to have done, as the nurfes thought,
and did not ftop and declare himfelf comfortable
as the reft did, after the fand had been wafhed out
of his eyes with rofe water. In fact he kept cry-
ing more or lefs all the afternoon, faying his eyes
hurt him fo, and at laft he could get no relief but
by holding them fhut.

Now it is juft poffible you may have heard of
a complaint of the eyes called Ophthalmia, which
comes on fometimes in very hot countries, India
for inftance ; and fometimes in travelling acrofs
the deferts of Arabia, where the fand gets into the
eyes, and irritates them very much; it can very
often be cured, but not always, and when it can-
not, it ends in blindnefs. Lady Madeline knew
all about the complaint ; and, therefore, you will
not be furprifed to hear that when fhe found her
little boy’s eyes did not get better, and that he
perfifted in keeping them fhut, becaufe they then
became eafy, fhe thought it right to fend to fome ~
miles’ diftance for a doctor, who accordingly ar-
rived at the Sea Caftle before nightfall. But when
he came he fhook his head very much, for he
could not underftand what was the matter; and
when he perfuaded Roderick to lift up his eyelids,
to let him fee his eyes, he could perceive nothing
amifs but a little rednefs, which the wind and fand