IMAGINATION AND 



THE SEEING 



HAND 



The suffering is deep 

 that comes from a sense 

 of Linworthiness for life, 

 of limitation which unfits 

 one to give service to 

 those he loves, and to 

 take his place with others 

 as a normal, useful mem- 

 ber of home and society. 

 This suffering is thrust 

 upon children of sensitive 

 nature who are blind. 

 They need help in such 

 study and play as will 

 give them a broad vision 

 outside themselves and a 

 courage of spirit to fight 

 their way into helpful- 

 ness to others and even 

 full self-support when 

 they are grown. Blind- 

 ness does not mar the 

 power to learn or to at- 

 tain to great knowledge 

 or wisdom ; it merely re- 

 quires a different channel 

 through which sensations 

 shall enter the brain. It 

 does not hinder the asso- 

 ciation of ideas or forma- 

 tion of theories as in any 

 child who can see. It 

 does not hinder the ac- 

 tion of the imagination. 

 In fact the blind build 

 up a very real and vivid 

 world — and as we all 

 know, the most beautiful 

 world is that of the imag- 

 ination. There might 

 even be the question 

 whether, other things 

 being equal, one sees bet- 

 ter with the hand or the 

 eye. Surely it is true 

 that the touch of the 

 hand is very real and 

 near, leaving nothing un- 

 certain. This blind child 

 can put together her 

 reading and her various 

 touch impressions and 

 visualize the traveler in 

 Arctic snows quite as 

 well as can the child who 

 has gained her ideas of 

 snow and snowshoes 

 through her eyes 



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