REPORT ON THE MODES OF PRINTING FOR THE BLIND. 99 
Abbreviations and contractions have been strongly recom- 
mended ; but if there is too much left to the imagination of 
the reader, wrong impressions will be often formed, and false 
ideas acquired ; and if a blind person has first to encounter a 
difficulty, and afterwards to be left in doubt whether he is right 
or not, he will very soon be discouraged, and lose all interest in 
that which otherwise would afford him not only occupation and 
amusement, but also delight and permanent advantage. Those 
who advocate the use of the common alphabet contend that it 
has not been proved to be less legible by the touch, or to require 
more space than others of the same sized letters or type, but 
evidently possesses many advantages over an arbitrary one ; 
amongst others, “it associates”’ (as Mr. Craig, one of the compe- 
titors for the Edinburgh medal, says) “the blind in their literary 
pursuits more closely with other men, and secures to them from 
all quarters an aid which they might not otherwise readily attain.” 
With spelling and other elementary books printed in the com- 
mon character, they can attend with great benefit any school 
with other children, and with them learn their lessons, and 
from them obtain the aid for which one scholar is usually in- 
debted to another. Moreover they may be taught at home by 
their parents, long before they are old enough to be trusted 
amongst a number of frolicksome seeing companions. These 
and many other advantages are incompatible with an arbitrary 
alphabet. In favour of the alphabet in common use it may be 
stated, that it has been employed by the French, the Americans, 
Germans, &c., though varying a little in some particulars from 
ours. The books printed at Boston are without capitals, but 
the French use both capitals and small letters, so also do the 
Germans, but they employ the Italian characters. Klein (Direct- 
| or of the Institution for the Blind at Vienna, in his most excel- 
lent book Lehrbuch zum Unterrichte der Blinden, page 65) says, 
_ ** Die Form der lateinischen Buchstaben ist am leichtesten durchs 
_ Gefiihl zu lesen, daher wahle man diese Schrift zum Lesen und 
_ Schreiben fiir Blinde. Einige Buchstaben miissen auch in dieser 
_ Schrift noch mehr vereinfacht werden, sowie auch alle unwesent- 
__ liche, bloss zur Verzierung dienende Ziiga und Striche wegbleiben 
_mussen.*” Thus it seems from so many nations adopting an 
_ alphabet well known among them, that the general opinion is 
decidedly against an arbitrary character. 
Klein in his preface to the above book allows it to be possible 
* Translation. The form of the Latin or Italian letters is the easiest to read 
by the touch, on which account they are to be chosen in which to print and 
Write for the blind. But some of these letters, even, must be simplified and 
deprived of all useless ornaments, Sc. 
¢ H2 
