REPORT ON THE MODES OF PRINTING FOR THE BLIND. 101 
as recommended by the late Dr. Fry, and now employed by 
Mr. Alston, offer the greatest advantages*. Being all of one 
height they form a regular line in the page, so that there is 
no danger of the finger of the blind reader straying into the 
line either above or below; an evil, which in many of the 
arbitrary alphabets would frequently occur, and which raises 
a very formidable objection tothemf. For if blind persons get 
puzzled or be led into error by reading, they will have no con- 
fidence in what they do, and will therefore never feel any pleasure 
or interest in reading, but take it up as a school boy does his 
task. This among other things renders it necessary to be very 
cautious, lest in attempting to reduce too much the bulk of the 
books for the blind it be carried so far as to frustrate the object, by 
making a book difficult to be read, and therefore useless to ninety- 
nine out of a hundred of those for whose benefit it was intended. 
It may not be amiss ta observe that when an alphabet or 
specimen of printing is submitted to the blind in any institu- 
tion for experiment, a few of the cleverest children, whose 
touch is delicate and acute, are selected to make the trial, and 
because these can easily make out what is submitted to them 
the experiment is thought to have been fairly made. Whereas 
the greatest proportion of blind persons will always be found 
amongst those who have to earn their living by manual labour, 
which blunts their touch and renders them incapable of reading 
a small-sized letter. 
Besides, as the literature for the blind can never be very ex- 
tensive, the grand aim should be to print chiefly such books as 
_ are most necessary ; for example, the New Testament, parts of 
_ the Old, Catechisms, Hymns, Moral Tales, Spelling Books, Easy 
_ Lessons, Fables, &c., andin atype sufficiently large to be easily 
_ read by the average, at least, of the blind. A “ large book” 
surely cannot bea “ greater evil’’ than one foo small to be read, 
and therefore useless. ‘The Gospels printed upon the plan of 
White’s Diatessaron would probably be a valuable addition to 
_ the books for the blind, as the substance of the four Evangelists 
_ would then be comprised in the smallest room possible. 
At present there is great excitement on this subject and much 
SA * As the small letter or “lower case” is in use among the seeing, it perhaps 
_ would be well to have a few books printed with that type for the blind; but if 
_ the letters are some to go above and some below the lines, as in the b, d, g, y, 
_ &e., the bulk of the book must necessarily be a little increased, as the lines 
Must not come so near each other that the tops in one line may interfere with 
‘the tails of those in the line above. 
4 ” + Besides, if capitals to begin proper names, &c. be used (which in my opinion 
Ly hm be of essential service,) the same form of letter willserve if made a little 
_ larger. 
Me 
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