INTELLECTUAL WORK OF THE BLIND—VILLEY. 689 
But the principal office of this pedagogy by touch is to substitute 
tactile means for the visual means which ordinarily serve in studies 
and the transmission of ideas. Flat geographical charts are re- 
placed by maps in relief; geometrical figures are also traced in relief, 
etc. Of all the exercises, reading is that which is most profitable to 
the intellect. Reading by touch is the most important of all its adap- 
tations. It has made considerable progress during the last 125 years. 
Valentin Haiiy was content to have the ordinary characters of the 
alphabet traced in relief, but these characters are composed of lines, 
and lines, though easily perceptible to the eye, are only slightly felt by 
the finger. Furthermore, writing and reading were so slow that 
they were of very little service. The idea was then conceived of sub- 
stituting for the system of signs borrowed from those who see, an 
entirely different system adapted to the special conditions of tactile 
sensibility. The line was succeeded by the point, which the finger 
perceives much more easily, and the system of Braille came into 
existence, in which each character is represented by a number of 
points, not exceeding six in all. Reading then became rapid, less 
rapid, of course, than reading by means of the eyes, but sufficiently 
so to enable one to read aloud, and very agreeable for reading to 
one’s self. 
But the printing of books is expensive, and the demand for them 
insufficient to cover the cost. Scarcely more than the really essen- 
tial books could be printed, those which were necessary for the instruc- 
tion of the blind and for the practice of their professions. The ben- 
efit to the reader by touch still remained too limited. Another step 
in the direction of progress was necessary. It has been realized by 
the foundation of the Braille library, a library composed of manu- 
script works in the Braille system, which, although it has not been 
in existence for more than a score of years, already numbers 25,000 
volumes. Nearly all of them have been written by various persons, 
and especially ladies and young girls, who each week, sometimes every 
day, devoted some hours of leisure in preparing reading matter for 
the blind. These volumes, masterpieces of patience and. charity, 
are sent in all directions to all those who desire to learn from them. 
They carry everywhere sound and beneficent diversion, a glow of joy 
in the darkness, a ray of light which illuminates the intellect and 
warms the heart. The Braille library also disseminates journals and 
reviews in relief, no doubt rather brief, but sufficient, not only to 
inform the readers regarding all which is of interest in the special 
world of the blind, but also to make them acquainted with the polit- 
ical, literary, and artistic news which no one should ignore. 
Thanks to this library, one may say that an abundant intellectual 
nourishment has been placed within reach of all educated blind per- 
sons. Considerable progress has been made in this direction. Before 
