INSTITUTIONS FOR THE BLIND 97 



stand the physical and mental deprivation under which the 

 blind labor. 



A blind man of my acquaintance was a guest at the home 

 of a stranger. At retiring time his host showed him to the 

 guest room, and, wishing to be very land and thoughtful, 

 taking him around the room said to him, here is the bed, here 

 is a chair, here is the wash stand, and here is the looking glass. 

 And those who have been familiar with the ])lind for many 

 years may not fully take in the statement, the blind can not 

 see. 



The want of sight involves not only physical conditions, 

 but also mental, moral, and spiritual energies. It influences 

 muscle, nerve and brain. It may be a spur to mental and 

 physical action, or more likely, it may have a depressing effect 

 upon all energy. It may influence the sense of personal re- 

 sponsibility to self, to society, and to God. It will affect char- 

 acter for good or e\'il. And intelligence, independence, and 

 character are essential elements of good citizenship. 



Then too there are in some cases evil home influences and 

 conditions which may be the cause of blindness, and the cause 

 too of the most baleful influence of the affliction. If a blind 

 child inherits bad habits and propensities, and also the disease 

 that made him blind, he is doubly afflicted, and the problem 

 of helping him out of his evil condition is a comphcated one. 



To make good citizens of the worthy and virtuous may 

 not be so difficult, but to do this for the low and vicious may 

 seem a hopeless task, when the mspiration of sight is lacking. 

 Yet we are not to despair even of these. We must lay hold of 

 the good in the heart, if we can find it, and by it raise the soul 

 to a better and purer fife. Our blind pupils are with each 

 other m our schools only for a time; then they go out among 

 the seeing with whom they are to spend their lives; hence we 

 must prepare them for the world in which they are to five. 



In educating our pupils for society and for the state we 

 should have regard to three lines of training: physical, mental 

 and moral ; and these lines of education wiU act and react upon 

 each other. 



I wiU not go over the whole curriculum of our schools, but 

 wifl touch only upon some special matters that are of impor- 



Vol. 10—7 



