The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-05-17 00:00:00

LORD HATHERLEY ON TEACHING
FOR THE BLIND.

On Monday Lord Batherley presided at the annual
meeting of the Society formed in 1855 for supplying
home teacher-or and hooks in Moon's type to enable the
blind to real the Scriptures, which was held at Willis's
Rooms. Among those present were Sir Charles
Lowther, the Rev. Daniel Wilson, vicar of Islington;
the Rev. E. H. Bickersteth, the Rev. G. IL Stanton,
the Rev. Hugh M'Sorley, Dr. Moon, the Rev. Canon
Gregory, and many others.
l‘f 'lei.. the s esor , read i, sd reeert,
which stated that the Society had now lale.ured
In London and its suburbs for seventeen yearn
among the blind pont by hoses-to-house visita-
tion, seeking out every blind person who could be
found, and offering to teach them to read, in AI con's
embossed simplified type, the Bible and other
suitable hooks. In hoping to deal successfully with
that clean of the population' it ought to be re-
meuabered that few were horn blind, and that
the majority of those afflicted were adult and
aged persons. In 1861. in England and Wales there
were 19,352 blind pereons, of whom only 1,129 were
below ten years of age. Tht Society had applied the
agencies happily adopted by its founders with increased
success from year to year, an i the committee again
recordsd their conviction that the necessity for such
an institution was not less urgent now than in years
gone by. Vast tracts of the country still remained
unt ruched ; but, in reference to London, it was scarcely
too ouch to gay that at least two thirds of the blind
had been visited by the teachers and that there need
not be one unvisited or untanglt, if the blind would
only avail themselves of the privileges open to them.
Most of the teachers had themselves' passed through
the terrible affliction of loss of sight, and they had been
selected, not only on account of their aptitude to teach,
hut also for their Christian character. One difficulty
they had to contend against was the extreme poverty
of many of the blind and their instinctive feeling that
the teachers' visits would or ought to be followed by
some charitable relief. The Society, however, never
interfered with the numerous channels that already
existed for providing temporal relief. In London ten
home teachers were employed, and 20,681 visits were
made by them during the past year to 1,172 blind per-
sons, of whom 729 were now good readers, and 167 had
been taught to read, and 26,725 loans of hooka had been
made. Local home-teaching societies were now es-
tablished in 40 of the chief towns of the kingdom, hot
yet there were 25 counties where no such provision for
the blind had been made. The report concluded by
referring to the work of the society in Devonshire and
Durham, and to the prospect of an agency being formed
In Staffordshire and other counties. Tho income last
year WIIA £3,057 and the expenditure kirei, leaving a
balance to the good of £3OO.
Lord liatherley, in moving the adoption of the re-
port and the reappointment of a con,nottee of manage-
ment, observed that the work of the Society was not
only one of a deeply interesting character, which could
only be carried on by earnest zeal, and at the tax of
the best exertions of those connected with it, but it pos-
sessed an advantage over* great many charities, inas-
much as the task upon which it was engaged was& finite
and distinct. As regarded many worksof charity in the
metropolis, therewaa always the disheartening teeing
that, however great might have been their success, yet,
after all, there wan, and that necessarily, a large amount
of misery and distress still untouched. It was fortn-
Referring to the foregoing, The Timee has the follow- nately different with Societies for the relief of the blind,
lug snegeetive leader, whieh deserves the thoughtful for the number of those afflicted with blindness was
parueal of every working-man : limited, and they had therefore every hope of making
A very obi subject WAS treated In a new and practical aul,stantial and visible progress in their work. He con-
manner by Lord Drrhy lee A speech delivered pat, rdm at gratulated the society on the fact that two thirds of
Willis's Rooms, The MOBS of improvidence wtich did the blind poor iu London had been visited and furnished
tlegensh tee workinc-cia,see of ETlKlatid and Ming mlthe nto of becoming acrinointed with the
so etscouinetng a contrast with our nearest neighbours hav with 6
.', ." mean"
i I the. their operations] had extended to
been w•ilt on by statesmen and menthes, by et iters sociale oeriP"''''',
and economical, Meiotic and satirical, with various p.p.. many of the English counties, Allel he expreesed his
and In various styles, hut islwa3s with an assumption conviction that if the institution Was adequately sup.
that the fact could not be emestioneil, and that the ported in future, its beneficent work might spread
1114101,10 character w. in al, re
b roe. u,,clivengeal•ie. throughout the length and breadth of the land. Having
Dete u was cited b Lord Darby to a that ie hie
Urn,. an EnallAy
MSII would leave hiears chwith',ildren in beggary ferred to several instances in the Bible in which the
on the tame wages out of which a Ontchn.an would gift of light was regarded as one of the greatest bless-
have prowl& d competence, and the distinguished economist ings which God had conferred upon our race, and its
who has feat passed away from among us would have borne snilden deprivation was need as a punishment to
similar testimony an to the differentia between the English offenders, his Lordship observed that few could have
workman or labourer and the Frenchman of the eame class. any adeqnate idea of the distress and clianonrage-
-8.. undenisble is this
„ tendency to extravagance that persons
of patriotic foo,oto ,fo oßot somthiag
ment which a loss of
,eight, n
though it
he
he
better to ray, affect to consider Its virtue and Its conao only temporary, prouuceo. There was, e said, _
emeticrs advantages. to society. The Englishman, accord. I total deprivation of the view of all that was beautiful
leg to these spolt,glats, shows his superior-milky and courage and all that had hitherto interested us in the outward
by the wastetulnee with which he throws away his money. world ; but, what was a more Revere lose, was the M-
ills lustil frame must be nourish•d by vast supplies of solid
food, which his Inn ste nobility demands Asa he ot the hest ability to discern the countenances of those we loved
quality. A certain uervene potency, which is the mansprine of
and among whom mingled. There was, again, the
her ic action,/ esquires to be kept at the full oy copious draughts cremation of the pleanue which we experienced from
of beer or the more concentrated alcohol of gin. it la ',thar our ordinary hat iteof reading, and we were altog dhercnt
grand and Norsolike in the eyes of some ,d our nancolar off from those active pursuits to which we had been
tett timentallata to eat to repletion and drink to drunkenness, accustomed. Ail these Mr .umetances ma,e the loss of
and this is cornelmw sasociated with the omen. st of Inds yesight grieVOllli to be borne even when that loss we
and the exploration of the world. But, dever the meet.
or influence of these habit., they mist among ns conspicuous ri led be only tem rat and when the enffeter
dee.. to po y,
and undeniable. They are accompanied by a good deal more, was able to cherish reasonable hope cf his ultimate-re'
The working Englishman, like hie betters, has a strong in- storaiion ,• but how, he inquired,. could they he corn-
stii.ct for sport, and loves to stake his money on all sorts of pared with the condition of the poor milan who Was
chance.. This tendency and the habits and e,mspanion,l,ip I permatieu,ly blind, and to whom the deprivationof light
It promicen ere not in favour of saving. Then the swerving '
wee the ribolute extincti'm of every weans of exist-
clarses at e very social fled gregat lons ; holeday.making at
hones mot excnrelous to • distance have a great attreetion ence for himself and his family He commented
for them, end they encourage one another to treating them. upon the fact that many persons who became blind
selves to everything their present means with little were utterly igno-ant in all religione matters, and upon
care for the morrow, the blessing which the Society c nferre I in giving
The ooniequence of all this Is that the labouring classes of them, by way of comfort in their dark and solitary
this country tleo and cie poor. They pass In the mai, hour!, copes of the Holy Scriptures through which
happy lives so long as tiey have health tool strength, but they might he spieitually enlightened. His lordship
the pieaanr. they
dignity and growing en
rema
joyindepe are
ndence ields not heigh'ene iby that retie of
rked amid the cheers of the meeting, that he had
w accompanies the - .
poasessiou of properly however humble. The effect of this himself experienced the benefit of Dr. Moon's wyeem
wsid may be te,u in their appearance and matinee. A of teaching, for when nearly wholly deprived of sight,
ter ible lack of cleanliness and a want of decency in deport- he learnt the finger alphabet in three hours, and was
went and langeage characterize large masse, of the now never at a lass to read the type used by the blind.
people. But, though presenting a
self-neglect and abandonment, the wretched picture of He was thus able to confirm from personal experience
same man may he
asiartestrncit;ibiseimbloo n one of theTh
eThere simplest
w
didr e iv
II.:
Cgencdhoeuotbule. tThete runs" oafr e e 73; methodstiSle sa
of tnetatchhai nt gpt 1.1; er%btrinnri eywe devised.tan o
as it they had never from their childhood formed a concep- he thought, a good deal of advantage in reading the
Sion of the neenese and grace which are the charm of their Scriptures slowly, an was necessarily thecase when the
eex. The children are filthy and squidid, even when it
appears that they ye not 111-fed. The houses are to
bare., that in ages which he thought he understood veryuch wan the only Renee employed, for h e had often found
cheerless, comfortless. Everything betokens an habiue t I .
recklessness; which•haa become second nature and Influences well and knew much better he had come across words
the whole tenon' of life—the life of people who aspire and phrases' which had quite anew or an additional 'igni-
te nothing, but look only to the gains of today as supply ficance to him. He congratulated Dr. Moon on having
ing the indulgence of to morrow. and who have nelthe r prepared his raised type in no less than 80 different
shone nor fear at the prospect of ending their days as e
recipients of public charity languages, and thus having contributed not only to
tbe comfort, but the spiritual enjoyment of thimaands
worFa he it from us to say there are not whole cisme es of of his poor and afflicted fellow-creatures. Hie Lord.
deny that habits of economy, seltrestraint, and; aelf-res Peet -
kring mei. smperier to the type we describe Dor d, s we/
alit) wise concluded by Quoting a part of the invoea-
are making way in concretion with the great association sof tion to Ught in this third Bock of Milton's Pardise
MA there are whole quarters within th Writ OI Lost, sat clown amid hearty cheers. The motion Was
51118111.4 capital—thare ere miles and scores of mil, of seconded by the Rev. Daniel Wilson atd cori icd
streets whore the most cursory oinervatim will show la est nmioitroudy. Speeches were alga made by the Rev,
tee first Irn pr.ement haa, yet tole. Merle. The sochal gets Wi
of this went of frugality are to be seen In every en-awl (1 HStR M IL tneon, the lice. 11. 'Sorley, the Rev. E.
what 1. called a 10. Ilei ehnoarbon.t ; the political e Recta
Ifielroor Ale Dr Moor amidothers and the meeting
less AlTAie4et, and we rannit doubt that they arc rieetey in " L • I concluded with a vote of thanks to Lord It &tiler ny.
furious to the cre,iiry Vest ARIDA the aggrega'e of tie , ll'oPmiod by Sir Charles Lowther, who let himself
will'', (Italian& by the labouring claws, are tweeted or. blind. 14411 )
5.10), d. leterioue indulgence, en prothrts wbich
ere et once consumed ant perish. when they mil, ht be in-
vested in ihe permanent improvement of the country. SCIENOL Gossip.--Botanists havo astrved
extravagiuree of the I abouring class Morisco width the*, ~.adv
too great differences between msn and man. ny . ' •
tit at the language of flowers `A not a faculty eievete.ed
enormous woalth tells, hands of esv, and Ire AVOWtw g .elln a 1.10,6_111e. S once resells Ile snore than
rater accinisierne arel isomer's:on of Protier.- Othe.re. Far inetancee &were of !Tema have it to •
of a compatatively hutted clam All
na
pappaakable extent—Punch.
o f't

- •
The hon. gentlemao went on my The managers of these
!societies actually have to reject the capital which the work-
ing classes offer to them on the ground that they cannot
Invest any more to advantage. In Newcastle there are great
works, estebished by the engineers after the great strike, at
which the larger part of th, capital has been supplied by
working men, and every man leaves 20 per cent of his earn-
ings untouched, to ad Ito the capital. Again. a friend of his
had purchased • farm in Warwickshire, where wages are Its.
or 17s. • week, and offered shams In It to farm labourers.
His friend and he—for he was • humble shareholder iu the
farm—did not expect much towards Immediate pay-
ment from labourers earning, all allowance, included,
• wet kto keep them ant their families. They expected
the money to come in slowly by weekly plijments But in a
very few weeks—for the farm was only started a few weeks
ago—otit of old stockings, or from somewhere, tiny got
£250 In hard cull, which was Inverted in plant for the
:arm There had been two or three terrible failures in the
old sayings.banks which Tat bred a distrust of savings-
banks among the working classes, and even the port-Abe
banks offered • very low rate of interest-24 per cent.
Noes, the peer should be afforded profitable moles of in-
vestmf at, else they would not invest; we ourselves did
not invest our money in the unprofitable shape of De-
ferred Annuiths, besiege we knew we could by lnvest-
moots and compound interest get as large all income
and leave the capital to our children. After consult,
log with an eminent banker and another member of raffia-
ent, Mr. Hughes this Session brought in • Bill, of which
the Pmtruaster.General approved, for enabling small sums
to be invested in Comte. The interest obtained would be
or 3 per cent., instead of 2j ; and it was true that the
working-Man would take his chance of rise and fall in the
Sleeks, which was, however, fortunately not appreciable
over a long investment in English Government securities. To
pet the working classes on the land seemed impossible, or
only pes-ible after a great length of time ; but by this
mode of investment a workman could get a stake In the
c esntry which would have—he used the word In the !same
sense as his Lordship—a truly "conservation" effect.
. .

The Bishop of Exeter, in proposing the next reso-
lution, 'which recommended the appointment of col-
lectors of aavings unier the Post Office, as explained
in No. 7 of the Society's Papers, gave some experiences
of a Blanket Club, which bad encouraged habits of
prudence in Warwickshire, by giving, not money, but
only care and work, that most useful and most Christian
charity of personal aervice.

-
Sir William Fraser seconded the resolution, quoting
Spenser to show that we were a "diependions people ;"
and Sir C. E. Trevelyan proposed a vote of thanks to
the Chairmen, and followed Archbishop Mooning in
putting forward the claims of the (2 tray ON .iiza:ion
Society, of which his lordship is a member.

The vote was briefly acknowledged, and the meeting
broke tip.