New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-05-12

Of the Deaconesses, which pleased me IN some re-
spects. Beside the regular CrEche they take the
sick children Of the poor, and nurse them till they
are well They have also refuge like that Of the
Home which the ladies Of New York have provided,
through which members ofthe most unjustly treated
class ofsociety may return 70 peace and usefulness
There are institutions Of the kind in Paris but too
formal-and the treatment shows ignorance Of h0.
man nature. | see nothing that shows so enlight-
ened spirit as The Home, little germ Of good
which ] hope fourshes and finds active aid in
the community. | remember that last year much
regret was felt that application had not been
made previous to the general breakingup Of the st
Of May for such gifts Of household stuff as families
are usually glad to spare from their transit and the
humblest Of which would be useful there. hope
the appeal has been made this year / am sure it
would be efTectual in many instances. Ihave col
lected many facts with regard to this suffering class
Of women both in England and in France. have
seen them under the thin veil Of gsyety and in the
horrible tatters Of utter degradation. have seen
the hearts Of men with regard to their condition and
a general heartessness in women OF more favored
aud protected lives, which | can only ascribe 10
utter ignorance Of the facts. If q proclamation Of
some Of them can remove it, ! hope to make such
a one in the hour Of ripper Judgment, and after
more extensive survey.
Sad as are many features OF the time, we have
at least the satisfaction Of feeling that if something
true can be revealed-if something wise and kind
shall be perseveringy tried, it stands chance OF
nearer success than ever beiorefor much light has
been let In at the windows of the world, and many
dark hooks have been touched by consong ray.
The influence Of such one / felt in visiting the
School for Idiots, near Paris. Idiots so called long
time by the impotence Of the crowd-or there are
really none such, but only beings so below the
average standard partially organized that 1t is
difficult for them 10 learn or 10 sustain themselves
wept the whole time l was in this place shower
OF sweet and bitter tears OF joy at what had been
done, grief for all that | and others possess and
cannot impart to these little ones But patience
and the Father Of All will give them all yet. A
good angel these of Paris have in their master
have seen 10 man that seemed to me more worthy
of envy, If one could envy happiness so pure and
tender He is man OF seven or eight-and twenty,
who formerly came there only TO give lessons in
writing but became so interested in his charge
that be came at last to live among them and to
serve them. They sing the hymns he writes for
them and as | saw his fine countenance looking in
love on those distorted and Opaque vases Of human
ity, where he had succeeded in waking up faint
flame, | thought his heart could never fail TO be
welwarmed and buoyant They sang well, both
in parts and in chorus, went through gymnastic
ercises with order and pleasure, then stood in cir
Gle and kept time, while several danced extremely
well. One little fellow, with whom the difficulty
seemed to be that excess OF nervous sensibility
paralyzed instead OF exciting the powers, recited
poems with touching childish grace and perfect
memory. They wrote well drew well, make shoes
and do carpenters work One of the cases most
interesting to the metaphysician is that Of boy,
brought there about two years and half ago, at
the age Of thirteen. in a state Of brutaity-and of
ferocious brutality. / read the Physicians report
of him at that period he discovered no ray Of do
cency or reason entirely beneath the animals in
the exercise Of the senses he discovered a restless
fury beyond that Of beasts of prey. breaking and
throwing down whatever came in his way, a
voracious glutton, and every way grossly sensual
Many trials and vast patience were necessary be.
fore an inlet could be obtained to his mind then
it was through the means of mathematics. He de-
lights in the figures, can draw and name them all,
detects them by the touch when blindiolded. Each
mental gesture of the kind he still follows up with
an imbecie chuckle as indeed his face and whole
manner are still that Of idiot, but he has been
raised from his sensual state and can now discrim-
mate and name colors and perfumes which before
were all alike to him. He is partially redeemed
earlier, no doubt, far more might have been done
for him, but the degree Of success is an earnest
which must encourage TO perseverance in the most
seemingly hopeless cases / thought sorrowfully
of the persons of this class whom have known in
our country, who might have been so raised and
solaced by similar care. / hope ample provision
may ere long be made for these Pariahs Of the hu-
man race every case Of the kind brings its bless
ngs with it, and observation on these subjects
would be as rich in suggestion for the thought as
such acts of love are balmy for the heart. X