Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1851-01-29
The B,ind scuIpsss- OF the .ryroi.

spruck in which say only one humbIe
/ apartment; IFS entire furniture consisting
Of a miserable bed. broken harpschord
and bench. upon winch were laid few
pieces of wood and saase tools for carving
/, is the dwelling Of In old man named
kleinhaus. whom na:tEe has visited with
one OF her most deplofabla afflicrons.
AZ five years Of asr. Kleinhaus was
attacked with smallpox. which affected his
eyes. rendering him .onp!e,ely blind
Before having been dei5fived of sight. he
had often played with those little wooden
figures which are SO Skilfuliy carved by
the inhabitants of tho Tyrol. and had
even attempted to handle knife. and 10
form statuei,e hmsesf When no longer
permitted TO behold ts@iight. his thou ghts
increasingly turned to those images he
was want to contemplate with so much
pleasure, and which lse would fain have
initiated. Then he wcald take them be-
tween his hands. feel tt.s,n and try TO con-
sole himse for not xAss1,g ai,se so.see by
measuring sl,em with r.f.agEf. Fe ling
them again and again, and turning them
over in every may, he was able. by de-
grees. 10 comprehand from the touch the
exact proportions Of the figure. ana,omis-
ing Of | may use the expresson) upon
wood, marble. or bronze, the features of
the face and the different parts of the body.
and thus to Judge Of the nicely of work
OF art.
When he had acquired this skill. he one
day asked himself whether he could not
succeed in supplying the loss of sight by
the keen sense of touch with which ne was
gifted! His father and mother were both
dead; he found himself alone and destitute;
and rather than beg. he resovied TO ~ AXE
out, through his own exestlons, means
of subsistence. Taking piece of wood
and a chisel, he at length began to work.
His first attempts were very troublesome
and ve.v trfing. Frequently did the
unconscious Lind man DESTROY by one
notch made too deep apiece of work to
which he had devoted ,ons days Of labor.
Such obstacles would have discouraged
any other. but his love of art induced him
10 persevere. After very many efforts. he
at length succeeded in using his chise!
with steady hand; and so carefully
would he examine each tost. OF the dra-
perry. one after another. and the contour
Of each limb. tha, he saw as il were bv
means OF his fingers the figure he intended
to copy. Thus he proceeded by degrees
till he attained to what seems an almost
incredible perfection, for. he is now sb'e
10 engrave from memory the features of a
face. and produce perf&tlresenblsnee
In the museum al .ng nsg=ifssor,ck' rave
seen bust. in wood g ism9esor Fer
dinand which hearssf' 80 81. l,izene
= - =: y sasi 'ss.,l laslai
--F9
succeeded in executing sys passi5s n:s-!
hand repeatedly over fhe~-iace OF the if>-
divdual. 1t is, they say, perfect resem
blance.
Kleinhaus is now Severity years of age;
he is erect and robust; his countenance
expresses much kindness and gentleness;
and he contrives to work9~svery day as in +
his youth During the course of his long
career he has scuptured many hundred T
ii .ureS. He showed INC lh his wts.s,hop I
a crucitix three feet in he' sht. in winch he t
has placed mechanism sot his own con
struction. that gradually moves the head /
of the image up and dowu opens the eyes
and lips, and closes them again by de-
grees. All this. however,, has not served
10 enrich tn indefatigabie kieinhaus Hi,
countrymen have not kih,wn how 10 ap-
preciate the laborious ext1ions of such
man, and they have not tried 10 improve
his position. BY and bv. herhaps. they /
will raise a monument to us memory; but
in the meantime he lives Zone in his hum
bic apartment. supplyinghis wants from
the produce of his scuiptsre. But he is
of a cheerful disposition no vain desire
acitates him: no ambition for honor or
riches troubles the dresns of the blind /,
artist: his mind is WHOLLY occupied with
better thoughts He commences his work
in the morning. and as advances. hi.
face becomes more and lfore animated.
and his soul expands.
thought. while looking at him sculp-
turing a group of remaik ably graceful
igures, OF the harmonisus Beethoven
who was affected with deisness Klein
,aus. however. has ccnsolation that
Beethoven could not ense- % II feel"
,aid he. leach work Of art;!iat is present
I'd TO me. and each piece that carve.
even TO the very ininutesT I-st. aS,tf l am ,
Is content with it as if tsnai beheld IT
With nv ewes" He has himself com
,osed the music and the wpfsls of HYMN.
n which he expresses wta touching i,
esigE alton the emotions f blind man :
lie sung it for me. accom- fa,ying himself :
IN the harpsichord: and have tried to :
translate it, but could M well preserve ,
he simple style of the or{einal:- !;
'.Behold the misery oftas poor blind
nan. He must go through the world to !.
eek his daily bread. No pen can por-
ray what the blind man suffers. i cSll ! !
'owerfal God. have pity on him. c.Whvn .
pring is come. and the rav of The morn ;
ng sun reflects itself in delighted eyes. !.
he blind man alone canns. rejoice in the :
beams. No picture. no color. !,
miles before his eyes Alas. this is to !
i'm sad privation.
''fe. will praise the Creator, although
'e has made me blind; | viii worship him. !.
llhough darkness surround. me.
"A day will come when shall rejoice !
Wy eyes will again be opened. and then
hall be able to contemplate the splendor
t the Most High. He is the Good
shepherd He watches over his SiuhtfpSS l