The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-05-13
FOURTH DAY.

anniversary exhibition Of the pupils Of the New
York Institution for the Blind came off at Metropo-
Titan Hall The hall was filed by highly re-
spectacle and very numerous audience, the great
majority Of whom were ladies. The stage was oc-
eupied by the managers and the officers Of the in
stituon, and the pupils, the female portion Of
whom arrayed in white dresses, ornamented
with blue and pink ribbons. They looked remarkably
well some Of the children's eyes appeared as it
nothing was the matter with them, and the blind
ness could only be detected by the manner Of hold
ing the head, and vacant expression in the face.
A sadness or melancholy seemed to sit on the coun-
tenances Of most of these children, occasionally,
however, lighted up by a transient SMILE
Rev. Mr.. LOTT opened the proceedings with
prayer.
planned the objects Of the institution. He said it
was not merely asylum for blind children, but to
render them as independent as their capacities
would permit None knew but those who had in
tercourse with them, how great was their aversion
TO being kept apart from the external world and how
eagerly they engaged in the rvce oflife. Under the
auspices of this institution they went out into the
world, and were successful, while others filed up
their places, and after similar training, followed
them into those active pursuits Of life for which
they were best adapted. BY this institution the
other senses educated to perform the function
Of the lost sense, which was thus in some measure
compensated and it was curious fact that in those
deprived of sense, the other senses were quick
ened aud rendered more acute.
band, consisting entirely of the pupils, then
performed piece of music; after which, the whole
Of the pupils sung in chorus " The Coming Of
Spring" in beautiful style, and amidst loud ap-
pl8use:-
Icome, come, with o fowery band;
come from bright and lovely land,
To call the earth from its wnt'ry tomb,
And deck the fields in a vernal vloom;
I've tarred long, but I've come atlast,
To hush the moan OF the ftful blast
The pupils then read portions Of the Bible, in
raised letters, finding any chapter called for by any
Of the audience, and reading it off with perfect
faency. This excited the establishment and ap-
The Reaper on the Plain was then sung by q
blind boy, named J. Miner. very sweety:-
Bending DER his sickle, mid the yellow grain,
Singing as the sickle gathers to his hand,
Rustling in its ripeness, the glory of his land
A solo was then performed on the panoforte by
Miss II. Barnett, with exquisite taste and brilliant
execution Then followed nm examination in geo.
quantance with the face Of the globe, and its na-
tOns, and cities, and population The following
song, entitled "The Time of the Heart" was then
sung by boy named A. Quick
"Merry goes the time,
When the heart is young
There is naught too hard to climb
When the heart is young,
spirit Of delight
Scatters in it's fight,
And there's magic in the night,
When the heart is youngn
Then followed examination In grammar
in which the pupils showed equal proficiency
as in geography. After this, was performed
in excellent style on the piano, grand march
as duet, by two little girls, named 4. Wood and
two boys and two girls, entitled May month is
coming" The next exercise was quick step by
the band, and this closed the first part the pro-
gramme.
Between the first and second parts, Miss Frances
J. Crosby delivered, with animation and effect the
following poetic address, written by herself
SCENES OF OTHER DAYS.
Oh! for the joys of other times
The good old times Of yore;
Yet come they not as once they came
They sleep to wake more
The glitteriDg halls Of wealth and pride
May charm with dazzling rays
But. ali. they cannot win the heart
Like scenes Of other days.
The cot, around whose rustic porch
The rose and woodbine chung
The streamlet, where it's dropping bougk
The pensve willow hung
The little church, where sweetly rose
The song of prayer and praise;
Oh these are scenes to memory dear
Bright scenes of other days
The rugged hill we loved to climb
In childhood's happy hours
To catch the acorns as they dropped,
Or pluck the wild wood flowers
The reapers, as they gaily sang
Their merry harvest lays,
All cluster round our memory yet
And tell Of other days
That watched our footsteps then,
And whispered words Of holy love
We may not hear again
And when the sunset hues were lost
Amid the valley fair
Then closely nesting by her side
We said evening prayer.
Go where will. though stepped in guilt
The heart by chance may be.
still there are moments whena prayer,
Lisped . mothers knee
VIII stay the wanderers way ward course,
And to his Trembling gaze
Bring back in all their innocence,
The scenes of other days.
Where are the friends Of olden times,
The generous and the true
That could our faults and virtues sec
Reprove, yet love u.s. too I!
Though friendship still around our path
May pour ts genial rays,
We neer shall meet with hearts warm
As those Of other days.
The second part was opened with duet entitled
" the Syren and the Friar," by girl named l..
Snifen, and boy named r. jackson. This was
admirably sung, particularly by Miss Sniifen. A
solo was then sung by young lady, from Rossini,
with q chorus by the whole of the pupils. Next
followed the examination in astronomy, in which
there was not q single question that not
answered. A song was then sung by six Of the
little girls, with much sweetness, followed by
brilliant variations the piano. by Miss A. Wood.
Then was sung duet, from " Norma" by Miss l..
Sniien and Miss II. Barnett, in q style tilat might
make some professional singers blush at their
inieriority. 1t was enthusiastically encored. The
next exercise was an examination in arithmetic in
which the pupils answered the most difficult ques-
tons with ease and prompttude, and one Of them
performed operations Of numbers upon metallic
plate, with the type for the blind, multiplying and