Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-03-31
The Blind Sculptor.

That is very touching picture,
which is drawn by modern travel
Ter, of blind soul ptor, whom he fell
in with al lnnspruck, in the Tyrol.
His name was Kleinhaus and this
is a brief synopsis of his history:
When five wears of age he was at
tackled with the small pox; ii affect
ed his eyes, and finally made him en-
tirely blind. Before he had lost his
sight, he had often played with those
little wooden figures which are so
skiIlfuiIy carved by the inhabitants of
the Tyrol, and had even attempted
TO handle knife, and form stat
uelte himself.
No longer permitted to behold
the light, his thoughts increasingly
turned to those Images he was wont
TO contemplate with SO much pleas
ure, and which he would gladly have
inflated. Then he would take them
between his hands, feel Of them
'fand try 10 console nimseff for no
being able to see, by measuring them
with his fingers. Feeling them a.
gain and again, and turning them
over in every way, he was able by
degrees to comprehend, from the
touch, the exact proportions of the
figure; anatomiSing upon wood,
marble or bronze the features of the
face and the different parts of the
body, and th.s TO Judge Of the nice
ties of work of art.
When he had acquired this skill,
he one day asked himself WEATHER
he could not succeed in supply ing the
loss of sight by the keen sense of
touch with which he was gifted. His
father and mother were both dead /:
he found himself alone and destitute,
and rather than beg, he resolved TO
make out, through his own eyertions,
means of subsistence.
Taking a piece of wood and a
chisel, he at length began to work.
His first attempts were very trouble
some and very irihing. Frequently
did the unconscious blind boy destroy
by one notch made too deep, piece
Of work to which he diligently devo-
ted long days of labor. Such OBJ
slacles would have discouraged any
other, bu, his love for art induced
him to persevere.
After very many efforts, he at
length succeeded in using his chisel
with steady hand, and so carefully
would he examine each fold of the
drapery, one after another, and the
contour Of each limb, that he saD,
as it were, by means of his fingers,
the figure he intended TO copy.
Thus he proceeded by degrees,
until he attained to what seems an al
most incredible perfection, for he is
now able 10 engrave from memory
the features Of a face, and produce a
perfect resemblance!
He is now seventy yearsNo age
but robust, and works every day, as
in his youth. During the course OF
his career he has sculplured severn
hundred figures. lie lives alone il
his humble apartment, and supplies
, all his wants from the produce of hi
sculpture. He is of cheerful dis
position no vain desires agiiat,
him; no ambition for honor or rich
es troubles the dreams Of the blinG
artist. His mind is wholly occupied
with better thoughts. lie common
ces his work in the morning, and a
r il advances, his face becomes mor'
, and more animated, and his soul ex
/ pands. 81 feel" he says, "eacl
work of art that is presented 10 me
aud each piece that carve, even Il
1 the very minutest part, and am con
f, tent with il as If | had beheld il will
mine own eyes"
What iorcible illustration is tbi
: of the beautiful sentence Of Sterne
9 8" God lempers the wind TO the shorl
4 lamb" Here is the true compen
= sation" in the dispensations of Di
!, vine Providence like the light tina
!, was poured from the source OF a
( light and life, into the dark recesse
4 of poor Laura Bridgman, who seem
q ed shut out from the world, and al
: most from her Maker, being deal
u dumb, and blind.