The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-20
SOME NEW BOOKs.


eulORy ts lett to others, MS frlends ana ieuoW
townsmen. ana the words they have been moved
to say in tender and respectful remembrance
viii be found appended to the volume. But the
plain record s the more effective panegyric. IL
cannot be read without thrill of sympathy and
of spontaneous admiration for one In whom
class Of human beings apparently condemned to
irrevocablc isolation-the mere wrecks and fall
ures OF humanity-found a champion, interpret
err, and friend.
Few OF the many who associate DIR. Howe
with the Massachusetts, Asylum for the Blind
are acquainted with the earlier aud romantic
incidents of his career. Yet these are worth re-
calling, because they foreshadow the vehement
devotion to ideas aud the self abueQation which
bore fruit In the patient. unremlttine endeavor
Of his later yesrs. During tho struggles OF the
Greeks for Independence in the third &C.
cade OF this century, the friends OF liberty
throughout Europe and America were by no
means nigeard OF. good wishes or substantial
aid, but young Howe, who had Just taken a
medical degree. attested the sincerity Of his
professions by embarking for Greece, and ten
dering to the patriots his services ~ a surgeon
and soldier. For six years, during which his
fellow graduates were making way In their
profession, he shared the fortunes Of the little
Greek army, hunted from one fastness to an
other, poors armed and worse provisioned, but
by stop with them through their heroic strue-
gle, he formed more favorable and probably
more Just estimate OF the people than those
who at first applauded aud afterward reviled
and undervaued thew Dr. Howe'c experience
in Greece mad marked h i'm out as the man TO be
entrusted with another chivalrous but danger
Gus undertaking-the conveyance Of supplies to
the insurgent Poles. The successful accom-
plishment of this mission IN lSH brought upon
him imprisonment In Prussan jail, from
which he was with difficulty rescued By the
resolute Intervention OF the United States Min
lister.
The energies which had hitherto been excr
cised in the cause Of oppressed nationalities
were to be henceforth concentrated upon a
humber, yet not less deserving object. Upon
his return to Boston, Dr. Howe COMMENCED the
experiment OF teaching the blind. This he was
Obliged to do on a small scale, beginning with
three children OF one family whom no found on
one Of the public roads. When he was visited
by Horace Mann he had been about SIX months
at work, and had laboriously executed some
books with raised letters. 10 order to teach his
pupils to read. some geographical maps, and the
| geometrcal diagrams necessary for instruction
In mathematics. soon afterward he brought
out his class for exhibition with the view Of in
| teresting people In his scheme and obtaining
money sufficient TO enlarge the scope OF the un-
| dertaking. The appeal was emlnently success
| full and now DR.. Howe entered upon years OF
labor, less harassing doubtless, than the vicissi
| tudes Of the Greek campaign, but m king, per-
| haps, greater demands upon his powers Of WORK
ana of endurance. lie was compelled TO frame
| his own implements and methods, to drill and
instruct his corps Of teachers. himself first learn
ing the secrets OF the desired instruction. Ne
| was Obliged To keep the infant Institution fresh
| In. fl.a .l,Aa urA fn
| give 1t a place among the recognized benefao-
| lions OF tire commdnwealth.
In hts forty-third and last report OF the Massa-
| chusetts Asylum for the Blind. Dr. Howe bried '
| narrates the circumstances preceding and fol-
| lowing the coming Of Laura Bridgmau 10 the
| institution. He tells us that as the methods OF
instructing the blind and deaf mutes became
familiar to him. his mind dwelt with peculiar
| interest upon the question whether in the case.
| sometimes occurring, Of tho conjunction OF
these misfortunes in one person. any oombina-
ton of these methods could be made to meet
the needs Of the two-fod privation. lie de-
sired an opportunity Of testing this question,
| and found one In q little girl living in village
| OF New Hampshire who was both blind aud
deaf, and very deficient even In the sense OF
| smell. In order 20 reach tho Imprisoned intel
| lect OF this child. lie formed every day on the
| palm OF her hand some Of the signs OF the
| finger alphabet combined IA the shortest mono
| syllables, choosing especially the words pin aud
pen, and giving her each article as often as he
shaped in her hand the letters OF its name
| After countless repetitions Of this process,
Laura Brdgman at length perceived the differ
ence between the central characters Of the two
words, taking up the pen, or pin, according to
| the letters formed for her, and herself making
| the appropriate signals when one or other ar
| ticle was presented. On first discovering the
fact of this connotation of things by signs, she
smiled as II suddenly penetrated with trutl
unguessed before. Her instructor had found TIA,
entrance to her mind, and sue had found ia,
key to the whole structure Of language. Tn,
FIRST conditions OF intercourse being thus ful.
nlled, the intelligence Of the little pupil un-
folded rapidly, soon displaying the natural oil
inherited adaptation OF the human mind to the
methods OF thought through symbols. do
horses sit up late?' she inquiries before she
learns the difference between horse life and hu
man life. "What has become of Orrin's hiuL 2
she asks, when she Is apprized Of the death O
one Of her companions at the asylum. " Ted
Gus and difficult rs the education NJ Laur
Brldgman must needs have been, one may envy
DIR. Howe the satisfaction OF revealing the cute
universe of spac, and hfc and tue inner worl,
Of thought TO tits child. cut OF from commu-
Mon with her KIND by barriers seemingly unsur-
shut out And here, perhaps, we may not un
apty cite two stanzls from Dr. Holiness poem
read II. the Boston Music Hall some months ago
Oh the occasion of the memorial services IL
honor OF the departed philanthropist;
What PRAYERS have reached the sapphire throne
| l5 silent hugrrs speit,
For him who hrst through depths unknown
| Ills doubtful pathway felt.
| Whcrc'er he moved. his shadOwY form
| Tie slghtlr>a urhs would sees,
| Anu suilcs OF Wcicnmc light aud warm
| Inc lips that could not SPEAK.
Combining ourselves to the profes slonal labor
with which the name Of DR.. Howe is most In
timately associated we may mention, in add
tion to those already spoken Of, the multiplied
ton OF books for the blind and the improyemer
of the characters employed IN them. lie was nc
the inventor OF the raised letters which hay
made reading by the sense of touch possible
for these had already been devised by tho Alb
Hauy But he improved so much upon thei
as greatly to facilitate their applcai ion, hayiu
; succeeded after various experiments IN COZ
irving the angular type now used IN the press
! tho Massachusetts, Institution, as well as in r,
ducing the bulk OF books printed in raise
| characters about one-hnlf The multiIlicatio