River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-03-29
The Remarkable Achievements or Pro.
fessor Fawcett, the British Post

The Remarkable Achievements Off
fessor Fawcett, the British Post.
master General.
NJ ID. Conway writes to the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette from London: or
is probable that Professor Fawcett will
live in history as the ideal blind man.
The expression of blindness is all over
him, aud in every smallest movement,
contrasting at every moment with tho
tokens of his triumphs over it. His hab-
itual loud voice in conversation, that Of
one who cannot measure the distances
of those to whom he is speaking; his I'M
altered look as one approaches, until his
hand is touched or he is spoken to. and
the suddenness of his smile then; his in
tent air, as of one concentrating all 9th
err means of perception to make up for
the absence of sight; and, more tn IN all,
perhaps, the absence of all these small
conventionalities, or tricks of manner,
which people unconsciously copy from
one another; these have more and more
become the visible characters
Ties of Professor Fawcett IS his real and
intellectual mastery has Increased. SO
that he is as unique among the blind In
the seeing. He has few equals in fly
fishing. is capitals skater, and knows all
the flowers and vegetables in his garden
as well as his gardener, in all their
stages of growth. Not long ago he was
walking with Sir Joseph Hooker in
Kew Gardens, and talked about the trees
and ponds and paths with such apprc-
citation, expressing the wish that the
public might enjoy them oftener, that
Sir Joseph forgot that be was talking to
a blind man and told bin that he (Faw-
cett) was welcome to enter the gardens
at any time fthe night or day. His
wife has been such eyes to him that he
constantly speaks OF having seen 1t in
the papers this and that. He goes home
from Parliament, across many streets and
turnings, and If the cabman drive.
yard beyond the door he is at once
checked. He rarely fails to name the
person who speaks to him, however
long the time since their meeting.
81 remember as very impressive oc-
casion, one on which the pupils of the
college for the blind were gathered at
his mansion by the Duke ofDevonshire,
where they and their friends were adj
dressed by Professor Fawcett. These
afflicted youths of all ages and both sexes
sat before the tall, intellectual man, who
seemed to be their natural representa-
tive His address was simple, cheerful,
in every way felicitious. lie said that
he thought blind people received an UNI
| necessary amount OF coincidence on
III cir loss. While 1t was right that they
should be speedily aided, the sympathy
with them need not be sorrowful. They
missed the dismal and ugly sight of the
world, and their powerfully stimulated
imaginations saw the world chiefly in its
beauty, If they we're in health and COM
fort They constantly heard descriptions
OF all things, and these, especially If
they had once enjoyed sight, became to
the blind so real that they were apt to
take their place in memory as things act
ually seen. He said that he himself
often confused things he had heard
about with things he had seen,
| and was sometimes astonished
when it was proved to him that
| he could never have seen certain per-
sons and objects of which he had the
vivid impressions of a witness. There
was in the blind statesman's speech on
| this occasion hopeful and happy view
| of the world, and an indirect testimony
to the good heartedness and sympathy
OF human nature, more convincing than
| the pessmistie essays of Schopenhaueri
| and more poetic than the moody moan
| ings of Byron. One had TO question
whether the ancients may not have pic
| tured love as blind because they thought
people could see the fairest world better
| without eyes than with them. Indeed,
| whenever have conversed with Henry
| Fawcett have been impressed by the
many beautiful myths which preceded
| the word mystic CLOSING he eyes,
| though he is the least mystical of men /;
and | have read deeper meaning in
| Milton's description of his blindness as
"the overshadowing of heavenly wings"
| and as illumined with 'an interior light,
more precious and more pure" Up to
| this hour of his illness, had been asked
| TO name a happy man, should prob
aoly have named Henry Fawcett."