Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-10-08
The Blind,

OF all the physical calamities that
afflict mankind, the loss of the eye
sight seems TO be the mos, dreadful.
1t may not be generally known, but
il is nevertheless true, that even in this
age of enlightenment, superstitions ex-
list regarding the blind even among APP
parently intelligent people, which
have imagined had persisted in .o dark
ages.
BY some it is supposed that the blind
can see in the dark, and that they can
hear to q supernatural extent, and
some who are particularly ignorant be-
lieve that they exert an evil influence
over children.
1t is characteristic of ignorant hui
manity to attribute to personal mis-
fortune sinister powers and evil influ-
ences, as the burning and hanging OF
decrepit and demented old women for
witches, and the scourging of maniacs
to drive out the evil spirit supposed to
be in possession Of them, even within
O comparatively recent period, plainly
show.
Independent of idle superstitions, it
seems that there are many erroneous
ideas concerning the capabilities and
the pecrrliarities of the blind.
Mr.. Chaplin, the Principal Of the
Pennsylvania Institute for the Instruc-
ton of the Blind, in recent report.
notices and corrects several popular
notions which are erroneous. Persons
who smoke tobacco, usually experience
no pleasure in smoking in the dark.
The sight of the fire and smoke are,
therefore, considered indispensable to
that pleasure, consequently it has been
said that the blind find no pleasure in
smoking tobacco. But Mr.. Chaplin dis
poses OF the fallacy that the smoke must
be seen to be enjoyed, by stating that
the blind do enjoy smoking exceedingly,
and that many have taken up the habit
since they became blind.
There is no material difference be-
tween the idiosyncracies of those who
can see and those who can not. A great
many become blind in very early youth,
still when they grow up they develop
characteristics which would seem to
arise from ability to see and compare.
Little blind girls exhibit the same
love of dress, and show the same harm
less vanity in connection with it that
other children show who are not blind.
They learn to know what colors suit
them, and insist upon looking their very
best.
Strange as it may appear, many blind
persons are exceedingly bashful The
authority says, in speaking of the blind,
that: you would think that on their
appearance in public place they
would lmperfectly realize that other
people could know what they were
doing without touching them. Yet
when our pupils give exhibitions OF
calisthenics and gymnastics, they dis
play, before going before the specta-
tors, every symptom of stage fright.
1t is easy to suppose that they would
be timid at the thought of making O
speech, because they can hear what
they are saying, and know exactly wha,
the sense of hearing is in their au'
dience, but they can never compre.
bend sight except in very imperfect
way, and they cannot, of course, be
confused by seeing what they them
selves are doing. 1t is also mis-.
take to suppose that nature compen-
safes for blindness by making other
senses more acute without patient
cultiya alton. 1t is not true al
though there have been many pretty
things said about the beneficence of q
system that divided the energy that be-
longcd to lost sense among the senses
that remained. 1t is true that a blind
person learns to tell good deal that il
going on by his sense of hearing he
can tell people by their footsteps, bu,
any one can learn to do this if he will
take the trouble that blind man ID
willing to take i'll acquiring it. In con
sequence of having to educate the cal
and touch so delicately there is certain
work particularly adapted for the blind
and at which they excel Nature does
not compensate for the loss of any Of
the five senses, but industry and cult
vation will develop the other senses
until the absence of one is not as grea,
. misfortune as might be supposed.