The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-12-11

wait and see what can be done with
them, and the fun they have. Some
times they form professions with them.
Then they make houses and chairs and
all sorts of things. One girl made
school, with desks wide apart 80 the
scholars couldn't whisper" and another
illustrated the story of "The Three
Bears making the house, the beds
and the chairs.
Friday is ''clay day" in all kinder.
gartens, and is the delight of the week
at Perkins Institution. And their touch
is so delicate and SO accurate that you
would be surprised to see that these
clay pitchers, coal-hods, and other
things are as true to life as those which
your bright-eycd little brother or sister
makes in his or her kindergarten. On
their commencement-day they told a
story and illustrated it in clay. 1t was
the history of early Boston.
"A great many years ago, said
sightless little girl, "a man came from
England and settled on the land now
called Boston. His name was William
Blackstone. He built house and lived
in it all alone. And | have made the
house" Here she held up a model in
clay of a small hut afterwards,
said boy, "other people came here,
and they built ships to sail in the har-
Dor. | have made the first ship built in
Boston" and he held up rude craft,
which very likely was quite as graceful
as the ship it meant to represent.
"Ihen," said a little girl, ''the people
began to be afraid of Indians. They
built a tower and kept a light on it,
calling it the Beacon. | have made
the Beacon" and she held up a clay
tower with a small lantern swinging
from it. Then boy took up the story.
1.-The town Of Boston was built on three
hills, and was called Trimountain.
There were Bunker Hill, Breeds Hill
and Beacon Hill. The last was where
the Beacon light hung" and he held up
his model, showing the formation Of
early Boston. Others followed with
representations of the State House
and Perkins Institution and Bunker
Hill Monument, and at last the new
kindergarten for the Blind.
The school has become so large
that they have TO turn away every year
blind applicants. The Institution is =
village in itself, in the heart of the great
city. Besides its main buildings, so
large and conspicuous that they can be
seen for miles, it has cottages, work.
shops, gallery, printing-house and
school-houses. So new house has
been built at Jamaica Plain, VIII CHI will
be used for the first time next year, as
kindergarten. This will give room
for nearly as many more pupils in the
whole school. The Perkins school can
accommodate some three hundred
scholars, and the kindergarten will take
| a hundred or two more. 1t will take.
them when they are little, from out OF
! their wretchedneSS, and often from
squalor and misery, and fit them Tor
learning TO study and to work; so that
our little blind children. need sit in dark
ness no longer, but have a chance to
become good useful and active citizens.
May God bless the work and its helpers.
But YOU must not think the work is
all confined to kindergarteNing. You
have heard of the famous Laura Bridg.
man, that sweet patient odd lady, who
has but one sense out of fve-the sense
of touch? Here she was taught the
marvellous requirements which have
made her so distingu shed. Here many
others were taught long before kinder
gartens came INTO fashion, but much
more slowly and lAboriously, Hundreds
of blind people owe their ability to take
care of themselves and their enjoyment
of life to this school. Some of them
graduate and 90 forth to teach in other
schools for the blind. Many of then
learn to turIe pianos, and their musca
instinct is so quick and true that on
blind pa no-tuners are the best we have
They J earn music, instrumental ant
vocal. They learn carpentering, broom
maxi NO, chair-seatng, basket-weayIn!
and many other things, and their worl
is always Conscientious.
Boys, if YOU ever have chance, visi
his or similar school for the blind
and you will come away with new re
spect for Gods unfortunates, full o
/, wonder at their marvellous achievement
e and full of gratitude for YOUR own gil
c of sight. -Hc'en N. Winston, IN ia e,