Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-01-17
BLVD MEMS DREAMS,
Peculiar Visions of the SightIess in
Their SIumbsrs.
Scenes BeheId in Childhood and Youth Re-
called, but Events of After
Life a Blank.


Dreaming the happy hours away Is the
refrain of o once popular song. There are
few people, nevertheless, who do not pro-
TESS to prefer the pleasures OF tho waking
hours TO those of slumber, however bright
may De their visions. But 10 the blind
who have in other days looked out upon
the beauties of nature and met their Eel.
lows in the ~fullness Of sight the happiest
hours are these which bring to them the
oblivion Of sleep and the sweet consolation
of dreamland. Superintendent Hall, OF
the Working Home for Blind Men IN West
Philadelphia, said yesterday in q conversa'
ton upon this subject: 81 have no greater
pleasure in life, now that l have lost my
sight, than in dreaming, for then and then
only ! cat. n glimpses of the world about
me. | am no longer blind. The scales
fall from my eyes and | gee like other men;
see as | did in years gone by before the
terrible affection came on me and shut out
the light of day. never dream that | am
blind. In dresm-land | never seem to
have been blind. | am at the Home" to
be sure, but instead of having only my
finger5 and my ears to guide me can see
the inmates, and what il stranger yet, al.
though in reality | have never seen one OF
them, in my dreams they all appear
familiar 10 me By sight and not by their
voices.
This curious experience of Mr.. Hall
seems TO be hat of all persons who have
become blind after the early years Of life
have passed. The blind who have been 60
afflicted from birth never dream Of seeing
ANYTHING. The impressions OF their dreams
are regulated by the impressions made snc
IDEAS obtained By the sense OF touch, OF
hearing, Of taste ard smell. One OF the
most intelligent inmates Of the West Phila,
dslphia Home who came into the world
blind, Save that although he has read q
great deal, ne never dreams ct the things
ne has read about, and never dreams Of
any thing OF person with which he has no
in some way come in personal contact
He dreams OF music, Of the voices Of per
sons he knows, Of such incidents "a NIGH
happen at the Home or some plaza IL
which he has actually been, but never o
incidents in other places or in other lands
OF o landscape q pictnre, a tree or {
human being he never dreams. Even al
though he has read descriptions Of localities
OF natural beauties, OF the appearance OF
street or q city no idea OF what they lool
hike Is formed in hia mind, and comes Il
him in the fancies CT his sleep.
A tliad man has been known to dream
of q ghost, and he thus tells the story; =
heard O voice at the door. ard | said: 'Bles
me, il that amt John, and | took him b.
the sleeve; it was his shirt.sleeve | felt, an;
was afraid Of him. Then | dreamed tia
he confined TO brighten me, as | knew
thai he was dad. thought that | wa
being pushed by his ghost. Then | wok,
up. and felt no more Our blind frienc
al the Home often dreams Of being out or
the street or 10 the country, ont he did no
dream that he Gov the street or the scerery
in the country, bl. he fell tae open DIR o
the country and recognized tho street be
CAUSE ut Was -SlNlsH VI OHS S'|H- "
he had frequently walked.
Curious aud full Of ~interes! as a:e thc
dreams Of the blind Of every condition
there is a class of blind people whosc sleep
ing impressions are Of especial interest
that class Of unfortunate people WHO be
come blind when quite young, at a period
when external objects, and the outward
world generally, had just begun 10 make
al impression upon them. Such blind
people sometimes, but nc; always, dream
that they csu see; bu. in their vision tteg
see things with the eyes of childhood and
they never dream Of sny scene or object
except those which like q dim recollection
have remained in the memory from what
they actually saw before they became blind.
A blind man who was stricken at the age
of FIVE years and never visited the country
dreams Of seeing city streets, city houses
or city parks, but never of country scenery,
ola railroad, or Off river and SO vice versa.
As often as not this class Of blind persons
dream as i! they had never been blind Of
all, and a. other times AS if all memory Of
blindness had passed from them.