The morning call., 1891-03-22
KINDERGARTEN
FOR THE BLIND.
Experiment to Be Made With a Little
Fair-HairGd One From Texas.
The Very Best Opportunity Ever vouchsafsd
for Studying From the Beginning the
Case of an Expanding Soul.

in the same methods that have proven so
successful with the TWO children mentioned
above.
1t was quite late one Saturday when the
child arrived at Jamaica Plain, and it
CHANGED that on Sunday member OF the
Boston Herald staff was given the oppor-
tunty of seeing the little stranger about
whom so much Of interest begins to center.
While the group in the parlor were chat
ting pleasantly, the door opened and little
Martha-the blind colored child, in whose
behalf the women OF her own race in Bos-
ten are working so actiyely-entered, lead.
ing by the hand lovely, fair-haired, blue
eyed child, with face full of Intelligence
and childish beauty. Looking at her as she
stood for moment In the doorway, her
fair beauty accentuated and brought into
prominence by contrast with the duSky face
and black eyes OF her companion. one could
hardly believe that so many Of her senses
were locked up, and that only through
touch could she come in contact with the
world. She is a perfectly developed
child physically, large for her years,
as straight as an arrow, graceful In her
movements, and muscularly strong. In fact,
in the absence of her three SenSeS-sight,
hearing and speech-she seems to have de-
velored into splendid physical strength, for
she las face Of unusual intelligence with
broad brOws, denOtng thoughtfulness and
naturally endowed mental powers. The
eyes are beautiful deep blue, and. except
for sort Of pathetic, appealing look, show
no evidence of their darkened condition.
She has fine complexion, pretty mouth
that smiles when she touches a familiar OBJ
ject, as if in responsive recognition, and fair
hair In complexion and cOloring she
SHOWS THE SCANDINAVIAN BLOOD,
For her father is a Swede. while her mother
&c ina Hs,,, a in,
the mountains of East Tennessee.
Their home is in Texas, the father being 4
large and successful sneep farmer, and the
little one has been brought up on ranch
far away from town and people, and has
lived the free, independent life that one has
in home of that kind. Probably this, as
much as anything, has given her the splen-
did physique and perfect health which will
make her so ready subject for the work of
mental enlightenment The child was
beautiful baby, and was considered remark
ably bright and intelligent. AT the age of a
year and half she had very serious illness,
and ii seemed as though she must die. AS
the days went on she began to recover, but
light had gone from the eyes; she could not
hear the loving tones of the voices around
her, and the few words that she had began
to speak in her childish prattle were soon
forgotten.
Mr.. Anagos considers that here is to be
one OF the very best opportunities that has
ever been vouchsafed fer studying. from the
very beginning, the case of an expanding
soul. The child has had little contact with
people, except those of her own family, has
lived perfectly natural out-of-door lite, and
has only been taught certain manual tasks,
which, by the way, she performs with the
utT 0st nicely. She can dress herself en-
tirely, needing no assistance from any one.
and her clothing Is put on neatly and
with precision. She has been about
with her mother in her house
hold duties, and is delighted when she is
allowed to assist in any way or to do any
thing about the house. She will wash
dishes, and do them so we'll and so carefully
that not Il speck will be left upon them.
She has all a girls fondness for dolls and
make-beleve housekeeping. Like all other
children, she has a fancy for picking up
bits of dishes ana keeping house" with
them. She is, her mother says,
MOST METHoDICAL
In her arrangement of them, and she knows
If a single piece is missing. and is not salts
fed until she has found ii and put it in its
place. She Is naturally very orderly, and
this is going to make the work Of teaching
much easier.
She is very observant, is quick to note diff
ferences in people, aud very quick in discoy-
ering the uses of things. For instance,
when she was given bath on her arrival,
she found out which faucet the not water
came from. and how to obtain it, and the
next morning she was found filling a
pitcher with hot water at the bathtub and
taking it to the bowl in which she was to
wash her hands, because she did not like
the cold water.
She had not been in the house half day
before she could go about in it, knew the
way up and down stairs, could recognize
the room she was IN and its occupant, ard
was as happy and went about seemingly
with as much ease as any child there. She
speedily picked out her favOrites among the
little girls. attaching herself to one or two
of them, almost tn the exclusion of the rest
She would recognize them Immediately,
almost without touching them. At the
table she folded her napkin, following the
creases carefully. rolled 1t and put it in the
ring.
1t is a study to watch her when she is
brought into contact with some Que whom
she has never seen before. She will pass
her hand quickly over the face and hair,
feel the hands, and then if she fancieS the
person smile will come over her face, and
she will laugh little, her quiet laugh, that
reminds one who has heard it of Helen
Keler'S laugh. If she does not care for the
person particularly she will drop the hands
and go away.
1t was very funny to see her yesterday
when she first discovered that Martha's
features were distinctly different from the
other children. Martha is a pure-blooded
African, and has all the race peculiarities
The first thing she noticed was her hair.
She looked puzzled, then felt of it again;
then she sat still minute: then felt of her
own, then of Mrs. Davidson's, who was
sitting next her. Then she returned to
HER INvEsTIG ATOMS
She felt of her face and found that her
lips protruded. Then she pouted her own
out in imitation. Then she tried to make
Martha'S straighten down like her own.
But she could not manage it. Then she felt
OF Mrs. Davldson's lips, and then tried to
pull them into pout with her fingers.
Then she began studying Martha again, as
though she was at once puzzled and fascin-
ated.
1t may seem strange that, having lived
South, she had not become familiar with
coored people, but such is the fact Her
father has had white men, mostly of his
own nation, with him, and she has not
known the colored people at all. So they
are revelation to her, On the way from
the South, at one of the cities where they
stopped, she made her first acquaintance
with the race. They were waited upon by
a coored waiter at the hotel where they
stayed, and as he was STOPPING over for
something she put up her hand and felt of
his hair. At first she was frightened, and
jumped down and hid under the table, but
her mother quietly treasured her.
In the meantime the waiter went off
laughing to some of his comrades
"Golly," he said. she's smart one. She
can't see, but she knows I'm darby"
All the way on the long journey the
mother and child made friends. Every one
was kind to them, drawn by the sweetness
of the child, her wonderful brightness and
the pathos of the whole situation.
Miss Thayer, the teacher who has been
chosen, will not settle down with her charge
to real work until the mother has returned
to her Texan home. In the meantime the
child will become familiar with her sur
roundings, her teacher and the other teach
ers will have gained her confidence and
affection and then the work will be taken
seriously in hand. The mother will remain
until after the holidays, not leaving until
the little girl has become accustomed to care
from the others.
DunonDo III nnDDun