St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-12-28
Correspondence.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EDUCA
TION OF THE BLIND

Among the numerous and varle'
constituents of population in it
general sense, there is one particula
class of people about whom practi
cally nothing was known till tn
opening of the current century ant
yet they have occupied place in thu
history of man ever since his intro
duction as a factor in the world.
development. / refer to those mer
and women who have been deprived
in full or in part, Of that greatest o
all senses, the light Of the eye.
Turning to the early history o
Sparta, we find records showing
that every infant, wanting a
physical organ, was exposed on the
mountain.sides to perish, because he
was deemed incapable of develop
ment into any kind Of usefulness.
The blind baby suffered the fate OF his
variously unfortunate fellows. This
cruel barbariSm, in one form or
another, continued to hold place
in the customs of all nations down
to the series OF epochs which brought
them, one after another, under the
influences of Christian thinking.
When civilization reached, in its
development, that stage at which
there came cessation of open hos
tilities toward the blind, it had made
a wonderful stride. Great as this gain
really was, it seems, in itself, very
slight. 1t was practically a simple
withdrawal from the negative to the
neutral, carrying the sentiment;
Live, if you can, will persecute
you no longer"
The next stage in development
was reached when the claim of the
blind upon humanity for humanity's
sake asserted itselfby the installation
OF a sense of duty toward this class
OF unfortunates into the hearts and
minds of the outside world. A thou
sand years ago, the attitude OF neu-
trality was replaced by one of posi-
tive favor, This, however, did not
extend very far. 1t involved no idea
beyond exemption from cruelty and
starvation. The blind were suffered
to beg, unmolested, in the streets of
the cities. When heart-sick and
weary of this, or untitled by addi-
tional inhrmity, benevolent asylums
and hospitals stood ready to re-
celve them. Here, they were cared
for with commendable degree of
humane treatment till death claimed
its own.
Notwithstanding the various re-
forms and Christian institutions,
the prospect of the blind, as yet
promised little. The brightest pos
slble hope for them was the preser-
walton from want through life. Now,
thiS condition of things would salts
fy the ambition of thousands of
today, who see. IN like manner, it
troubled the blind of the Middle
Ages far less than it did those who
were thinking for them. They were
mere drag on public charity. In
what way could they be brought to
reimburse the state for the cost of
their keep" This was the prob
lem that puzzled the brains of all in
terested thinkers down to the closing
years OF the eighteenth century.
Although the history of nstitu-
tons for the blind dates back to
IT'S, no establishment of those ear
ly days, or till after the lapse of sew
eral hundred years, amounted to
anything more than a home or asy-
lum, of one form or another. The
idea of education appears never to
have been conceived till it assumed
shape in the brain of Able Valentin
Hauy to whom the blind oftodav owe
the origin of all their possibilities. Be
ing man of liberal means, he gath
cred lot of blind children into his
own house, and retained them at his
own expense. He desired to expert
ment upon them. His inventive
genius was given full play and the ex-
pertinent proved complete success.
Hauy found that the greatest lack
OF the blind was suitable apparatus
and proper instruction. He exhibit
ed his work before the French gov
eminent and requested appropria-
tons to pursue his scheme still far
ther. The necessary aid was pro.
vlded, and, as an outgrowth there
from, all civilized Europe is adorned
with the scores of purely educational
institutions for the blind that exist
wit h ~ ~ hot, l,,..