The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26
PLEASURES OF THE BLIND.
MORE JoY THAN SORROW IN Hell
LIVES, BAFs ONE OF THEM.

Long XNniks-Their Pleasures in Work.
A blind mans lito is by no means without
Its joys. His days arc not spent In sightless
| sorrow. He has his pleasures, all the keener,
perhaps, because he is deprived OF the great
one Of looking at people and things. Marvin
r. Clark, who Is known among his friends rs
tho blind journalist, believes that the joys far
outweigh tho SORROWS in the lives Of those born
blind or deprived Of sight.
"A general opinion prevails among people
who can Sec" he said, that when u person
becomes blind he becomes helpless. That idea
Is the greatest handicap n blind man has to
contend against and his greatest task Is to
wear ii away. Blind people are Just as self.
reliant and just as brave as people who can
see. AS n class they work just as hard and
enjoy themselves just as keenly. There is IA
work for every human being to do, 1t matters
not what sense he lacks, and l wish that it
could be brought TO the mind Of everybody
that the blind are helpful. not helpless.
"You ask me how the blind man nmuses
himself. what joy he finds in life. A blind man
ainuses himself just like one who can see-ac-
cording to his tastea, provided no has the
money. 1t will be nine years this coming
thanksgiving since ] became totally blind.
and III all that time l have found my greatest
source of recreation in my literary work. l
have continued TO write fiction and special
BtOrleS LOT papers III ana OUT OF loWn. SINCE
/ returned from the Bcrmudas last November
I've written two comedies and II novel OF
10000 words, aud in all Of this work I've
found the keencst pleasure. Another blind man
might have found IL irksomc and have been
compelled TO turn to other things TO rest his
mind and to muse him, and | don't pretend to
say that l don't enjoy other things.
Many blind men are very fond of the thea
tire. l seldom 20 on account of my i'll health,
but when l do l enjoy it thoroughly. or course.
Iscan't see tho beautiful scenery and costumes
or watch the facial expressions OF the players,
but l get much pleasure from the play Just the
same, though l wouldn't IL | went alone. al
ways go with Il friend, and obtain my enjoy
ment almost entirely through him, just as a
person who can see partakos of the enjoy mcnt of
a COMPANION. There is a bond of sympathy be-
tween two persons who are friends. and the
pleasure felt by one communicates itself to
the other. 1t is different with the opera, and |
get n sense of enjoyment out of that all my own,
which can never come from a play or any
speaking part. A blind man usually possesses
all Of his other senses, and they improve to u
degree that compeusates in n measure for tho
loss Of sight. His sense OF taste grows
stronger, and he is able TO enjoy his food more.
The touch becomes finer. and he is better able
to appreciate tho texture of objects. The
hearing is rendered lnor2. acute. and have
not the slightcs. donh that people who are
blind hear sweet sounde that are never heard by
mon who can see. However, the other SENSES
Of sight. II ! had It / would willingly. eager.
~ give the wealth OF all the world to recover
my sight, ant, any other bind mnn will tell
you the same thing. ! emit sec anything that
IS beautiful. A flower is given to me and l am
told that 1t Ia beautiful, but l cannot see its
beauties for myself, | can only touch and
what what S style off arShFteatsares f It is, how how many %1i sio:
ries high. what material is being used, and 80
! on. and then DiItuTs in nv mind what II look,
like. ! cant enjoy a beautiful bit of scenery.
a Vessel o" OF the water the facial o sTprS Ss iop5
ton, which is more often wrong than right.
" blind people make a great many mis-.
takes, especially Concerning the perfo on Of
R,NN,SEe ln,@, to myself t 81 Sb. iof = tall s' f,,i
SiaSk beard. and very VIII wciH dressed. Nine lines
out of ten II I ask tor a description of him after
he is gone. some one says, oh, hes IA little
chap with u little sandy mustaehe, about 20
yeaTs old and very shabby dressed, u.,
man can derive almost as much pleasure Us
one who sees. They are walking. driving. and
many blind men are brave enough to walk
about the city streets alone. Others, who arc
Ss.aI m S,in a are Of i psps assvs ssia to to Do be iii Sfiad r arS
not totally blind. I am. '"'' '"'' w.
Il know a blind man who can see Just a trife,
just enough. in fact, to know when Il large oh.
biSsess.zia is = about sora.t.to Somo upon hi, hin, h. because snt the
, by himself on foot or in the cars to the homes
Of his pupils and attends 10 his other business;
NOR or along one Of the avenues in winter.
He feels the beauty and life and motion about
5 see these things do. The blind enjoy driving
|, tnst a. much as they do walking, and ! am sure
, own turnout or hire one every day is much bet,
ter IN health and spirits.
, 1T viii be hard for You who sec TO believe
that q blind man can get any pleasure ont OF
7 Travelling in strange countries, Supto.e.
! @ads. he TotS S&ni i inSH' last :iSh So %Snihs in AMI ii''il
never snjoyed a stay anywnsrS as l ana that
|, s sG,p' ula At vas I svd far yi ,G%rg b SSapi'f { Io. to n mo .i iann
: Tho descriptions | had read OF the place were
not equal TO nature in any way: My enjoy
i; ties OF the people, knew that they were out
| Of the usual By their conversation and by the
i csted In comparing lhe negroes there with those
here and In noting their refinement and educ"-
' Whom was iirs1d OF this rsveliei in drives
over tho smooth white roads or sails over the
. could feel those moonlight nights, md knew
without any one ioi!tns me Tint the moon
. blind man had the money necessary for ox'
tended travel, he could get a great deal o;
4 10 say that he know IL man who could do more
8 with a iackkPiio than some men could d, Win a
often thought maybe his .jackknite man was
blind, too. because whom We have n little money
! we learn 10 get a great deiu OF enjoyment out
of II. When wo cant own horses and travel
we 40 on Shanks's mare, ANA with an ocCn'
sional lift OH the cars, manage TO get on tlrst
/ rate.
Next TO his work the intelligent blind man
gots most OF his enjoyment out OF reading. Ii
o he cannot employ u secretary, there Is AWAY
= some one WIN is willing Ia spare him AN hour
or two u day and to he eyes for him, Bind
uoSs increases ones interest in what ~ going
on In the world. aud ali bind people who have
had educational advantages. md mnny Wild
have not, are great newspaper readers. The
y newspaper Ii our mainStuy in acquiring knOwl
edge. personally have read TiiE SUS all my
life, and since ] cannot sec TO do so any longer
] have 1t sifted from Stem to stern the FIRST
\ thing every morning.
so 1t Is with the average blind man; he has
!" his favOrite daily paper. Thea read the mag
Y azines and INSTRUCTIVE works al0nR many lines
o and do n great deal of stud wing in connection
/, with my own wiring. learned the keyboard
of u typewriter in ,xnctly fifteen minutes. 1tnt
turn out most of my own manuscript myself
10 Many blind people learn 10 use "A typewriter
A and keep up II large correspondence, wiicl
- helps them to pnsS the time.