The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-10

Just as person who can see partakes of
the enjoyment of a companion. There Is
bond of sympathy between two persons
who are friends, and the pleasure felt by
one communicates itself TO the other II
is different with the opera, and l get
sense of enjoyment out of that all my
own which can never come from play
or any speaking part. A blind man usu-
ally possesses all of his other senses, and
they improve to a degree that compensateS
i'm a measure for the 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 10
appreciate the texture of objects. The
hearing is rendered more acute, and /
have not the slightest doubt that people
who are blind hear sweet sounds that are
never heard by men who can see. How
ever, the other senses are never so
strengthened as to offset the loss of sight
If 1 had it I would willingly, eagerly give
the wealth of all the world 10 recover my
sight and any other blind man will tell
YOU the same thing. / can't see anything
that is beautiful. A flower Is given 20 me
and / am told it is beautiful, but l can
not see its beauties for myself. l can only
touch end smell it. Some one tells me that
a magnificent building is going up l can
only ask what style of architecture it is
how many stories high, what material is
being used, and so on, and then picture
in my mind what IL looks like. l can't
enjoy beautiful bit of scenery, a vessel
on the water. the facial expressions of
those to whom l talk. I can only be told
about these things, and see them in imag-
nation, which is more often wrong than
right
1--WE blind people make a great many
mistakes, especially concerning the per-
sonality of those we meet. OF course, we
judge man largely by his voice. For in
stance, If l meet a man with full, deep
voice, / Immediately picture him to my
self as being a tall, stout fellow, middle
aged, with black hair full black beard,
and very well dressed. Nine times out
of ten If / ask for description of him after
he is gone, some one says. oh, he's little
chan with a little sandy mustache, about
% years old, and very shabblly dressed
"There are three sources from which a
blind man can derive almost as much
pleasure as one who sees. They are walk
ing, driving, and travelling. None of US is
too Door to walk and many blind men are
brave enough to walk about the city
streets alone. Others who are totally
blind are too nervous to do this. The great
majority of persons said to be blind are
not totally blind. ] am.
II know blind man who can see just a
trife, just enough in fact, to know when
a large object is about to come upon him,
because the breeze it creates warns him,
and he goes about by himself on foot or
in the cars to the homes of his pupils and
attends TO his outer business. And he en-
lows it, too. Nearly every blind man en-
Joys a long walk through the park In sum-
mer or along one Of the avenues in win
ter He feels the beauty and life and mo-
ton about him. and that Is more than a
great many who see these things do. The
blind enjoy driving just as much as they
do walking and / am sure that the blind
man who can afford to keep his own turn
out or hire one every day is much better
in health and spirits.
1T will be hard for you who see to be-
lieve that a blind man can get any pleas
ure out of travelling in strange countries.
/ suppose. Well, he can. l spent eight
months in Bermuda, returning here last
November, and never enjoyed a stay any
where as 1 did that trip. 1t was far more
beautiful to me than any place / ever Wis
tied before / lost my sight. The descrip-
lions ] had read of the place were not
equal to nature in any way. My enjoyment
was In the climate and In the peculiarties
of the people. / knew that they were out Of
the usual by their conversation and by the
descriptions that / heard. / was much in
terested in comparing the negroes there
with those here and In noting their refine
ment and education and in studying their
relation to the whites.
"When 1 was tired Of this 1 revealed in