The Portland daily press., 1897-10-23
JOYS OF THE BLIND.
There Are Many Pleasures in Their Lives,
Says One of Them.

A blind mans life is by no means with
out it's Joys His days are not spent in
Eightless 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 as the blind journalist,
believes that the joys far outweigh the sor-
rows in the lives of those born blind or de-
prived of sight.
GA general opinion prevails among peo-'
pie who can seer" he said, "that when a
person becomes blind he becomes helpless.
That idea is the greatest handicap blind
man has to contend against and his great
est task is to wear it away. Blind people
are just as self reliant and just as brave as
people who can see.
You ask me how the blind man anus
es himself, what JOY he finds in life. A
blind man amuses himself just like one
who can see-according to his tastes. pro-
vided he has the money. 1t is nine years
since 1 became totally blind and in all
that time I have found my greatest source
of recreation in my literary work. have
continued to write fiction and special sto-
ries for papers in and out of town. Since
I returned from the Bermudas I've writ
ten two comedies and a novel of l30, 600
words and in all of this work I've found
the keenest pleasure
Many blind men are very fond of the
theater. l seldom go on account of my i'll
health but when I do enjoy it thorough
ly Of course I can't see the beautiful
scenery and costumes or watch the facial
expressions of the players, but get much
pleasure from the play just the same,
though ! wouldn't if / went alone I al
ways go with friend and obtain my en-
| joyment almost entirely through him, just
as person who can see partakes of the
| enjoyment of a companion. There is q
bond of sympathy between two persons
who are friends, and the pleasure felt by
one communicates itself to the other. 1t
| Is different with the opera, and 1 get a
sense of enjoyment out of that all my
own, which can never come from play
or any speaking part A blind man usual
ly possesses all of his other senses, and
they improve to a degree that compensates
in 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 to ap-
preciate the texture of objects. The hear
ing 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. However, the
other senses are never SO strengthened as
to offset the loss of sight. If had it,
would willingly, eagerly give the wealth of
all the world to recover my sight, and any
other blind man will tell you the same
thing. can't see anything that is beau
tiful. A flower is given to me, and I am
told that it is beautiful, but I cannot see
its beauties for myself l can only touch
and smell it. Some one tells me that a
magnificent building is going up. 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 it looks like. can't enjoy
a beautiful bit of scenery, d vessel on the
water the facial expressions of those to
whom talk. I can only be told about
these things and see them in imagination,
which is more often wrong than right.
''We blind people make great many
mistakes, especially concerning the per-
sonality of those we meet Of course we
judge a man largely by his voice. For in
stance if l meet man with full, deep
voice, Immediately picture him to myself
as being tall, stout fellow, middle aged,
with black hair, full black beard and
very well dressed. Nine times out of ten
if 1 ask for description of him after he is
gone some one says Oh, he's a little chap,
with little sandy mustache, about 25
years old and very shabbily 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 poor 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. 1 am.
"Nearly every blind man enjoys long
walk through the park in summer or
| along one of the avenues in winter. He
| feels the beauty and life and motion about
him, and that is more than 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 turnout or hire one
every day is much better in health and
spirits.
"It will be hard for you who see to be-
lieve that blind man can get any pleas
ure out of travelling in strange countries
| I suppose. Well, he can. I spent eight
months in Bermuda, and I never enjoyed
a stay anywhere as I did that trip. 1t
was far more beautiful to me than any
place ever visited before I lost my sight.
The descriptions had read of the place
were not equal to nature in any way My
enjoyment was in the climate and in the
peculiarities of the people. I knew that
they were out Of the usual by their CONVEX
sation and by the descriptions that heard
Most people think that the blind are in
clined to draw themselves into their shells
to grow morose and cynical. am a mem
ber of the Press club and used to go there
a great deal once. When Colonel Cockerill
was president, he often said to me:
Marvin, you are the happiest man 1
know, and he wondered at it. One day
he said to me, How do your thoughts
tend? We're you never downheartedP5
''Yes, colonel answered No hu-
man being was ever so downheartedl as T
was during the five years 1 felt my sight
going from me. 1t was like passing