The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-04-29

ALICE 4. HOLMES, THE BLIND POETESS.
this country. On the way over little Alice
contracted smallpox from another child on
the ship. She was quarnntincd i'm o house
on Staten Island on landing. The physi-
clans Of that day did not know how 10
treat the disease properly, and she suffered
terribly, her cycsight being affected.
For few years after her recovery she
was barely able 10 distinguish the sun
light Then QuHCk doctor operated on
her eyes, and instead Of restoring her sight
left her in total blindness. For five years
more she lived a most miserable life, grow
Ing up in Ignorance and cropping helpless
ly about. Then she was admitted to the
New York Institute For the Blind. There
she staid for seven years grCCdily acquir-
ing the knowledge that has dispelled so
much of the gloom Of her life.
She learned to read raised letters and to
write by pricking the outlines of the let
ters on paper But in music she took the
greatest delight and made rapid progress.
1t was found that she had great natural
talent, and this was developed until she
was the pride of tho institution.
Then came poverty, and Miss Smith left
the institution 10 help her widowed mother
In her single handed battle with the wolf
She was fine musician and soon discov-
cred that she was "a good teacher as we'll
She secured pupils and for 25 years sup.
ported herself in this way. She also wrote
the poetry which wellCd up within her,
for her disposition had not been affected
by adversity and misfortune, but remained
sweet and sunny. Her poems nearly all
treat of her allliction, because she wrote
them for the purpose Of making her read
ors acquainted with the trials and joys of
her life
In 1913 she published her first volume
which she called simply Poems Of Alice
Holmes" " The modest little book attracted
considerable attention from the reviewers
for 10 Is unusual to find a blind authUrCss
Later she published two more volumes of
poetry, "Arcadian Leaves" and "Stray
Leaves" She also tried her hand at prose
and published one novel, entitled THE
Lost Vision" in which she told in a sim
pie, sincere manner the story of her sight
less life. Her verses are far from being
,Miltonio and might not stand the test OF
scholarly criticism, but it must be consid-
eren that her advantages were most pitt
fully limited
For five years Miss Holmes was an in
valid and in this utterly helpless condi-
tion she was brought face to face with
HNs'A ''''A'iA -AAA 'AllNttA was llluAC " llNE
brother, a wealthy man in California, and
he provided for her board and paid for
medical attendance. In the meantime she
had made many kind friends in Jersey
City, and for the last few years she has
been living in comparatively comfortable
circumstances. She was 6S years old, how
ever, before she became dependent upon
Others.
The fortune which she has recently in
hGrited comes from her brother, who was
William J. EOlmcs of Downicyille, Sierra |
county, Cal He had gone west when %
young man and had acquired nearly half |
a million in mining and business. She
does not yet know what the amount of her |
share will be-, but it is estimated that it |
will ho about $500, 900. She says that she |
will devote her money wholly to the relief |
of the afflicted. She wants to have books |
printed in raised type and put within the
reach Of the blind. She says there are
enough Bibles, but that standard works Of |
fiction and history. which she takes such |
great delight in reading, are most hard to |
get, and these she means TO have repro !