New-York tribune., 1905-08-07
NURSERY FOR BLIND TOTS.
Boston Woman Tells Pathetic Story
of Neglected Children

A beautiful charity founded in Boston five
years ago by Bertha NJ Snow. 1t is the Boston
Nursery for Blind Babies. probably the only one of
its kind in the world. The idea occurred to Miss
Snow while teaching in a kindergarten for the
blind. The knowledge of the blind babies in the
slums. too young to go 20 kindergartens, weighed
upon her. When she first proposed the idea it was
secuted
Il never saw heard Of blind baby. vas the
declaration every side
"Of course not replied Miss Snow. They are
al hidden away in the tenemeHts. They cannot
go on the streets like other children"
she called all hospitals and dispensaries in
boston having eye departments, and secured the
names OF blind children discharged These she
searched out in their tenement homes. When she
puohshed the result Of her Investigations in a
bostoh paper, money and furnishings were imme-
oia'eIy forthcoming to open the nursery The con-
dluon OF these blind babies is often very miserable
since they must be left alone TO look after them
selves very often like children who have no n
trinity. The condition in which she found the first
OF all rhe inmates of her nursery illustrates that
Of all. He was a little coIored boy two and a
half years old.
He had been found tied into a chair in base
lnent Kitchen SAYS Miss Snow, in The New Eng
land Magazine His mother was obliged 10 go
out to work by the day support herself and chill
dren so she tied the little blind fellow in char
She told me that She gave him Some bread and
H ana SoHee IN the morning before she vent
10 WORK and that she always left plenty of dough
NUS NUS on the table near him he could put out his
Idilu ana ma them when he hungry. t7able
20 move about. and with one TO attend to his
needs the little fellow tied into mis- chair
4ay aIter day and week after Week. with nothing
70 occupy his time or ttention nothicg cat but
ntker nread and bakers doughuUts, and rothing
TO breathe but the fOulest foul 81
When We took this little fellow in it VAS not
WIN the least hope of restoring either health or
| slShJ, We knew II was too late for that. Strange
70 say his mind was not impaired. and his aptitude
IN catching on 70 things coupled with ms sweet
patient disposition. soon endeared him t. Us all
We never tried 10 do anything in the Of teach
ing nm even the simplest elcmentals Of daily living,
such as walking, feeding. and dressing himself:
| we Just let him enjoy himself ir his way. So
chalr and amused himself by singing in his plain
tive voice bits of melodies characteristic of his
race, and several others that he had somehow
! plcked up lie hnally grew worse and could not
! sit up any more and then sat beside his crib
! and told him stories whenever a spare moment
though We missed the patient little sufferer, we
! Were glad to have him go where we knew he would
| have another chance and fair start
The object of the nursery is first 10 get the chill
uon or dieting, to try to restore their vision and
! when this is impossible to give them the best
! training possible without il. The little 'gradu
| ates,' children who old enough and well
All over New. England" says Miss Snow hid
den away in obscure towns and villages, we'll
| in the dismal tenements of great cities.
scores of these unfortunate children whose parents
70 it that their eyes receive proper attention
| Not nfrequentiy I across children in the
heart OF the city, hardly more than stones throw
| from some hospital diSpensary, whose parents
have allowed them gradually TO become blind with
| out ever having taken the trouble find out
! whether it might not be prevented"
/ Blind Babies Aid Society has been organ
/ lied with a fee of 81 a year