The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16
As scientists claim none are born
blind, there is a movement on foot
to preserve the sight Of babies

already In operation for men, This -
the sending OF blind women instructors
into the homes TO teach various en-
ployments, such as knitting, sewin4,
embroidery basket-making, as well as
reading and writing OF one or the etner
OF the point" systems
Blind Leading the Blind
Mrs TheckIa Beck. herself totally
blind, has charge OF this department
OF missionary work and Is her own
most energetic subordinate A nignIy
cultivated woman. speaking Frencn
and German as irreproachably as she
speaks English. Mrs. Beck has oeen
blind for more than twenty-four years
now. Through all those years she has
not only earned her own livelihood. out
has worked uninterruptedly toward
promoting the welfare OF those SINH
larry af1icted who have not enjoyed
her own superior Advantages OF ecu-
cation. A veraci0us account or the day
which the writer spent with Mrs BecS
in going the rounds OF those OF her
pupils scheduled for lessons that day
would read like one OF the most pa
thetic pages of Charles Dickens
Mrs. Beck's day is long one. for 10
must be remembered that there are
1000 blind people in New York City,
about half of whom are women. AL
percentage are touched by the associa-
tiQu. even that small number taxes
the resources thus far available. Mrs.
Beck is an early riser and half-pasr
eight o'clock every Tuesday and Fri
day finds her leaving her little nat
in Harlem bound for her long day OF
lessons During the rest OF the week
she Is busy at her work OF taking ths
new and imprayed census OF the blind
which the association is now gather
ing preparatory TO launching into a
still more active campaign during the
coming year, but on these two precious
days. led by the hand OF small gold
en-haired girl, the angel OF the blind
travels over many miles OF urban
territory. now rattling by elevated to
the furthermOst confines of the Bronx,
now threading the maze OF congested
East side district. or perhaps speeding
away in a trolley car to Brooklyn.
on this particular day Mrs. Beck's
work began at one OF the gates OF
Mount Morris Park. Here she kept a
tryst with one OF her most interesting
pupils. q middle-aged woman who ekes
out a precarious livelihood by peddlfrg
pencils and shoestrings. At the east
gate on the appointed morning she sat
knitting and awaiting the footsteps OF
Mrs. Beck. which she can diStin guish
from all the hundreds OF other foot
steps that came and go. II the day
is rainy il Is understood that the lesson
is postponed, but if it happens to be
fine, as on this particular morning.
Mrs. Beck takes her seat beside her
pupil and in a few moments the lesson
is under way. Sometimes IL Is q
lesson in reading and writing the
blind mans language. but this morn
ing IL is a further installment OF In
struction in the mysteries OF knitting \
sweater.
Now let me see how well you have
got along with the turning OF that
sleeve at the~under arm seam," said the
blind teacher, cheerily. as she took the
garment in her delicate white hands
and ran her. fingers over it's myriad
worsted stitches.
Beautiful. 1t is beautifully donsk
Why, I don't know when I have seem
anything so neatly and evenly knit
ted
The tired. patient face OF the othsr
blind woman broke into q pleased
smile at this generous praise
"Ah. but there's a dropped stitch
right down here, Lookw and Mra
Beck held out the wrist OF the sweater
for the blind pupils inspection" But
the latter shook her head and In
sisted that no stitch had been dropped.
whereupon Mrs. Beck looked a little
closer" TO use her own familiar idlom-
Yes. yes" she again declared. you
did drop q stitch. and now we must
unravel 1t and you'll have to do II
all over again. for one dropped stitch
will spoil the whole garment. and you
will not be able to get full price for
It," Then the pupil laughed and con-
fessed Yes. did drop that stitch.
but l thought you mightnt see &C."
But Mrs Beck sees everything. a.
was proved a few hours later when
she sat at a sewing machine and
passed judgment upon the work Of q
young girl whom she Is training In
plain sewing. There were various gar
ments to be examined and criticised.