The sun., 1908-02-02
OUT or ADARK, SILENT WORLD
BLIND. DEAF AND DUMB ANITA
NOV A WAGE GARNER.
This Sslrl No Longer shut or From the
Rest oG Humanity As She was for sin
teen HeaFs-Has q Friend and Employ
notwithstanding OT the Change for Her.

mcnt-Aieanlng OG the Change for Her.
Here is friend. Anita. She has come
to take you to work"
A friend2 That is a new word Anita
had learned only yesterday the meaning OF
the word work, but she had never yet
known the name friend.
Cautiously her arm extended, carefully
the delicate finger tips stroked the shoulder.
the arm. the wrist OF another girl. The
other girl grasped the slender fingers in
both her hands. patted them gently.
squeezed them lovingly and a thrill OF re-
! sPonsive appreciation swept through the
blind mute.
A friendl Was this a friend2 Some one
to love, To 60 TO work with? A shade OF
hesitation clouded the brow Of the blind
girl. II this friend was to lead her through
the streets she must be unlike herself;
and could she understand herr
Those who cannot see or hear or speak
may not be trusted outdoors alone. Those
who can see and hear and speak do not
understand the sightless silent ones.
No. she must have been too hasty. Only
her mother could comprehend her thoughts
and feelings. This seeing. speaking stranger
could never have anything in common with
the unfortunate Anita.
A sudden hug and kiss broke in upon her
doubts. A swift touch Of her shoulders. n
quick tap on her head, indicated that her
companion would have her pVr on her coat
and hat. An. the friend did know how to
speak to her, after all. She would trust
herself to her guidance and go.
This little scene was the beginning Of o
| friendship existing between two girls en-
ployed by the MGiildG ZiegIer Magazine
to' nc Blind at the new printing plant at 3O8
West Fifty-third street.
Shut in from the world had been Anita
Tor sixteen long years, ever since she was
a haby OF 2 Every avenue Of usual COM
munication has for her been closed: ONLY
by code OF signs evolved by necessary
Interchange of ideas can she communicate
Wlth her mother, the one person who can
make herself understood by the deaf dumb
and blind girl
AZ blue eyed baby Anita toddled pratt
ting from one room to another Of the fiat
where she was horn. while her father and
mother toi!ed and saved toward the little
farm which was to be their home. Hardly
had the country home become a reality
when disaster followed upon disaster.
The cottage burned. the father died, and
the mother returned to the city to earn a
living for herself and her daughter. One
malady after another visited the child. each
rObbing the little one of some essential
faculty. The ears refused to bear intelli-
gence to the brain. the tongue soon forgot
It's few words. the eyes no longer beheld the
glories Of the world. The little maid was
shut in to a life of silence and darkn ness.
few years attendance at school saved
the brain from atrOphy. and motherly love
suggested light tasks to be performed at
home 10 occupy mind and hands. Tie
child elTned to wash and iron, TO wash
the dishes. 20 tidy the rooms and to sew.
Recently she acquired The skill TO make
flowers Of colored papers
THE burden Of the blind is not their
blindness. hut their enforced idleness.-
says Helen Keller And so Anita's DAYS
offered scarcely enough variety to make
their recurrence a Joy
who can blame her for not wanting TO
Cct NJ in the morning. says her mother.
I'm sure ! says to myself Let the Door
thing sleep and don't disturb her. But
now IT'S so different Lor. she can't stay
in led o mornings now, she's so afraid
Lily u come for her unexpected. She's up
and dressed and her room in order so "a he /
r-udy to go in case they send for her"
he employment of this girl by the man
alers Of the Ziegier Magazine has openoI
the door wide 10 new existence. To /
c'rn money. - save evcry cont of il. too.
10 q delight never dreamed of during all |
tins msry ycqrs Of quiet solitude.
Now GDr yht days of each month does !
81" find herself busy. walking slowly down !
tho length OF q table piled with sheets of |
payer. each plainly numbered by re- ised /
figures IL the corner. - be sorted for
tl' m ,yezile and place on another table
fIr tnc cover. Beck ard forth. bFcJ end
fprth. ds3e ldelt wholly upon the sense
, touch. docs the girl walk and work all
q y. ro2ciyi1s at the cad of tho eight
d vs. eight crisp dollGr bills whose rrttlinC
i ibrs tions are music 70 her heart.
4 sease of entity possesses her as never
before. No longer a cumberer of the earth.
hut one who is in some degree self-sup- /
porting. she wears an expression Of self
respect and dignity never before character
izing hor.
Tho bright expression fitting over her |
face and obliterating the usual air Of self
repression when her new found friend
shows the change that has
come into her life. Until this new expert
e lcc came into her life no person save her
mother had entered the Businesses OF this
girls heart.
How do they communicated asks the
observer, who notices the girls together
during the noon hour.
When the whistle blows the girls Of course
stop work. all but Anita. There are several
other blind girls employed in the same loft.
but none Of them is deaf. Anita works on
until Lily comes to cause her 70 drop tho
paper.
Slipping her arm caressingly around the
blind girls waist. the fair haired companion
leads her to a table in a corner apart from
where the other girls are eating. Daintily
she spreads the luncheon from their two
carefully she assists her friend to
enjoy the bread and butter and jam. with an
occasional coOkey or sweetmeat for a sur
prise.
Not a word is exchanged. No glance. no
whisper. no laughter no interchange OF
girIish condolences MARI this midday meal.
Vet a look OF serene happiness IL visible |