The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-29

for an industrial home. and Colorado t10 900 in like manner. Maine spenos eSo.000 a year, Massach usetts $2e.oOo, and Maryland sl.5o0 in improving tneir State workshops for them and gives them remunerative employment.
 From a financial standpoint, the av- craze blind person costs t10,0OO for nls raising and maintenance. If proper preventive measures had been used and care taken of the eyes. there would have been a great saving to the State. Of the 70.000 who are blind. 25,O0o are needlessly so. Between 6.000 and 7OOV are blind from opthaImia, and every one of these could have had the eye sight saved by the very simplest meas ures at the time of birth. The New York Association for the Blind IS working to prevent opthalmia by send ing out pamphlets that state the slm- plest rules for the care of the eyes Of the newiy-born baby, and hope by this means to save many.
 The causes of blindness are many. There are burns from acids that are neglected and the eyes lost. There IS an alarmingly percentage of blindness as a result of Fourth of July celebra- tions, and the American Medical As soclation is making inquiries into the question. any cases of sore eyes lead ing to blindness are contracted in school wash rooms. and many from bad light. The last has become so noticeable that Philadelphia made special study of eye strain not long ago. There are also congenial defects that produce blindness. Another cause of blindness among rural folk is the bad roads An accident to the eyes of an aggravated case of disease is often neglected because of the im- cN sF Ha "a dn1tnr The duty for the correction of these evils lies with the State, with the pub | lie, and with the medical. fraternity. When these work in concert with the societies and institutions already in existence most of the needless dark ness will soon be dissipated.
 The blind are a marvetously cheerful lot. They are an inspiration to the l grumbling, seeing folk of the world. There is Liborio Delfino. blind and crippled, travelling alone over the State of Pennsylvania, teaching the blind In their homes and pointing out | to parents the great gravity of leaving the unseeing little ones to their own devices. There is the optimistis Pres- ident of the Blind Mems Club, in New York City. who has put his own cour- age and faith into hundreds of others. There is the blind fellow here who was found teaching himself to read be- Icause his wife, a Christian Scientist, argued that he was not blind and that l she, therefore, could not help him. {.
 There is the blind teacher of the Chi cago Woman's Club. who goes, unguid-
 ed. through the streets of the city to teach others in their homes.
 There Is the expert stenographer in
 the office of the New York Association,
 who takes dictation on a short hand machine for the blind and transcribes
 her notes on an ordinary typewriter There Is the totally blind negro who
 works in the broom factory of this
 same association, and who goes home
 unaided at night. sometimes turning aside to help a less courageous com- panion find his way. This mans meth cd of crossing at Lexington and Forty | second Streets, where the traffic is so Iheavy, is unique He carries a police
 mans whistle. sounds 1t shrilly and then calling out: Look outl Is com in'?' plunges through the crowd, and,
 strange to say, has been hurt only once. There is the smiling. singing fellow
 who came into the club only a few
 weeks ago. 8 discouraged. would-be suicide, who is now learning to work and to read faster than his Instructors can give him the information. There
 is merry Irish Murphy who knows New
 York like a book. though totally Dlinu. NO one could Lelf+ ne was nOl
 as other people. Not long ago, when
 he boarded car rather slowly, the
 conductor spoke sharply to him. But
 partner, you see I'm blind," explained Murphy, smiling, whereupon the boyish conductor put his arm over his face and sobbed like a child. Murphy.s big, brave optimism was too much for him.
 These are types ~of many hundreds | of blind people who are anxious to be and do just as other people, who are not asking aims or the sympathy that pauperizes. but are asking their just due--a chance to earn an honest live lin ood to know the joy that comes from work well done. v
 | Copyright, 1908, by Frederick J. Haskin.)
 TOmOrrOw-The Great Uplift VIT--
 BefriendauG the Immigrant.
 More deacons have been ordained thi. | year in the Church of England than ir
 any year since 1896, but the number oi