The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-02-09
Am@r5cq2s 4! { p: sW6rkinqfor French e1eI
Dhnd Soldiers ~(8~ 81
Devoted men and wom-
en- from the United States
teach warriors who have
lost their sight certain
Vocations by which they
can earn a living
BY DOROTHY cANFlELo FISHER


.klHNN letters the existence Of
tHH-E war phlanthropies of
fSA one kind and another for
kzSTs the relief Of those strick-
en- by the disasters Of
this disastrous age. No signs are big
ger none have larger letters than
those surmounted by the crossed
flags of France and the United States
which announce that a FrancO-Amerl-
can committee is at work there.
And yet one Of the most interesting
unique and valuable Of these fine
American philanthropies has no big
sign, no large letters and Is so little
known In America that ! am sure n
description of its work will be news
20 most Americans, and very good
news at. that. This is the Phare de
France (the French Lighthouse for
the RlinD. II is supported by the
Franco-American Committee for Men
blinded In Battle, and Is under the
direction Of Miss Winifrcd Holt, whose
years of work at the American Light
house for the Blind in New York has
50 murvelOuSly transformed life for
the blind Of that city.
She has been in France for little
more than a year, throwing herself
into work for men blinded in battle
with the same tremendous energy and
indomitable perseverance which has
accomplished so much for the blind
in America. The French Lighthouse
is the result of that years activity.
Into Quiet Courtyard.
Imagine that you are now about 10
visit that institution under the guild
ance of one of the volunteer workers,
perhaps that charming young grand
daughter of our President Grant, to
whom is often assigned the task Of
showing visitors about. You ring at
No. IA on the Rue Daru, the quiet old
street Of the Russian church, with its
gold-tipped domes.
The heavy door swings open, you
step into a large, peaceful, stone-paved
cOurtward, with a handsome old palace
facing you, at the top of a flight of
broad steps. A soldier or an officer
in a natty uniform is probably either
going nimbly up or coming confidently
down those steps, swinging n light
bamboo cane. His alert, upright bear
Ing give you no hint of his blindness.
If you follow him as he turns to his
left you find yourself in a well
equipped gymnasium for the blind,
which is, so your guide tells you, the
only thing of the sort in France. Your
blind soldier (whO is enjoying a rest
between lessons) stOOps, puts on a
pair Of roller skates, and is off in a
dashing swoop about the polished gym
nasum floor,
His face is soon tingling and glow
ing with the exercise, the strong
rhythmic swing of his body is exhil-
arnting to witness. Your guide mur-
murs that four months ago that man
was in a hospital, alone, sick, utterly
discouraged, life a black abyss of
despair before him. Here is one of
the achievements Of the French Light
house.
But is he really blind?' you ask in
credulously. "HOw can he have won
back that fine physical polse, that
splendid confidence in his body which
means so much for seeing people and
which we never associate with the
blind?"
Americas Great Gift.
"Ah, that is the special secret of
this American institution, the especial
gift of America to the French blind.
Our blind soldier, his interval of rec
reatiOn gone by, has slipped Off his
roller skates and stepped quickly into
a nearby room. His blindness only
revealed by flourish Of his light cane
TO make sure of the position of the
door.
He has gone to take a lesson in
massage, which is one Of the most |
profitable means of livelihood open to !
men without eyes. Like all his fel. |
lows in the Phare, he takes very short |
lessons; with frequent intervals Of |
recreation and change Of occupation,
because war blindness means nearly !
always head wounds and head wounds !
mean a brain that must not be over
taxed.
We leave him to his study Of the
skeleton, the big plaster casts of mus
cuar arms and legs, and to his expert !
teacher; while we turn to other things.
Our guide takes us back through the