The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-20
WITHOUT HANDS AND BLIND. ENGLISHMAN WRIT E'S A LETTER
Tells Amer lFican Friend How He Manag ges To Get Much Out of Life Though
 Han ndicapped
By Associated Pres,

New York, April l9.-The first letter ever written by one blind soldier without hands 10 another similarly crippled and afflicted has just been received by an American soldier in a New York hospital. It was a message of good cheer writer by Alan II. Nichols of London, a British soldier to show his American comrade and fellow sufferer that "a mans man for a that
 A copy of the letter and of another die tated by the sightless and handless Brit ish soldier have been received by the Associated Press from Sir Arthur Pear son, newspaper publisher and president of the British National Institute for the Blind of London, England
 One letter was written by Nichols with artificial hands on a specially constructed typewriter keybdard. It's purpose was to encourage all war neripples and to show them that no matter how terribly handi capped they might be, they could rise above their deprtvations and conquer the giant despair. This blind but cheerful and happy Tommy Atkins informed his Yankee fellow in affliction that he was still able to dance, swim, ride horseback, play dominoes with his nose), feed him self, carry a cane, take his handkerchief from his pocket and do almost everything man with two eyes and two hands could
  strike a match. He uses a taper. Sir Arthur, in note accompanying the missive, said he supposed it was the first case on record where a man suffering blindness and the loss of both hnnds, had been able to write, unaided, to any one. The original letter, he said, was sent
 by Nichols from the Blinded Soldiers and
 Sailors institute, known as St. Dun stan's, to the wounded American soldier i,x-bo fl,4s 1 nitbii iSt4 had New York hospital.
 Here is what is believed to be the first letter ever written by a blind man with out hands:
 8 New Street, St. Johns Wood N. w., r March, 1919 Dear MT. --: Enclosed you will find rather lengthy letter which I dictated for you, but I am typing this one myself to convince you that this is practicable "I understand from Sir Arthur Pearson that you are free from other physcai disabilities and in this respect you are more fortunate than l.
 Tn September, 1916, I received my little souvenir and I still have quite number | of pieces of shrrenel in my chest and l legs which cause me no little annoyance at times.
 "In September, 1917, an operation was necessary to remove some of the shapne' ITOnl IJy CIltSl. tllitC NpofNS i''eSi "Ni' l other operation resulted in the removal of portions of ribs and still more pieces or | foreign matter.
 1 At Brighton, where I was sent to one 1 of St. Dunstan's AnneXes, l soon found myself getting fit and it was during my i convalescence that Sir Arthur arranged | for me to take lessons in elocution, which enables me to earn my own livelihood. l My work is most interesting and con sists of speaking on the work of St Dun- stan's and the National Institute for tha Blind. It will surprise you, l know, wher | I tell you that in addition to this 1 con | trol and organize the lantern slide de- partment, which is the advertising me dium of the National Institute for the Blind at St. Dunstan's | 'In conclusion permit me to express the hope that you have not given up the ideP of ever doing anything when I feel sure there is so much for you to do. Yours sincerely, ALAN M. NICHOLS" 1 In his dictated letter NICHOLS assure his American fellow cripple; When yol are fit and well and able to run abou you will find there is still plenty In hfF worth living for. When l first became like this" he continued, 'I could not set
 anything that wat likely to interest m'
 on this earth. I was inclined to think
 was the most unfortunate person ol
 earth. In short, 1 was often contemplat ing method of quitting this life. A