The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-25

the war came under the care of Sir Ar
thur Pearson, the great London pdblisher.
Mr.. Otto Kahn of New York placed at
Sir Arthur's disposal his residence, st.
Dunstan's in Regents Park, London,
great house set in fifteen acres of grounds
and gave to Sir Arthur carte blanche to
erect buildings or to make alterations.
What Sir Arthur did, and what the blind
men did, is told in Victory OUer Blind
ness, book in which Sir Arthur remarks
that an DAYS when I could see I had the
direction of some big enterprises, but st.
Dunstars became the biggest individual
business that have ever conducted"
The distinguished man who took upon
himself the care and education Of the
hundreds of sightless soldiers had become
blind before the war, so he brought to
his huge task all the knowledge OF his
wears of sight and all the peculiar Wis
dom which comes only to a blind man
who has made an intelligent study OF his
own case and who has dauntless resolve
to overcome the greatest Of physical han
dicaps.
His own case had taught him to DIS
card many of the old theories about the
care and education of the blind. For one
THING, he saw the folly of making blind
men miserable and helpless by deluging
them with pity and eoddling when what
they really needed was hope and conf
dence. 81 felt" he says, "that because
I, too, was blind l might speak to these
men of their future more convincingly
than if I had not shared the same expert
encs and faced the same problems" The
blind led by the blind-and led far better
than if the leader could see!
Each blind soldier who came to st.
Dunstan's Hostel was met by Sir Arthur,
and in a moment they were discussing the
future; whether in the year the soldier
would be the working owner Of cob
bler's shop, or a poultry farmer, or a
skilled masseur, or a telephone operator,
or a typist, or be in some one Of the
other vocations thoroughly taught in the
school; whether he would find his amuse-
ment in debating, or rowing. Then the
man with his decision made, and full Of
the courage radiated by Sir Arthur, went
in ITO learn to be blind"
To the blind must be recalled the full
exercise of those senses which have been
suppressed by civilization. All possess
them, but to some they return slowly, tc
some quickly, to some scarcely at all.
"The new faculties that enable blinded
man to avoid obstacles" says Sir Arthur,
"do not come Immediately; they arc q
matter of growth more or less rapid, ac-
cording to the temperament of the indl-
vidual." A blind man depends, for the
avoidance of obstacles, on the remarkable
sene;tiveness of the nerves of the face:
"The natural sensitiveness of these
nerves can easily be demonstrated by hold
ing an object few inches in front of the
face of totally blind person without
previously warning him He instantly be-
comes aware of its presence, though there
may be absolutely no sound. By the ex-
ercise and cultivation of this sense, man
can walk parallel to a wall or fence at
distance of several feet, becoming at once
aware of the fact if he for moment les
sens or increases the distance between
himself and it."
Dressing and shaving are easy for the
blind man who takes pains TO appear
normal Says Sir Arthur:
II have frequently been congratulated
upon the skill with which my valet ties
my bow tie. But I have to take the COM
pliment to myself My valet neither ties
my tie nor does anything else for me, the
very simple reason being that l have no
valet. When l found my sight was
doomed / arrived at various decisions of
greater and lesser importance, and one of
the lesser ones was that had better dis
pense with the services of the personal
attendant who had looked after me for