Year: 1879

INDIANAPOLIS, lnu., req. II, 1919.
Editor Republican,


When a visitor approaches any Of
the benevolent institutions OF our
State, at or near Indianapolis. the
first impressions OF his mind are Of
fabulous wealth and unbounded lux
ury. The grandeur and magnificence
OF the buildings, together with their
surroundings, readily indicate such a
condition OF things. A person imag-
ines that with all these costly sur
roundings, and with this astonishing
display OF Injuries on the outside,
that the inmates of these attractive
abodes must fare very sumptuously
every day; but, alas! the idea is de-
lusion only, which you cannot realize
until you arrive at the "true inward
ness" of the building. Take, for in
stance, the asylum Of the blind. which
1 visited last Friday. on the occasion
of one of their exhibitions.


The entrance to the Blind Asylum
is up a flight Of broad steps Of gran
ite, leading into aspacious hall, with q
reception room on one hand and par
lor on the other. A large part OF the
first floor Of the building Is occupied
by these rooms which are furnished
with every kind Of ornament that
wealth and luxury can require. Az
ter leaving the soft Brussels carpet,
the feet strike the hard floor Of hall,
from which branch OF the school
rooms with very ordinary seats and
desks for the pupils. The contrast OF
the surroundings in the guests and
the children's apartments are dis
agreeable in the extreme. After
passing up a Fight OF winding iron
stairs. we enter the chapel, with its
longs wooden benches and straight
backs. like those in a Quaker meet
ing house. After being seated, the
pupils file in, the girls from one end
of the room and the boys from the
other, seating themselves by feeling
their way by one another to their
places. There are 120 pupils here
now, very nearly equally divided
boys and girls from three up to TWEEN
ty years OF age, and with every i'm
aginable variety Of sore eyes. As
they sat beneath the blaze Of the
strong gas light. their eye balls were
in constant motion, trying to receive
the light which they seemed to know
was cast upon them, yet which they
could not make Of any use. The ex-
ercises consisted Ct singing. reading
and writing, in which branches they
had acquired great proficiency. They
are taught music by being told how
1t Is written on the staff and the value
OF each character, so that in order to
perform it on the piano or organ they
must see the notes and rests on the
staff In the mind; but although they
make cheerful and agreeable music
it Is painful to observe the loss ol
those windows OF the soul whiof
alone can give expression to music
They read, by means OF raised letters
the Bible, which is printed In full lfol
tho use OF the blind. They write b,
means of species Of telsgraphit
characters or letters, which they
make on paper with stylus and reat
the opposite side by feeling with theil
fingers.


These children are objects OF pity
and OF charity, and every one mus
sympathize with the blind; and i
seems a species OF mockery to sur
round them with all those luxuries
not one OF which they can or do en-
Joy. They sit on hard wooder
benches all day long. Their little
feet never feel the soft pressure o
costly carpets, nor are their person'
permitted to repose in those velvet
upholstered chairs. They go in anc
out by private way, and can neve
know or realize the costly provision.
our State has made for her blind.
j. NJ. CONFER.