HELP FOR THE BLIND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 619, 23 September 1909, Page 3

HELP FOR THE BLIND.

;: (;;;;,^1 : . vllvhas;. beeh/..'T)omiiiica's" /good /.fortune ' /during..,; the;-:;-past;,: week;/'to : - : - meet. here •in /."Wellington".- two/' ..women ; ,,' of / 'attractive 'personality, and of. more 1 than /average intelligence,;/who .speak'.'.of \ .''-.the!.'.greater;,; part ..of humanity, as .'.'tho'/sighted," they themselves, /rinhappily,'ndt'coming' under, that, description. .One{of■'•.these;ladies.'is" deaf .as; well as .blind, .'.''unci -'a "w'eakor,.-tfqman';'with ..such. a handicap; /might of intellectual "indolence. ;•' But no'one: can I talk, with ; her and ■,'fail.tb; discover- /that; hor,.min'd. is alertj: in'-: ' terested,;ahd.eager, that what'she'learns means. ■more-to;her.' than- it; would to/, the: average womanpossessed of'sight and hearing,' that she /has'a refl ective;'wise, mind, r and that: in \her visions...She is very ymnch->hut'out .frora'.tho world" around, her,. > With/the 'dim'.' power,' left, to; her \ she' can; to a /'certain .extent '.see..colours; hut ..neither' : shape nbr ;"size, /and' though/she ,can- 6peak, not a ; word■;cah:be.. : heard : by;;her;-/Her,.friends com.imunicate/with her bymeansrof ;the- deaf and ..dumb,alphab'et, ; in Braille, " ■the -written"language 'of the'-blind'.v.She'ha's ■■ far-away .correspondents, for whoso letters she .. woks .with .delight,, and thereVaro books l in ./Braille:tOi J be..had, in';Wellington'which are a .constant joy.to.her.•'.■■'.■'.'. . ■'. ,'." ■■■':-. ;■ ■■ /.Inquiry^ ; about,these"books revealed "the fact '...thajrthere.-.isira little Braillo .'library here In .Wellington,:, kept" imder/.tho'-'caro of .'another blind lady, /Miss Ethel /Phillips,. who : lest her .sight;in childhood,'ahd'whb'was "educated at the . Blind' Auckland.,' A "visit to this interesting.'Miss Phillips lives . nt;9i : RollestonStreet, up a little climbing valley '..road,:.and- there sheas' delighted -/-.to'- welcome' •.other blind people; who care to I 'hear about the Institute;and the'w'ork'itdoes,' or to look at '/the;bulky volumes inißraille.-../ ■••• ;--r / are '.sent 'down -from the.lnstitute /'in, Auckland; and left till [Wellington '.readers .have finished with them,,then;they are returned ..and 1 another:.batch/sent.,'down.in their place, the ■-Colonial/Carrying Company-//.undertaking ': their transport free of .chargers *n/gift-to the /■•institute. '-'Sere are "several books, of, the Bible; all;b6uhdin,huge;voluraes, 'with/pages the size' ■;, of.; a report, : but ,'thicker. < They ; are. printed "on/stiff, yellowish •paperi in : very * s.curious/typp; and/.most of'the; books have been •done.by Y-machinory,: : .though ; some .have been :; dbno v with .little'- hand", machines.; The different letters": are • fbrme&with; raised dots, 'and -the . /.writing, can. be'.'dbrie;oh bothiside's.of: the'-leaf^ since.ifcis only,the;raised spot that can be felt. •To; ah''outsider it/seems'/, .very.; cumbersome; ■' there; are ■sometimes, so; many- /dots c- to /one ..letter,;;bnt'Braille ! :has: "many;.'abbreviations. -'For ..instance.'-in'Br'aille. "ao" stands ..for; accord-, ■; ing, ."agstf* for:against, "e" for "every;/ and "h" /• for ,'hot.s This system; simplifies the writing of a book:very■,mu'ch; > nndi,.ehnblos]ai;groftt'.v(leal of ■ space, to.'be saved,;• which is;;a -consideration' v since at the best' of times .a'-book in -Braillo must bo/very'bulky: V The Psalm's in Braille fill Da'yid,.Co'pperfield. run's to. no- , fewef'thiiri'.ten./.Poetry,/to 'save spddejlsjwritv' .'ten,straight. ! ,bn, 'without" any,':'regard' to'jleii'gth'' ■of lines, .hut.at'the end'of each line, there is a it.. •'/'■..■•;/..,./;:./:,; '■'.'■>. ;,;.Ther^;is' : .qnite;a -difference/between Braille ithatts.prihted.by'a large machiheand that of ;.a -machine worked by hand, the , latter; being ;:.much"smaUer;ahd' heater; In the Wellington Library"; 7 there .'are. several- American" •bboksi and/papers. written in Braille, but unfortunately .it, is. in American BrailleJ an ..improved, .and?condensed,/'and'more' scientific' . adaptation.;, of English Braille, but .unfortun- -.- ately, it cannothe-read without special training; , and as English Braille is-still the most used it //would.not Wworth while,fqr the'studehts here' ;' to adoptthe : American'.-style. '■'• It :is/not v verv •.■■ difficult to learn' to write, Braille, iaid .anyonn; /with-a-knowledge of Braille;some leisure time, ■ and.an/inexpensive machine could "add'enor-. - mously to the pleasure, of many a man and wo. ' man.in, New Zealand/by-writingout sohie storv •for the, blind. .There are- people ■ here '• who dn this,.and, there ;is in- Wellington one "sighted"lady who has "cbpied.'out in-Braille'quite ; a "s? ml i? r of * bl)ot «"for';hor;'friends.'..Shels now . dictating'another,to' Miss Phillips;'who is writ" •■■'lßK4t^onvHer;.own':-little-.macliinei'.t-.;''-'.:- ; 'i-:-'-'-...'Miss'.Phillips has/an.arithmetic slate of quits'i .'.Tmcommon;appearance;- It• is a piece of, well,.' Bay -zincwith star-shaped perforations, and into ytnese. fit little steel pegs,;across each of .'"which; a'' ,; 6traight;bar.. runs.'// The/position of .the peg In ■'■ l?°. n .°l e determines the angle of that bar;'and '. the'eight-pointed star: provides for eightfiguras while nine and-nought; are'.accountef.for in an : other /way. ".With; this slate ? it- is,' possible t>' • reckon-any..sort of sum '.quite.'quickly; but of /course' no /words -can be .written 'on.it 'so 1 it ;; Would snot do i for" accqunts.-' /,;/-":' ;/ - : ■•'■■:; .Miss Phillips'is qualifiedto'tea'ch'reading'and' . .writing/in .'Braille, and'this'. clever'- sort , ; oV .arithmetic... t She -is '.. ; a,.daputy;„fr6m',.. the/Blind -.'lnstitute, their.,honprary, librarian, 'and iris trud >: . jtor for /Wellington..;;,;And,'she is delighted' to /teach:anyone-who;;requires'it, but says frankly; .that.wherever it can be managed it is niiich >: Patter, for * pupilto 'gp'to, the Blind Institute •in Auckland,'; where 'so /mariy ; different' things' ''.•may ■>.;, v ■'■;''jj".', ; .' '•?''■ ';•;.; ' ■'.: ' ' ; ':; It.soems that.for. one; thingall the' Sets use!' '/ m; the rhatracks <bh; the' New; Zealand. railways ,/are; made; at; the.fAnckland > Blind i -Institute; ■/.which:,isi an' interesting .fact; '.The• men -there . are '.taught to/make: baskets,, dobrmats.'and. all ;,. sorts . of-similar '.things,;'while the women • are '~..taught/weaving with softer, materials.'• An' ex./pert, instructor'has now ; come"over '-.from Auckland ..to teach' them ;how.; to:- make' wicker '? l ?, alrs t-rafiia work is.probably/what is meant, : Jhora, aw;many;other things.to be ; taught at ' , tho.institute, and its activities will develop ; I ,/, Training at /the Institute is'compulsory' for. ; ... anyone between; the.ages; of seven and, seven- 7 1 .<i e ,?^, those/if ho'becoms'i ?.™f d 0 ,so,after- 'they; have> nassed./the aga- •■/ limit, and there 13 do way of.ensuring'their :• traimng; in Braille; they /can ;only-be advised and very,strongly.,urgecl,-to take; advantage of ~the chance that, is offered;' There are now about' .forty girls^ndiwomeh'.at:the; institute; and a , much',smaller number ,'of ;.m'en, some .'of. whom ; . ouly. go to^the, institute .to; work' at -their trade j returning,to their homes at InigW; > ■■ : >'."••■. • • ■ '•■ . r ;.M.iss,:-Phillips:had't'hree and'.a.' half yeaW ; .there and: has lately, revisited the 'place, • ot iwhrnh; she bas:niany pleasant-memories: ■; ; .;, -It. is not ..very, difficult to; learn Braille,'and /'one man:in.the/south'who.has made himself .expertlearned it.after'he.was sixty-sw,:.bcfore //ho wouldyield to;tho persuasions, of his friends and make: the: attempt. ;• He ;then- met the lady . ;;who is deafas' well as blind, .and' wa3 so inspired; by 'tho knowledge-of the difficulties she . hadj,had,to.contend vnth that'he determined' to try his brain and-hands,over, the writing of ; the. .-Braille signs.>/He is anxious .'that other men; who - have lost/their •; sight late 'in lifo ~-6hoqld know never;to■ despair ; of becoming apt ;.vpupiis'in-ihe art.. .;-.';; •:'-..',y'., A '

.: Some years ago, when the- wife,of- the-AnW .:.,can;poet; It; H./Stoddard, lay;dying,-mournin" ; .the untimely loss,of a'giftedson, her husband • ... - blind.and, stricken-m. the comfort of the ':.'■■ P?> ne ;^- 9 ;»flyo»ng Germar, girl they had taken : .into their- service. .Mrs. Stoddard's.last wish -.:. was that .'tnis' girl[-should~bo.:adopted by he- .: husband, and made heir.to their few:posses-r..-,sions..,The.wish-was carried into'offedt with ...the results, v,;...:... ;.-.*. -■••' .-': •.-... ■-■;

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL. . Those Karitane Babies. ' ' . ,Dr. -Truby King, who has so many .ideas : about the wise up-bringing of .'babies, - (loos'not by any means stop short at feeding their little bodies with uonrishing food. He aims also atde- : valoping the infant mind and character. There' has for some, little time been an idea abroad that babies should never bo played .with, that tho inord they, are loft alone to think Jhcir own. immature but wise-looking thoughts the better it will be for them, and we all know' the/ proud mother who boasts that her baby is not a bit of trouble to her, that it will lie ■ in its perambulator all day longand never cry. '. Dr. King ..considers these notions ridiculous. ■ Babies, ho thinks, want.to be noticed, anil the r.onsensical baby-talk of mothers is. absolutely necessary to a child. Down at Karitane, where (s the shrine, of the Society tor the Promotion of tho Health of • Women rtnd Children— the little aottago home, where sickly babies arc nursed, back, to health or .'.to a health; they , have never before possessed, via the humanised . niiilk treatment—part-of the system consists'in playing with -them.'. The nurses at Karitane are busy women, and, though they, give their charges all .the time they can spare, .they.'cannot play with them as much as Dr.; King considers' necessary,' and so; there are ! outside ' helpers—volunteer :playriiates who go out at stated periods, and play,with the babies.;:lt does not much' seem to matter what they talk about to tho infants, so long as they say'it pleasantly,, and make the .babies, believe' it is . purely complimentary, for the baby era better stand being told in a delightful way that it is"a skinny little thing, and, that it will never ffina-prizo in a beauty show if it:does not hurry up and.get fat," than.it can bear being. left to .go to sleep to, the sound of a distant. I "Sh-h"., addressed to ,half-a-dozen babies at once. ; .■ '■'. ';-.'• Lady Dorothy Onslow. . ■'.-'■';"! •;'• ■ ; Lady' Dorothy • Onslow,-, the news- of whoso: marriage appears in- the cable columns,',the, second daughter of the Earl and Countess :of' Onslow, -'..sho was only a very small sirl when her; father was Governor of'.New. Zealand, and people hero remember, her as a pretty child, with -.a.-efcarmiiu? Expression,-- and fair jiair cut in the straight iringo that the little princesses, have; always. worn; 'She. was educated'in England, and distinguished herself by her linguistic achievements. The news of hor marriage comes'.closo upon ' tho announcement' of her engagement to-Mr: Edward Lindsay. Wood, who is the only son' of Lord Halifax, and possesses a; large private fortune.' A Masquerade Dance. . ~,; ~:':;.. i' A'masquerade :dance- was given' in the Alexandra' Mull last, night by tne pupils of.Miss Howe's dancing "class to wind up the season, 'mis was ; the .first- dance-'Of the. kind" held iri connection, with Miss iiowo's classes, and it proved : very' successful. The hall was ."well .idled with , dancers, and excellent music, was supplied.', by, Mr. Williams, of the Wellington Professional/Orchestra. .During : the evening Miss Kowe made a graceful little speech, thanking' her committee ior the help they had given, her. .The members of. the committee were;— Messrs. P." A.. Milne, G; P..Eanna, A. C Bowman, A.' T; Tullett, and H. Hatliday (secretary).: ■■: ■;;;:',■!;' '■;■ W '~'■'"; ''':• Girls' Realm Guild., '. .\ ;■ ■.;'.'■'. :A special-meeting .of the Lady Hunket Centre ot the Girls' Kealra Guild was held yesterday afternoon, in. tho Mayor's the I'tWn Kail, to uiako arrangements ~for the garden fete that it had been decided to' hold before tlie.oiid of the year to raise funds for the special work undertaken by the guild. Miss •Hamilton' presided. .It:was agreed that the fete should be held on the third Saturday in November; and that-Lady Ward'..should bo asked whether she. would.kindly lend, her garden.for the occasion. There are so many members, of the guild to take'part in thereto.that: it ought to be a great success.' There'will bo stalls for the sale of fancy china cups,'flowers, cakes',' sv;eets, and .' specialities, and. one or two. side-showsJhntj are bound to. attraot' man'y.. Visitors. will .'bo .wanted for. each stall, v Tho following ladies have agreed to, superintend :—Flower stall, Miss ■Lambert; cake stall, Miss Mueller; sweets, Miss •Devine; specialities," Miss E.' Hurley; artistic •fancy .tea cups,' Miss,T;|Dimarit. '.The.Bellamy' quadrilles, will be' under the direction of .Miss Mona-Mackay. The guild will meet to. make, further arrangements - for the fete at. tho same' hour .'.and..place tm .Wednesday,;. October 6.,: ; The Y.M.C;A. rDutchTea." V;' : - The following .ladies 'taking charge of the,different tea-tables at. the Y.M.C.A. "Dutch Tea,,"which is to .be 'held in the Town Hall to-night-.—Mrs. ■ Williams, ; Mrs.' Uott, ' -Mrs.; Gooderj Mrs; ■•; Longmore, Mrs. Pearson, ■'' Mrs '■' Campbell, Mrs.- Copithorne, Mrs. Kilgour, Mrs Cartho Moss, ;Mts. 'A. - Hislop, Mrs... - Tattle Mrs. Bed:4one, Mrs. Allan, Mrs. Dix, Mrs' Dunne,. Mrs.- Black,■ Mrs:••. West, Mosdanies Dawson>.and-'Jones, l Mrs.Ralph, Mrs. Keeno Mrs.--Hatch, Mrs. Adair, Mrs' Blackbourne, • Mrs.,: Rodgers, -Mrs. Warnock .Mrs!; Fossette,"Mrs.:'Webb, Mrs.' Martin, Mrs/ Evans, Mrs. Bennett,=' Mrs..-. Holdsworth, and Mrs.';M'Eldowney.\. ,.■-,'.'-.., '•-..■.>, Obituary:;;,:,.:; \,.'.[''';■'■ .-.'.;' Mrs.. Peter Heyes, wife'of the Commissioner of Taxes, .died yesterday, at her.home :on. the .Terrace,-, after a, very ;.short illness,. which - only showed serious' symptoms a few hours before her death.', Mrs. Heyes, who had lived for fifteen or sixteen' years 'in Wellington,. where she had many friends, was:the daughter of Mr.- J. W. Moore, late of Auckland. '."•'.'■.. Gibbes' is .paying'- 1 a visit to Mrs.' Thompson,; of-Ballarice. ;;, :..,.;.' l_Mrs. J.jßogie, fromiWaipuknrau, isvintine Welhngton.'.and is'the guest of Miss. Bremner.- : -'Miss'.lreße'Wilson has, beenVappointed .stu'dent; assistant in English' at Canterbury College for the year. ,1910.-,:/'•: : ,,, , , ; ;' Sir Joseph Ward will return to New Zealand' a grandfather. -, A son was born to Mr! and Mrs.''Cyril Ward at Invercargill.'a few davs ago..';:, L , i - ■•,'■,' .',y' ;..-■•,, : . ;/:;•. ■ meeting the' Women's'Branoh' of the' New-Zealand-Social and Political Reform this.v ; afternoon, '■' Mrs.; Park, from Bostori, will give, an account.of settlement work-' in American,cities..';- ; r . , ;. -'Mrs.'; John. Prquse- and : tier son; Mr; Oliver Prouse. who have beenspehding some time in the Old. Country/are passengers from- Vancouver;,on the:present trip of the Makura .They : . are : -due in in about -.three . weeks time.:,/.•;■,:•:*■. ;v. : ,-,/:-v- -..-.v' ,-■■ -. .The';lt«v. H.C. -Bourne,' who had chargeof r an/Anglican community at Napier ■ for six years, and ..recently has been, recuperating at fiotorua, was. married.,at•• St. Matthew's Church. Auckland,-on Monday, to Miss C. P™ 0 . JJunedin, .Mr. and .Mrs. Bourne - M.\ b ? th » 'Victoria for Sydney,.-where 1 , they ■will spend a .short holiday, before proceeding .-Home-tp.'.taks up.their;residence in one of the English counties. ' '■~ . :