HOW HELEN HELLER "SEES" LIFE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1927, 9 December 1913, Page 3

HOW HELEN HELLER "SEES" LIFE.

Many have been puzzled by Helen Kelelr's ability to write familiarly of things about which a person both blind and deaf would bo cxpcctcd to know very little, and not a few havo dolibted tli?. authorship of some of tho articles which have appeared under her name. Recently she wrote a Socialistic article for "Tho Outlook," and a friend and literary adviser remarked to her that ho had heard men say, "How can sho know about life, about people, about affairs?" The question interested 31iss Keller, and sliutv rote a letter to tho editors of "Tho Outlook" explaining how sho keeps in touch with humanity and its doings. The letter, published as a preface to her article, is a new chapter of the life-story of this remarkable woman, who, in the opinion of the Murk Twain, is one of the two most wonderful personalities the world has known since the beginning of tho nineteenth century —Napoleon Bonaparto obing tho other. Realisation of Blindness. Sho writes;—3ly blindness does npt . shut, mo out • from , a knowledge of what is happening about me. True, I did not witness tho recent drcadf.ttl wreck at Stamford ; neither did most people in tho - United States. But that did not prevent nie, any more than, it prevented them, from knowing about it. To bo sure, I cannot hear my neighbours discuss the .events and questions of the day; but, judging from what is repeated to mo of thoso discussions—and all that they say is often reepated conscientiously—l foci that I do not miss much.

I prefer to uso tho eye and the oar of the world, which tho printed page makes mine. I prefer to read tho opinions of well-informed persons, clear thinkers like "Alfred Russell Wallace, William Morris, Bernard Shaw, Sir Oliver Lodge, 11. G. AVells, William English Walling, Judge Lindscy, Robert Hunter, Karl ICautsky, Herbert Spenwr, Darwin, and Marx. You say, "Butw, hat do you know about life that enables you to judgo of tho competency' of such men to give an opinion?" If books arc not life, I do not know what they are. In the writings of poets, sagos, and prophctp is recorded all that men have seen, heard, and Te't. Having all this in tho grasp of njy two hands, my means of obsorving what is going on iu the world is not so very limited, after all. I havo all the keys to the doors of knowledge. lam benefited by every observation made by scientist, philosopher, prophet. Tho oyes of tho mind are stronger, more penetrating, and more reliable than our physical eyes. We can seo lot of things with a little common-scnse light to aid our perceptions.

A Venture in Speculation. I have never been s captain of industry or a strike-breaker or a soldier; neither have most people. But I have studied about them, and I think I understand their relation to society. At all events, I claim my right to discuss them. I also know something about gambling; for I gambled once, in stocks and bpnds—once only; for I lost all I had in' that one venture. But if 1 did not win, somebody else did, and I had a good deal of "first-hand experience." I have'worked for tho blind. I have come into contact with them. T have taken ail active part iu meetings and spoken before legislatures iu their behall. I have studied their problems, and, iu order to understand them fullv, I. found it necessary to study the problems of the seeing among whom the. blind live and work. I have found lhat the needs and difficulties of the siuht.less are similar to the needs and difficulties of all who are handicapped in the struggle for a livelihood, for education. for equal opportunity. If this work for the blind is not " first-hand experience," I do not knoiv whore you or I cau get it.

Tito Power of Thougiit. Finally, 1 liavo visited sweat-simps, factories, crowded slums of New York and Washington. Of course I eoiihl not see tlio sciualor; but if 1 could not sco it. I could smell it. t 'With my own hands I could feel pinched, dwariW children tending their younger brothers and sisters while their mothers tended machines in near-by factories. . Besides the advantages of. books and o! personal ■experience, I liavo the advantage of a mind trained to think. In most people I talk with thought is infantile. In the well-educated it is rare. 111 time their minds becomo automatic machines. I'on pie do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusion*, - and conclusions are not alwavs "lejsaiit. They are a thorn in the spirit. Hut 1 consider it a priceless uil't and a deep responsibility to think.. Thought -- inlellicent thought—gives new eves to the blind and new e;irs to Lh« deal,

CHANGING IfABITS. It is always liie man who won't fret out of beil who is most difficult to rouso; and io do something different from your usual manner of doing It means a change of habits, and habits aro the very dickens to change. You possibly have decided that tho only man who can mako your clothes is tho man that is doing it now, but, perhaps, other peoplo who sco tho way you dress do not think so. Tho man who is not quite suro of the quality of his tailoring is the man wo would liko to see. If ho wants individual style ive can give it to him, but make no extra cliarce for our superior cutting. Our 80s. Suit, tailored to your special order, is liiado from tlio bC'St Lnglish or Colonial materials. We can send you samples of these free if you cannot seo them personally, or our representative can call and take your measure. It is high time you placed your order for a summer suit. * Will you entrust it. to us? THE SAHTOTiIAT," .SERVICE, I.TD., lit Willis Street, Wellington.