ASSISTING THE BLIND

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3711, 15 January 1891, Page 3

ASSISTING THE BLIND

[Communicated.]

" The lame man to the blind doth lend his sight. The blind man to the lame doth lend his might." Once in an old dilapidated English Castle we read the above, inscribed old English characters upon the of the large dining room, showing that even among the- old English feudal barons a merciful consideration for the poor and

prevailed. In this way llkhey were taught to render mutual " assistance to one another. Amid the liurry and bustle of colonial life, we are apt to forget those poor unfortunate persons upon whom the mantle of perpetual want of sight has fallen, whose cry amid the glorious sunshine of our incomparable clime • must ever be. "Oh dark ! dark! dark! I still must stay, £l&i 1 this blaze Of Summer day." It is a happy thing that provision for these unfortunate people, young and old, is being made through the kindness of our leading philathropis ts by which tip tedium of their inactive life may some extent relieved. The Committee formed in Masterton for this purpose some time ago, met last night at tlie house of Mr Ayson, Secretary, when the Kev. W. Bowse was voted to the chair, A communi cation from the Secretary of the general committee was laid before the meeting. It was reported that some half-dozen cases of total blind-

ness existed at present |in this community, and it was resolved to apply ~=fiuy?opies of books prepared for the '-Wind. It was also decided that the assistance of the leading settlers in the district, and more particularly in Masterton, Carterton, Greytown, and Featherston, be solicited for this object, to whom subscription lists will be forwarded.

Great Bond RoWwry at Bor&oaus The robbery of 150,000 francs' worth of Bente Coupons was discovered" ■ recently through the intelligence of M. Voreaux, a clerk in the Rue Turbigo branch office of the Credit Lyonnais, at Paris. About three o'clock in the afternoon two Wall dressed men presented themselves, demanding payment of 4£ per cent' Rente Coupons amounting to 3600 francs. There was something in their appearance and manner that immediately aroused the suspicions of M. Voreaux, who, afte asking them for their cards, managed by one pretext and another, to keep them waiting till the bank messenger had returned 'from one of the addresses indicated by them, with the information that no one of the name given was known at the house. Thereupon M. "Voreaux, whose suspicions had been -thus confirmed, with great politeness and many excuses for tbe delay, invited the two thieves into an inner office, separated from the puhiic Office by a wooden balustrade. He said he was very BOrry, but the. formalities of verification, &c., took up a long time. One of the theives probably guessed the truth, for he went away, saying he could not wait any longer. The other, who had given his nani6 as Montravel, accepted the proposal. - JJpyftrtheless, aj time went on, and the money for the coupons was not forthcoming, he, also, became uneasy, and, profiting by a movement when he imagined was unobBerved, attempted to vault over the wooden partition. Unfortunately for him he failed to clear it, and fell in the middle of the public office, at the very feet of tbe Police Commissary' who had just arrived in compliance an urgent summons sent him M. Voreaux. It is needless to say he was arrested without delay. On being searched by the police, coupons representing no less than 120,000 francs were found in his poekets. It has now been discovered that they were stolen from the Treasurer-General of Bordeaux by the man who was captured, and who was one ot the confidential clerks of the Bordeaux Treasury. He had two accomplices, both of whom have been arrested.