Letters and Journals of Samuel Gridley Howe. Edited by his
Daughter, Laura E. Richards. Vol. II. (John Lane. 16s. net.) —In 1832 S. G. Howe, after certain adventures in Europe, returned to America and set about working for the blind. He began by taking six children into his father's house, the father most laud- ably acquiescing. Then he founded the Institution,—asylum was an odious word to him. At first financial difficulties were great. Then Dr. Howe exhibited some of his pupils before the Ms eee- chusetta Legislature with such effect that it voted £1,200 per annum on the condition that twenty poor pupils should be sup- ported. Then there was a fate at Salem which brought in £300, and another at Boston which supplied nearly £2,000. For many years this was, it may be said, the favourite among many benevolent activities. He never spared personal service. When he began the work he blindfolded himself that he might put himself in sym- pathy with his pupils. How effective was this self-education may be seen by the story of Laura Bridgman, a blind deaf-mute, whom by efforts as ingenious as they were unwearying he changed, so to speak, into an intelligent creature. Then he took up the care of the feeble-minded, and then he threw himself into the great anti-slavery work. During the War he busied himself with the Sanitary Commission and with the Freedmen's Inquiry Com- mission. But work at home did not satisfy him. Forty-five years before he had actively sympathised with the efforts of Greece to achieve independence; now he did what he could for Crete. Cretan claims and hopes do not appeal so strongly to the world in 1910; and we are not sure that the United States did not act wisely when, much to Dr. Howe's disappointment, they refnsed to annex San Domingo. But we have nothing but admiration for the " Good Knight without Fear and without Reproach" who is pictured for us in this volume.
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