HELP FOR THE BLIND.
HARD by St. Pancras church, in the New Road, is a little shop with a frontispiece or sign which is apt to catch the eye of the j/aneur, iffl i aneurs ever take the air of the New Road. This sign, n front of the window, is an oil-painting representing a group of blind people engaged in handicrafts. Few of the passers-by. ever pause to reflect on the full meaning of this sign, and fewer still,
go in to inquire all about it. Ps, Among the various forms of aggravated suffering, in the poor classes, the loss of a sense or of a limb appeals strongly to the sympathies of the generous. We think such loss of a sense should also arouse the intelligent consideration of those who help the poor to help themselves. The busy man who can spare an hour (and. he can always do so easier than the idler) will be rewarded by de- voting it to the Association for promoting the general welfare of the blind, at their work-shop and repository, 127, Euston Place.
A poor blind man or woman who knows no trade must starve or go to the Union, or beg in the streets. Neither alternative is much better than death to an honest, intelligent, willing mechanic. What can he do to keep his sightless body and his stedfast soul together ? He might learn a trade suited to his condition if he could find any one to teach him. He might work at that trade if he could get work. How is he to conquer these difficulties ? His case is not singular ; if it were so, the overflowing kindness of some who hear of it, would soon remove the destitution caused by the visitation of God. But there are nearly 30,000 blind people in our country, the majority of whom are in a state of the greatest destitution. They labour, under three great disadvantages, in the hard struggle to gain a living.
1st. There are not many who have an opportunity of learning a trade.
2d. The trades taught are few in number. 3d. Those who have acquired an industrial art rarely obtain constant employment, or a market for their manufactures. We need not dwell upon the fact that blind men do not lose self respect or natural aptitude for labour when they lose their sight. it is a sad addition to the loss of sight to be condemned to idleness.
A blind young lady, deeply meditating these things, began in May 1854, an undertaking to ensure regular employment to blind working-men. This was graduallyextended, and in January 1857, the Association to which we wish to call public attention, was formed. "At present it gives employment in various ways to fifty-five blind men and women, of whom twenty are supplied with regular work at their own homes, twenty are taught and. employed at the Society's repository, and fifteen are occasionally employed at their homes or engaged in selling goods for the Asso- ciation. ' This is the actual amount of what is now doing by this infant association; as we gather from a printed report, dated 1st December 1858. It accords perfectly with what we ourselves saw and heard at the Repository during the present week. We were much struck by the intelligence, precision, and quiet busi- nesslike manner of the Superintendent and Manager of the work- shops and Repository (himself a blind man), who showed us over the premises, and gave us every opportunity of conversing with the workers and examining their work. Brushes' brooms, mats, and baskets of various kinds, are admirably made here. No one who knows a handicraft, will deny the superiority of the best hand- made articles over the best machine-made ones. In order to com- pete with machine-made goods—the articles made by these blind people are sold in their shop at the ordinary market price. House- wives who unite benevolence with economy will do well to remember this fact. We were told that if they had onsr. tomers they could supply more than double their present quoin- tity of work ; and that at present seventy-six blind men and. women are applying to the Association for help, many of whom are begging in the streets for want of work. The Association is not yet self-supporting ; perhaps it never may become so thoroughly ; but, at least, its object of helping the blind to work for them- selves should be known throughout the country. A larger and more convenient house for carrying on the manufacture and sale of goods is required. Funds for paying teachers of trades and for the purchase of materials are wanted. As far as we could Beet no money is wasted in the establishment for mere show or for officials who do not work. The librarian is a blind young woman, who also teaches music. The library is full of interest. It contains more than a hundred volumes. These oomprise books printed on the six or eight different systems of printing for the blind.
for those who have no home has been established near the There are fifty different systems of writing. A boarding-house
where women pay seven shillings and men nine shillings a week. They have for that payment four meals a day ; meat once a day and beer twice. This, of course, is not self-supporting. We have set down these few facts concerning a comparatively new Working Man's Association in order to draw the attention of the general public to them. They are known and cared for by some rich and influentialpersons whose names we see in the list of subscribers. The president of the Association is the Bishop of London, the vice-president is the Vicar of the parish, the Rever- end Thomas Dale. At this festive time, the actively benevolent sometimes look abroad for a new pleasure in relieving distress. The blind workman who cannot get work is surely a fitting subject for kindness and brotherly love. " Seasons return, but not to him returns day or the sweet approach of even or morn." Should not an effort be made to secure to him a return each day of the means of labour, which will sweeten both the even and morn?
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