CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 187, 9 August 1890, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE BLIND,

RAPTUROUS KAVING3,

I (To the Editor.) ?£'«r^ r " i ßakewell «s a genius ; this is M>lf.«vident, requiring no demonstrationxnejiate meteoric coruscations are awfully sublime; at least, we note blackness, darkness the sound of the Esculapian trumpet andjthe vo lC e of words. Sometimes propositions are advanced, premises laid down, theohes formulated, and strange, oh ! so marvellous, the literary necromancer is in this realm the prince of doubters. And if the inlearned stare, the learned smile, one woujd think the farce should here terminate;; alas, such is not so. When the doctor speaks we listen (nay, with curiosity); wnefhe commands we obey, i.e., yield a j L obodience 5 but when he writes, adrnfraijioa conveys us to wonder; and in thiafwonderland of thermal activity and goy|r ebullition our olfactory nerves aro disgusted with the proximity of sulphur. IBy sialysis and acquaintance the doctor is familiar with its constituent elements, bub besides Esculapius and hie sulphurous envirofment, there is in marveldosn much to investigate. ''Philosophy," says Aristotle, ".begins in w|nder; for Iris is the child of Thaumas, so t&it Bolus may be regarded as genius and|hilosopher." What a splendid alliance! But there are other laurels to place upofour hero's brow, and few men in the comjiunity, and only one woman, have part|nd lot in the triple honour. Black draught is a philanthropist. His humane stricture on the unfortunate blind entitles hiutgar excellence to this eeafc of honour. Then poor creatures piteously asked at his ttaniß n portion of bread ; for this he genobuely doles the atone, They solicit a fish I he gives them a serpent, and I know of nfmenagerie so well able to supply on demfhd a reptile of this description. In conjlnction with the kind-hearted' Mary of Gleri Orchard, he has used his venomous pen f> sting to death the inchoate Institution If or the Blini_ .1, Kot having part or -$>t in tne subscription list, nor in a|y of thj herculean labours which prod ced it, hia philanthropy has carried him \■. to the acropolis of fame, on whid [ with the divine Mary he constitutes a th atre, " a spectacle to the world, to ange \ and to men." And as the curtain lifts the ij scription on the base stands out, " The tend p mercies of the wicked are cruel." Wei ill now draw down the blind over the blind' and if ever a drama could excite pity ib isfhere, for if the blind lead the blind theypuet inevitably gravitate to the ditch. And-in this deplorable predicament they woulf this day be found if the heartless and fuel manifesto of the doctor bad constituted the creed and practice of the benevolent in Auckland, who for a sublime act of m|cy have been designated " reluctanb giverj" No;r for the lepers. I have read of ten, whovere simultaneously cleansed by the Greaj' Physician ; one only returned to give hanks. I know that chap was not a doctd ; he was a saint. The philanthropists; rere all elopers. As birds of a feather flock together, the doctor on his search after knowledge on leprosy will with this fry h ild. a catechumen class of a prolix chara ter on a future occasion. A s ggestion. I will take the Choral Hall and c lampion the whole of my blind friends, if the ioctor can make arrangements to send carav us for the numerous lepers. We can intra ice them one by one. I will take the blind jide (have been on this side a long time), The doctor will be at home amongst his lepers. If I cannot show 10 blind- aen for 1 leper, L will give £500 to the bl hd fund, on the doctor finding substanti 1 guarantee that a similar amount ehall 1 c paid over by him in the event of my b|jng able to produce the requisite numbs- as hereinbefore; stated. N. B. —We shall also take up a collection, and in order that tfere may be no plunder, good Sister Aldisian hold the plate for the doctor, and I will fi|d some sister of mercy to act in the same capa*ciiy for myself.—l am, etc., H , , . j John Abbott. Sd.//George's Bay Road, Parnell, 3fch August, 1890. ;