DARK WORLD OF THE BLIND.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 4 November 1924, Page 6

DARK WORLD OF THE BLIND.

, AN APPEAL FOP' HELP. ’ Masterton, Nov. 1, 1924.Ladies and Gentlemen, —The season of Christmas will soon he here, a time of rejoicing and goodwill, and through yon I wish to draw the attention of the children of New Zealand to the brave-hearted boys and girls who will spend the Yuletide season in the dark world of the blind. Through, you, I wish to rouse the sympathy and practical help of all children blessed with that most precious gift of humanity, the gift of sight, of which these other poor little ones have been deprived. In the school of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, at Auckland, these blind boys and girls are nobly striving, with the aid of (skilled and kindly teachers, to overcome their cruel handicap. They are doing ordinary school lessons, and doing them with truly marvellous success, but the school is not so well equipped as it might be, and in sympathy and appreciation of the splendid effort the blind children are making, I am seeking to make this business of schooling a little easier and brighter for them. There are certain articles of equipment which are sorely needed, and which so far, the children have been unable to procure. This brings me to ..the main point of my appeal. I aui going to a®k each; scholar attending the schools of the Dominion to* make a Christmas gift of one penny, to provide a fund to secure for their little blind comrades those things of which they are in need now. As all expen'ses in connection with this appeal 'hre borne by me, every penny given goes to the assistance of the school. . One thing we wish to buy for them is a relief map of the world, costing £25. Several more Braille typewriters are also* needed ;, these cost £l6 3s each. Relief maps, particulaily one of Europe*/- would make the teaching of geography much easier, while models of animals, birds, and fishes, which the children have never seen, would bring untold interest and delight to these brave young scholars. The average enrolment of scholars, who come from every part of New Zealand, is 30. . They are a* healthy, wonderfully cheery little band, who are doing their utmost to make themselves proficient in their schooling, so that when they grow up to be men and women, they, may not find themselves shut off, through lack of education, from the ordinary interests and enjoyments of life. O'ne of the greatest of the. latter, you will all agree, is love of reacting. I personally visited the Jubilee Institute for the Blind some time ago, and I shall never forget the sight of these little ones working at their lesson®, feeling with sensitive finger tips for the raised dots on the paper that meant to them letters, words and figures. Others, again, were busy at the Braille typewriters, and I brought away with me a' beautifully typed letter, the work of a boy about eleven years old. I watched the children at a geography lesson/ their small fingers wandering over the embossed maps, gradually learning, by sense of touch, the outline of the various countries, and I thought what wonderful courage, what patience, these children must have to he able thus to keep up heart and 'go* ahead in spite of their affliction ! Very little is known, outside the Jubilee Institute, of the brave effort these children are making, but now that I have made my appeal, I fee] certain tlmf eyery boy and girl will want to do their small part in bringing happiness to> those who have been denied so much. Every penny contributed will be devoted to equipping the ischool on the moist modern lines, for I, myself, will be only too pleased to bear the incidental expenses of the appeal. The appeal is being made with the permission of the directors of the Institute, and of the Education Board of your district. The Jubilee Institute is supported by voluntary contributions, and by a Government grant. A gift from the children of New Zealand wall carry with it. a. message of Jove and good cheer that will brighten wonderfully the blind, children’s Christmas, and enable, them to feel that despite thenisolation from their fellow boys and girls, they are not forgotten.—Thanking you in anticipation, yours faithfully, F. NORRIS. Kindly note—(1) Please,post all Xmas gifts direct to enclosed address of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, Auckland, or to the Secretary of your own Education Board. (2) Please state your postal address and name of district. If possible, some definite article will be purchased as a present from your district. (3) Acknowledgment of your gift will be forwarded after Christmas.