II
THE HAND OF THE RACE 33

CHAPTER IV
THE POWER OF TOUCH 45

CHAPTER V
THE FINER VIBRATIONS 63

CHAPTER VI
SMELL, THE FALLEN ANGEL 77

CHAPTER VII
RELATIVE VALUES OF THE SENSES 95

CHAPTER VIII
THE FIVE-SENSED WORLD 103

CHAPTER IX
INWARD VISIONS 115

CHAPTER X
ANALOGIES IN SENSE PERCEPTION 129

CHAPTER X
BEFORE THE SOUL DAWN 141

CHAPTER XII
THE LARGER SANCTIONS 153

CHAPTER XIII
THE DREAM WORLD 169

CHAPTER XIV
DREAMS AND REALITY 195

CHAPTER XV
A WAKING DREAM 209

A CHANT OF DARKNESS 229

ILLUSTRATIONS

HELEN KELLER IN HER STUDY _Frontispiece_

THE MEDALLION _Facing page_ 22

"LISTENING" TO THE TREES " " 70

THE LITTLE BOY NEXT DOOR " " 120

THE SEEING HAND

I

THE SEEING HAND

I HAVE just touched my dog. He was rolling on the grass, with pleasure
in every muscle and limb. I wanted to catch a picture of him in my
fingers, and I touched him as lightly as I would cobwebs; but lo, his
fat body revolved, stiffened and solidified into an upright position,
and his tongue gave my hand a lick! He pressed close to me, as if he
were fain to crowd himself into my hand. He loved it with his tail, with
his paw, with his tongue. If he could speak, I believe he would say with
me that paradise is attained by touch; for in touch is all love and
intelligence.

This small incident started me on a chat about hands, and if my chat is
fortunate I have to thank my dog-star. In any case, it is pleasant to
have something to talk about that no one else has monopolized; it is
like making a new path in the trackless woods, blazing the trail where
no foot has pressed before. I am glad to take you by the hand and lead
you along an untrodden way into a world where the hand is supreme. But
at the very outset we encounter a difficulty. You are so accustomed to
light, I fear you will stumble when I try to guide you through th