umerous, but they are
very valuable. They are the result of careful study, of long-continued
and anxious thought, and they are the most important original work left
by her. They will be read by all who have endeavoured to help the blind
with no less interest than by the blind themselves.

_Education of the Blind._

In the preface to a poem entitled Genius of the Blind, by E. H.
White, a blind man, he speaks of the great amount of labour and
money which have been spent in attempts to educate the blind; of
the comparatively small result, and of the bad effects of bringing
up the blind in asylums, and thus estranging them from their
families. It seems to me, however, that some such plan is necessary
for those who cannot be educated at home; though perhaps in the
case of pupils whose homes are in the town in which the institution
is situated, the evil complained of might in a measure be remedied
by their being admitted as day scholars, as I once remember Mr.
Bird suggesting. But even here in London and other large towns,
distance might be a great difficulty; and for those pupils not
residing in the town itself, I see nothing to prevent this evil
except holidays, and perhaps in many cases even this might not be
practicable. There is also this to be said, that among the poor it
is by no means the blind only who become estranged from their
homes: I think this may be said of the majority with more or less
truth; and it has often struck me that in all the different plans
for improving the condition of the people, this very evil is too
little thought of and guarded against. Indeed, I think that in all
classes this is hardly recognised to be as great an evil as I
believe it really to be. No doubt it was always intended that
families should separate and disperse; but much more might be done
than is done, to keep the home affections fresh and living, in the
hearts of their members. Certainly the blind have, if anything,
greater need of receiving and exercising the social affections than
others. And here I would lay particular stress on the necessity of
their exercising those affections towards others, as I am sure that
the necessity of their being the objects of affection is often too
exclusively dwelt upon, and that sufficient opportunity for showing
th