nce, on the ground of never having seen this or that object.
Their minds are filled with a love for all beautiful things, especially
flowers and pictures, and they are frequently taken to parks and
museums. They are told about the stars, the blue sky, sunsets, the
majesty of the ocean, and all the other wonders that enchant the eye;
and they are taught to speak of "seeing" these things, because they
really do see them with the mental vision, keener, in many instances,
than mere physical sight. The boys of the polytechnic high school made a
wonderful doll house for the children--a house of four rooms, fully
furnished throughout. The children made their own rugs and baskets,
tables and chairs, and one boy modeled a bathtub of plasticine, perfect
in design. The house has a sloping roof, and it is thatched, and I must
confess that my first real knowledge of roofs was gained from examining
that one on the doll house. It has a chimney, too, and a stovepipe, and
so the children learn a great deal from this miniature home of their
dolls.

In their special classroom, the children are taught Braille reading and
writing, and a great deal of time is given to these branches. They are
taught all sorts of handwork, basketry, weaving, knitting, modeling, and
chair caning, and, when old enough, they are sent with the other
children to sewing, cooking, sloyd and music classes. As soon as
possible, they recite with the regular classes, their lessons being
previously read or explained by the special teacher. This gives them the
contact with normal children, so necessary to the development of the
blind child. Those not in favor of special classes claim that this
competition is too severe a strain, and that it is unkind and unwise to
place blind children with those whose physical advantages and
opportunities for study are greater. But we have found that the plan
works admirably. The special teacher trains her pupils to be
self-reliant and helpful, insists that they join in the games of the
others, assuring them that, with greater effort, they, too, may play,
and it is delightful to watch them at recess or at noon, each blind
child affectionately led by a seeing child, the latter calling the
teacher's attention to the successful performance of some feat on the
part of his blind playmate. In the classroom, too, the spirit is the
same, the blind child remembering things for the one who sees, and the
seeing child using his eyes for the one who i