meeting him. Both Mr. Jackman and Mr. Dodd [the
Secretary] affirm that these poor blind pupils are already as well
instructed as it is possible they should be, under their afflicting
circumstances. They are correctly moral in their general conduct,
influenced by religious feelings and principles, with contented and
pious minds. Mr. Jackman mentioned as a proof that they do think
beyond the present moment, the average number who now participate
at every celebration of the Lord's Supper is one or two and twenty,
though formerly there had been but three or four. They can repeat a
large portion of the Psalms, not merely the singing Psalms, but
take the alternate verse of the reading version without requiring
any prompting. And all the pupils have a variety of the most
important texts strongly impressed upon their memories. Their
memories are generally good, and they assure me they are fully
exercised upon sound truths. These gentlemen are of opinion that
more is to be learned by the ear than ever can be acquired by the
fingers, and therefore see no advantage attending the new plan
which can at all compensate the trouble and expense of introducing
it.

Two of the gentlemen present, Mr. Capel Cure and Mr. Meller, very
handsomely supported your view of the subject, and recommended a
trial to be made. At the same time they candidly confessed
themselves quite unable to point out the best way, or indeed any
way, to set about it; upon which the Committee very naturally threw
the burthen upon me, or, my dear madam, you must allow me to say,
rather upon you. I read to them the plan which you had sketched
out, which, however, the Committee do not think very practicable.
They will not seek out an idle linguist as you recommend; but if
you will bring a qualified man to their door, with all appliances
to boot--that is, all the books requisite for introducing the
system, then they will be ready to treat with him. And here the
matter rests for the present.

"Here" probably the Committee expected it to rest. But not so Mrs. Wood,
who reconsidered and amended her suggestion as to "an idle linguist."

The next letter from Mr. Vynes, 15th April 1831, announces that Mr. Gall
of Edinburgh "has offered to come to London to put our Committee in more
complete possession of his plan, and to i