Elizabeth Gilbert and Her Work for the Blind Part 26

Meanwhile the a.s.sociation struggled on under the care of successive managers. Levy's illness and frequent absence had caused confusion, irregularity, and loss, which his successors were not slow to take advantage of. They found it easy to persevere in defects occasioned by his failing health and want of sight; but the untiring devotion to the cause of the blind, and unwearied efforts on their behalf, which had made these defects of comparatively small importance, were lost to the a.s.sociation for ever.

Bessie knew and lamented the shortcomings, but she could no longer supplement them. Successive years diminished her powers of work.

Sleeplessness, pain, exhaustion, wore her out; and sometimes for days together she could not bear even an allusion to the a.s.sociation and its work. Occasional fits of deafness, to which she had always been liable, depressed her more than they had ever previously done. These attacks recurred several times, and lasted for many weeks at a time. It was difficult for her to shake off the gloom that accompanied them, and the sense of isolation and solitude. Her hands and arms were too feeble to allow her to read or work for more than a few moments, so that she was not only cut off from the society of those she loved, but unable to occupy herself in any way.

From time to time she regained a little strength, and then it was touching to see how she at once resumed her labours. At the beginning of her illness she took great interest in the inauguration of the Normal College for the Blind. Dr. Campbell had several long conversations with her in 1871, before she left Queen Anne Street, and at his request she had joined the Committee of the College and even attended some of its meetings. She rejoiced in the success that now attended Dr. Campbell's efforts; but she was convinced that a musical career was, in most cases, impossible for the blind. "Many adult persons lose their sight, but the loss does not entail a love of music," she would say. She saw, and had always seen, that handicrafts were the only possible occupation for the majority, especially amongst the poor and uneducated; and one of her chief objects was to increase the number of trades which the blind could follow. She used to say that, with a little ingenuity and contrivance, many additional trades might be thrown open to them. With this end in view she continued to make herself acquainted with the details of different occupations, and wished that experiments "on a very small scale" should be carried out. But there were too many difficulties in the way. Want of health, want of money, want of s.p.a.ce for workrooms, met her at every turn. Still, whenever there was a bit of work that she could do, she did it. In November 1874 a special Committee had been appointed by the Charity Organisation Society to consider "what more can be done to promote the welfare of the blind, especially in relation to their industrial training." The Earl of Lichfield presided, and the subjects to be considered were as follows:

1. What is being done industrially for the blind, and in what ways?

(_a_) For learners.

(_b_) For journeymen.

2. What more can be done through existing agencies?

(_a_) By improvements in system of working.

(_b_) By co-operation between the agencies.

(_c_) By fresh retail shops.

3. May not a large proportion of the able-bodied blind be rendered thoroughly self-supporting?

4. Should the education and training of the blind be to any extent provided for from the rates or other State sources, and, if so, to what extent?

The first paper read on the welfare of the blind had been forwarded by Bessie, with an expression of deep regret "That the state of her health prevented her from attending the meeting." She wrote as follows:

In endeavours to promote the welfare of the blind, it is essential that some important facts should be borne in mind, viz.--

_1st._ That many blind persons, although instructed in some trade, are either reduced to begging or are driven to the workhouse, not through their own fault, but simply for the want of any regular employment in their trade.

_2d._ That children const.i.tute but a small proportion of the blind, as about nine-tenths of the thirty thousand blind in the United Kingdom become so above the age of twenty-one.

_3d._ That about half the sightless population live in rural districts.

_4th._ That the health of persons without sight is, as a general rule, below that of others.

_5th._ That this cause operates, in addition to loss of sight, to bring about the slow rate at which the blind work as compared with the sighted.

_6th._ That social ties are even more essential to the blind than to others.

OBJECTS TO BE AIMED AT.

_1st._ To foster self-reliance, and to enable the blind to help themselves.

_2d._ To eradicate the habit of suspicion by promoting friendly intercourse between the blind and the sighted.

_3d._ To develop the faculties of the blind in every direction.

_4th._ To improve their physical condition.

_5th._ In industrial training to endeavour to lessen, as far as possible, the difference in speed in the work between the work of the blind and that of the sighted, while making it the first object to secure good and efficient work.

_6th._ To do everything to reduce the dependence of the blind as far as possible, while endeavouring, by Christian instruction, to enable them to accept the unavoidable dependence of their condition in a spirit of humility and thankfulness which will soften and sweeten it to them, and will turn this dependence into one of their greatest blessings, as it will be the means of uniting them more closely to their fellow-creatures.

MEANS TOWARDS THESE ENDS.

_1st._ Endeavour to enable the blind to earn their own living, and with this view seek out and send children to existing blind schools.

_2d._ Promote the establishment of inst.i.tutions for providing the blind on leaving the schools with regular employment, and for teaching trades to persons ineligible for admission to the schools, which is the case, as a rule, with those above twenty-one years of age.

_3d._ When practicable, supply blind persons with regular employment at their own homes, and encourage them to do anything they can on their own account independently of any inst.i.tution.

_4th._ Try to introduce trades. .h.i.therto not carried on by the blind, giving the precedence to such as can be practised without sighted aid.

_5th._ Cultivate habits of method and precision in the blind, which will all tend to improve the rate at which they work.

_6th._ Make the training of efficient blind teachers a special object.

_7th._ Encourage residence in the country rather than in towns by giving employment at home, thus cementing family ties and promoting health.

_8th._ Form lending libraries of embossed books in all the various systems in use, and establish cla.s.ses for religious and other instruction.

OBSERVATIONS.

Many other means besides those here mentioned might be suggested, but the aim of this paper has been to state some of the chief facts bearing on the subject, and to mention some of the most obvious means for improving the condition of the blind.

Regular employment at their own homes, when practicable, is of great service to the blind, and especially as by this means numbers in the country can be reached. It might also be possible to some extent to carry out what might be called Rural Home Industrial Teaching, of course regulating the trades taught according to local circ.u.mstances.

The importance of opening new trades to the blind can hardly be exaggerated, and friends of the blind must welcome every successful effort in this direction. Next to the benefit of real Christian principles must be placed that of enabling the sightless to earn their own living; but where this is impossible pensions should be given.

_Lastly._ Let the blind themselves be consulted, and have as much voice as possible in the measures adopted for their welfare; and this is said not only with a view to the educated, but especially to the more intelligent blind in humbler positions, since, as is well known, the ma.s.s of those without sight will be found among the poorer cla.s.ses. The more this is done the more will the blind feel that the sighted desire to carry out such measures as shall act like so many levers with which to raise them from their present depressed condition, and will then heartily second the efforts made, and thankfully grasp the friendly hands held out to them; but which they will only accept reluctantly and coldly, not having their own heart in the work, unless convinced that the main object in view is to enable them, by their own efforts, to stand as far as possible on an equality with their fellow-creatures.

The suggestions made in this little paper had all been thought out upon a bed of pain, and with sorrows of her own that might well have engrossed her attention. But Bessie never, to the end of her life, lost an opportunity of working and speaking on behalf of those to whom that life had been devoted.

Two events in the history of the a.s.sociation which deeply interested her were the removal from Oxford Street to more commodious premises in Berners Street, and the Special Bequest of 10,000 by Mr. Gardner. She was gratified to learn that the Special Bequest was no bar to the partic.i.p.ation of the a.s.sociation in the general advantages provided by Mr. Gardner for the blind.

CHAPTER XXI