Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 8.djvu/712

 692 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

have been founded in these later years to assist the institutions in their work by taking part of the work on their own shoulders, and the formation of societies of the blind themselves is very useful. Helpful arrangements can be established, as libraries, reading-circles, and concerts.

And how is the state of the poor among the American blind people? This question will doubtless rise in the minds of those of our readers who have a heart for their fellow-men who are suffering under the difficulties of fate. Their education is by no means inferior to that of the Germans, because a good number of blind teachers are employed in the blind schools (in Ger- many very few). And where there is a lack of educated people there is also a want of means for educating themselves and oth- ers. Besides, music can much easier be taught to them than in Germany, because those of the German blind pupils that cannot learn enough to become teachers or organists are in great dan- ger as to their morality, as evening parties, in which they might play the piano, are hardly ever arranged without drinking beer slowly during the whole of the evening. This danger does not exist for the American blind musicians, whose number is there- fore much larger. The American blind girls are also much more than anywhere else occupied in the household.

The compassion for the blind is by no means less in America than in Germany ; we are also sure that their energy in getting on is not inferior to that of others. But they are more isolated than the Germans. To find a family for each of them where they would not be considered as poor blind people, but as members of that family, to get a homelike place for them, would be a very thankful work for such a committee. As soon as such a committee is arranged, a good many things may be done for them which are rather difficult today. Libraries that enable them to complete their studies, connection between manufac- turers or associations and the working blind people, even assist- ing the musicians, tuners, and typewriters in finding places, would then be much easier.

RICHARD HAUPTVOGEL.

LEIPZIG, GERMANY.