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superstitious and fickle； touch the most profound and the most
philosophical。
THE FIVE…SENSED WORLD
VIII
THE FIVE…SENSED WORLD
THE poets have taught us how full of wonders is the night； and the night
of blindness has its wonders； too。 The only lightless dark is the night
of ignorance and insensibility。 We differ； blind and seeing； one from
another； not in our senses； but in the use we make of them； in the
imagination and courage with which we seek wisdom beyond our senses。
It is more difficult to teach ignorance to think than to teach an
intelligent blind man to see the grandeur of Niagara。 I have walked with
people whose eyes are full of light； but who see nothing in wood； sea；
or sky； nothing in city streets； nothing in books。 What a witless
masquerade is this seeing！ It were better far to sail forever in the
night of blindness； with sense and feeling and mind； than to be thus
content with the mere act of seeing。 They have the sunset； the morning
skies； the purple of distant hills； yet their souls voyage through this
enchanted world with a barren stare。
The calamity of the blind is immense； irreparable。 But it does not take
away our share of the things that count……service； friendship； humour；
imagination； wisdom。 It is the secret inner will that controls one's
fate。 We are capable of willing to be good； of loving and being loved；
of thinking to the end that we may be wiser。 We possess these
spirit…born forces equally with all God's children。 Therefore we； too；
see the lightnings and hear the thunders of Sinai。 We； too； march
through the wilderness and the solitary place that shall be glad for us；
and as we pass； God maketh the desert to blossom like the rose。 We； too；
go in unto the Promised Land to possess the treasures of the spirit； the
unseen permanence of life and nature。
The blind man of spirit faces the unknown and grapples with it； and what
else does the world of seeing men do？ He has imagination； sympathy；
humanity； and these ineradicable existences pel him to share by a
sort of proxy in a sense he has not。 When he meets terms of colour；
light； physiognomy； he guesses； divines； puzzles out their meaning by
analogies drawn from the senses he has。 I naturally tend to think；
reason； draw inferences as if I had five senses instead of three。 This
tendency is beyond my control； it is involuntary； habitual； instinctive。
I cannot pel my mind to say 〃I feel〃 instead of 〃I see〃 or 〃I hear。〃
The word 〃feel〃 proves on examination to be no less a convention than
〃see〃 and 〃hear〃 when I seek for words accurately to describe the
outward things that affect my three bodily senses。 When a man loses a
leg； his brain persists in impelling him to use what he has not and yet
feels to be there。 Can it be that the brain is so constituted that it
will continue the activity which animates the sight and the hearing；
after the eye and the ear have been destroyed？
It might seem that the five senses would work intelligently together
only when resident in the same body。 Yet when two or three are left
unaided； they reach out for their plements in another body； and find
that they yoke easily with the borrowed team。 When my hand aches from
overtouching； I find relief in the sight of another。 When my mind lags；
wearied with the strain of forcing out thoughts about dark； musicless；
colourless； detached substance； it recovers its elasticity as soon as I
resort to the powers of another mind which mands light； harmony；
colour。 Now； if the five senses will not remain disassociated； the life
of the deaf…blind cannot be severed from the life of the seeing； hearing
race。
The deaf…blind person may be plunged and replunged like Schiller's
diver into seas of the unknown。 But； unlike the doomed hero； he returns
triumphant； grasping the priceless truth that his mind is not crippled；
not limited to the infirmity of his senses。 The world of the eye and the
ear bees to him a subject of fateful interest。 He seizes every word
of sight and hearing because his sensations pel it。 Light and colour；
of which he has no tactual evidence； he studies fearlessly； believing
that all humanly knowable truth is open to him。 He is in a position
similar to that of the astronomer who； firm； patient； watches a star
night after night for many years and feels rewarded if he discovers a
single fact about it。 The man deaf…blind to ordinary outward things； and
the man deaf…blind to the immeasurable universe； are both limited by
time and space； but they have made a pact to wring service from their
limitations。
The bulk of the world's knowledge is an imaginary construction。 History
is but a mode of imagining； of making us see civilizations that no
longer appear upon the earth。 Some of the most significant discoveries
in modern science owe their origin to the imagination of men who had
neither accurate knowledge nor exact instruments to demonstrate their
beliefs。 If astronomy had not kept always in advance of the telescope；
no one would ever have thought a telescope worth making。 What great
invention has not existed in the inventor's mind long before he gave it
tangible shape？
A more splendid example of imaginative knowledge is the unity with which
philosophers start their study of the world。 They can never perceive the
world in its entire reality。 Yet their imagination； with its magnificent
allowance for error； its power of treating uncertainty as negligible；
has pointed the way for empirical knowledge。
In their highest creative moments the great poet； the great musician
cease to use the crude instruments of sight and hearing。 They break away
from their sense…moorings； rise on strong； pelling wings of spirit
far above our misty hills and darkened valleys into the region of light；
music； intellect。
What eye hath seen the glories of the New Jerusalem？ What ear hath heard
the music of the spheres； the steps of time； the strokes of chance； the
blows of death？ Men have not heard with their physical sense the tumult
of sweet voices above the hills of Judea nor seen the heavenly vision；
but millions have listened to that spiritual message through many ages。
Our blindness changes not a whit the course of inner realities。 Of us it
is as true as it is of the seeing that the most beautiful world is
always entered through the imagination。 If you wish to be something that
you are not；……something fine； noble； good；……you shut your eyes； and for
one dreamy moment you are that which you long to be。
INWARD VISIONS
IX
INWARD VISIONS
ACCORDING to all art； all nature； all coherent human thought； we know
that order； proportion； form； are essential elements of beauty。 Now
order； proportion； and form； are palpable to the touch。 But beauty and
rhythm are deeper than sense。 They are like love and faith。 They spring
out of a spiritual process only slightly dependent upon sensations。
Order； proportion； form； cannot generate in the mind the abstract idea
of beauty； unless there is already a soul intelligence to breathe life
into the elements。 Many persons； having perfect eyes； are blind in
their perceptions。 Many persons； having perfect ears； are emotionally
deaf。 Yet these are the very ones who dare to set limits to the vision
of those who； lacking a sense or two； have will； soul； passion；
imagination。 Faith is a mockery if it teaches us not that we may
construct a world unspeakably more plete and beautiful than the
material world。 And I； too； may construct my better world； for I am a
child of God； an inheritor of a fragment of the Mind that created all
worlds。
There is a consonance of all things； a blending of all that we know
about the material world and the spiritual。 It consists for me of all
the impressions； vibrations； heat； cold； taste； smell； and the
sensations which these convey to the mind； infinitely bined；
interwoven with associated ideas and acquired knowledge。 No thoughtful
person will believe that what I said about the meaning of footsteps is
strictly true of mere jolts and jars。 It is an array of the spiritual in
certain natural elements； tactual beats； and an acquired knowledge of
physical habits and moral traits of highly organized human beings。 What
would odours signify if they were not associated with the time of the
year； the place I live in； and the people I know？
The result of such a blending is sometimes a discordant trying of
strings far removed from a melody； very far from a symphony。 （For the
benefit of those who must be reassured； I will say that I have felt a
musician tuning his violin； that I have read about a symphony； and so
have a fair intellectual perception of my metaphor。） But with training
and experience the faculties gather up the stray notes and bine them
into a full； harmonious whole。 If the person who acplishes this task
is peculiarly gifted； we call him a poet。 The blind and the deaf are not
great poets； it is true。 Yet now and again you find one deaf and blind
who has attained to his royal kingdom of beauty。
I have a little volume of poems by a deaf…blind lady； Madame Bertha
Galeron。 Her poetry has versatility of thought。 Now it is tender and
sweet； now full of tragic passion and the sternness of destiny。 Victor
Hugo called her 〃La Grande Voyante。〃 She has written several plays； two
of which have been acted in Paris。 The French Academy has crowned her
work。
The infinite wonders of the universe are revealed to us in exact measure
as we are capable of receiving them。 The keenness of our vision depends
not on how much we can see； but on how much we feel。 Nor yet does mere
knowledge create beauty。 Nature sings her most exquisite songs to those
who love her。 She does not unfold her secrets to those who e only to
gratify their desire of analysis； to gather facts； but to those who see
in her manifold phenomena suggestions of lofty； delicate sentiments。
＇Illustration： Copyright； 1907； by The Whitman Studio
The Little Boy Next Door
To face page 120＇
Am I to be denied the use of such adjectives as 〃freshness〃 and
〃sparkle；〃 〃dark〃 and 〃gloomy〃？ I have walked in the fields at early
morning。 I have felt a rose…bush laden with dew and fragrance。 I have
felt the curves and graces of my kitten at play。 I have known the
sweet； shy ways of little children。 I have known the sad opposites of
all these； a ghastly touch picture。 Remember； I have sometimes travelled
over a dusty road as far as my feet could go。 At a sudden turn I have
stepped upon starved； ignoble weeds； and reaching out my hands； I have
touched a fair tree out of which a parasite had taken the life like a
vampire。 I have touched a pretty bird whose soft wings hung limp； whose
little heart beat no more。 I have wept over the feebleness and deformity
of a child； lame； or born blind； or； worse still； mindless。 If I had the
genius of Thomson； I； too； could depict a 〃City of Dreadful Night〃 from
mere touch sensations。 From contrasts so irreconcilable can we fail to
form an idea of beauty and know surely when we meet with loveliness？
Here is a son eloquent of a blind man's power of vision：
THE MOUNTAIN TO THE PINE
Thou tall； majestic monarch of the wood；
That standest where no wild vines dare to creep；
Men call thee old； and say that thou hast stood
A century upon my rugged steep；
Yet unto me thy life is but a day；
When I recall the things that I have seen；……
The forest monarchs that have passed away
Upon the spot where first I saw thy green；
For I am older than the age of man；
Or all the living things that crawl or creep；
Or birds of air； or creatures of the deep；
I was the first dim outline of God's plan：
Only the waters of the restless sea
And the infinite stars in heaven are old to me。
I am glad my friend Mr。 Stedman knew that poem while he was making his
Anthology； for knowing it； so fine a poet and critic could not fail to
give it a place in his treasure…house of American poetry。 The poet； Mr。
Clarence Hawkes； has been blind since childhood； yet he finds in nature
hints of binations for his mental pictures。 Out of the knowledge and
impressions that e to him he constructs a masterpiece which hangs
upon the walls of his thought。 And into the poet's house e all the
true spirits of the world。
It was a rare poet who thought of the mountain as 〃the first dim outline
of God's plan。〃 That is the real wonder of the poem； and not that a
blind man should speak so confidently of sky and sea。 Our ideas of the
sky are an accumulation of touch…glimpses； literary allusions； and the
observations of others； with an emotional blending of all。 My face feels
only a tiny portion of the atmosphere； but I go through continuous space
and feel the air at every point； every instant。 I have been told about
the distances from our earth to the sun； to the other plas； and to
the fixed stars。 I multiply a thousand times the utmost height and width
that my touch passes； and thus I gain a deep sense of the sky's
immensity。
Move me along constantly over water； water； nothing but water； and you
give me the solitude； the vastness of o