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unnoticed； so that what we suppose we thought as children may be quite
different from what we actually experienced in our childhood。 I only
know that after my education began the world which came within my reach
was all alive。 I spelled to my blocks and my dogs。 I sympathized with
plants when the flowers were picked； because I thought it hurt them；
and that they grieved for their lost blossoms。 It was two years before I
could be made to believe that my dogs did not understand what I said；
and I always apologized to them when I ran into or stepped on them。
As my experiences broadened and deepened； the indeterminate； poetic
feelings of childhood began to fix themselves in definite thoughts。
Nature……the world I could touch……was folded and filled with myself。 I am
inclined to believe those philosophers who declare that we know nothing
but our own feelings and ideas。 With a little ingenious reasoning one
may see in the material world simply a mirror； an image of permanent
mental sensations。 In either sphere self…knowledge is the condition and
the limit of our consciousness。 That is why； perhaps； many people know
so little about what is beyond their short range of experience。 They
look within themselves……and find nothing！ Therefore they conclude that
there is nothing outside themselves； either。
However that may be； I came later to look for an image of my emotions
and sensations in others。 I had to learn the outward signs of inward
feelings。 The start of fear； the suppressed； controlled tensity of pain；
the beat of happy muscles in others； had to be perceived and pared
with my own experiences before I could trace them back to the intangible
soul of another。 Groping； uncertain； I at last found my identity； and
after seeing my thoughts and feelings repeated in others； I gradually
constructed my world of men and of God。 As I read and study； I find
that this is what the rest of the race has done。 Man looks within
himself and in time finds the measure and the meaning of the universe。
THE LARGER SANCTIONS
XII
THE LARGER SANCTIONS
SO； in the midst of life； eager； imperious life； the deaf…blind child；
fettered to the bare rock of circumstance； spider…like； sends out
gossamer threads of thought into the measureless void that surrounds
him。 Patiently he explores the dark； until he builds up a knowledge of
the world he lives in； and his soul meets the beauty of the world； where
the sun shines always； and the birds sing。 To the blind child the dark
is kindly。 In it he finds nothing extraordinary or terrible。 It is his
familiar world； even the groping from place to place； the halting
steps； the dependence upon others； do not seem strange to him。 He does
not know how many countless pleasures the dark shuts out from him。 Not
until he weighs his life in the scale of others' experience does he
realize what it is to live forever in the dark。 But the knowledge that
teaches him this bitterness also brings its consolation……spiritual
light； the promise of the day that shall be。
The blind child……the deaf…blind child……has inherited the mind of seeing
and hearing ancestors……a mind measured to five senses。 Therefore he must
be influenced； even if it be unknown to himself； by the light； colour；
song which have been transmitted through the language he is taught； for
the chambers of the mind are ready to receive that language。 The brain
of the race is so permeated with colour that it dyes even the speech of
the blind。 Every object I think of is stained with the hue that belongs
to it by association and memory。 The experience of the deaf…blind
person； in a world of seeing； hearing people； is like that of a sailor
on an island where the inhabitants speak a language unknown to him；
whose life is unlike that he has lived。 He is one； they are many； there
is no chance of promise。 He must learn to see with their eyes； to
hear with their ears； to think their thoughts； to follow their ideals。
If the dark； silent world which surrounds him were essentially different
from the sunlit； resonant world； it would be inprehensible to his
kind； and could never be discussed。 If his feelings and sensations were
fundamentally different from those of others； they would be
inconceivable except to those who had similar sensations and feelings。
If the mental consciousness of the deaf…blind person were absolutely
dissimilar to that of his fellows； he would have no means of imagining
what they think。 Since the mind of the sightless is essentially the same
as that of the seeing in that it admits of no lack； it must supply some
sort of equivalent for missing physical sensations。 It must perceive a
likeness between things outward and things inward； a correspondence
between the seen and the unseen。 I make use of such a correspondence in
many relations； and no matter how far I pursue it to things I cannot
see； it does not break under the test。
As a working hypothesis； correspondence is adequate to all life； through
the whole range of phenomena。 The flash of thought and its swiftness
explain the lightning flash and the sweep of a et through the
heavens。 My mental sky opens to me the vast celestial spaces； and I
proceed to fill them with the images of my spiritual stars。 I recognize
truth by the clearness and guidance that it gives my thought； and；
knowing what that clearness is； I can imagine what light is to the eye。
It is not a convention of language； but a forcible feeling of the
reality； that at times makes me start when I say； 〃Oh； I see my
mistake！〃 or 〃How dark； cheerless is his life！〃 I know these are
metaphors。 Still； I must prove with them； since there is nothing in our
language to replace them。 Deaf…blind metaphors to correspond do not
exist and are not necessary。 Because I can understand the word 〃reflect〃
figuratively； a mirror has never perplexed me。 The manner in which my
imagination perceives absent things enables me to see how glasses can
magnify things； bring them nearer； or remove them farther。
Deny me this correspondence； this internal sense； confine me to the
fragmentary； incoherent touch…world； and lo； I bee as a bat which
wanders about on the wing。 Suppose I omitted all words of seeing；
hearing； colour； light； landscape； the thousand phenomena； instruments
and beauties connected with them。 I should suffer a great diminution of
the wonder and delight in attaining knowledge； also……more dreadful
loss……my emotions would be blunted； so that I could not be touched by
things unseen。
Has anything arisen to disprove the adequacy of correspondence？ Has any
chamber of the blind man's brain been opened and found empty？ Has any
psychologist explored the mind of the sightless and been able to say；
〃There is no sensation here〃？
I tread the solid earth； I breathe the scented air。 Out of these two
experiences I form numberless associations and correspondences。 I
observe； I feel； I think； I imagine。 I associate the countless varied
impressions； experiences； concepts。 Out of these materials Fancy； the
cunning artisan of the brain； welds an image which the sceptic would
deny me； because I cannot see with my physical eyes the changeful；
lovely face of my thought…child。 He would break the mind's mirror。 This
spirit…vandal would humble my soul and force me to bite the dust of
material things。 While I champ the bit of circumstance； he scourges and
goads me with the spur of fact。 If I heeded him； the sweet…visaged earth
would vanish into nothing； and I should hold in my hand nought but an
aimless； soulless lump of dead matter。 But although the body physical is
rooted alive to the Promethean rock； the spirit…proud huntress of the
air will still pursue the shining； open highways of the universe。
Blindness has no limiting effect upon mental vision。 My intellectual
horizon is infinitely wide。 The universe it encircles is immeasurable。
Would they who bid me keep within the narrow bound of my meagre senses
demand of Herschel that he roof his stellar universe and give us back
Plato's solid firmament of glassy spheres？ Would they mand Darwin
from the grave and bid him blot out his geological time； give us back a
paltry few thousand years？ Oh； the supercilious doubters！ They ever
strive to clip the upward daring wings of the spirit。
A person deprived of one or more senses is not； as many seem to think；
turned out into a trackless wilderness without landmark or guide。 The
blind man carries with him into his dark environment all the faculties
essential to the apprehension of the visible world whose door is closed
behind him。 He finds his surroundings everywhere homogeneous with those
of the sunlit world； for there is an inexhaustible ocean of likenesses
between the world within； and the world without； and these likenesses；
these correspondences； he finds equal to every exigency his life offers。
The necessity of some such thing as correspondence or symbolism appears
more and more urgent as we consider the duties that religion and
philosophy enjoin upon us。
The blind are expected to read the Bible as a means of attaining
spiritual happiness。 Now； the Bible is filled throughout with references
to clouds； stars； colours； and beauty； and often the mention of these is
essential to the meaning of the parable or the message in which they
occur。 Here one must needs see the inconsistency of people who believe
in the Bible； and yet deny us a right to talk about what we do not see；
and for that matter what _they_ do not see； either。 Who shall forbid my
heart to sing： 〃Yea； he did fly upon the wings of the wind。 He made
darkness his secret place； his pavilion round about him were dark waters
and thick clouds of the skies〃？
Philosophy constantly points out the untrustworthiness of the five
senses and the important work of reason which corrects the errors of
sight and reveals its illusions。 If we cannot depend on five senses； how
much less may we rely on three！ What ground have we for discarding
light； sound； and colour as an integral part of our world？ How are we to
know that they have ceased to exist for us？ We must take their reality
for granted； even as the philosopher assumes the reality of the world
without being able to see it physically as a whole。
Ancient philosophy offers an argument which seems still valid。 There is
in the blind as in the seeing an Absolute which gives truth to what we
know to be true； order to what is orderly； beauty to the beautiful；
touchableness to what is tangible。 If this is granted； it follows that
this Absolute is not imperfect； inplete； partial。 It must needs go
beyond the limited evidence of our sensations； and also give light to
what is invisible； music to the musical that silence dulls。 Thus mind
itself pels us to acknowledge that we are in a world of intellectual
order； beauty； and harmony。 The essences； or absolutes of these ideas；
necessarily dispel their opposites which belong with evil； disorder and
discord。 Thus deafness and blindness do not exist in the immaterial
mind； which is philosophically the real world； but are banished with the
perishable material senses。 Reality； of which visible things are the
symbol； shines before my mind。 While I walk about my chamber with
unsteady steps； my spirit sweeps skyward on eagle wings and looks out
with unquenchable vision upon the world of eternal beauty。
THE DREAM WORLD
XIII
THE DREAM WORLD
EVERYBODY takes his own dreams seriously； but yawns at the
breakfast…table when somebody else begins to tell the adventures of the
night before。 I hesitate； therefore； to enter upon an account of my
dreams； for it is a literary sin to bore the reader； and a scientific
sin to report the facts of a far country with more regard to point and
brevity than to plete and literal truth。 The psychologists have
trained a pack of theories and facts which they keep in leash； like so
many bulldogs； and which they let loose upon us whenever we depart from
the straight and narrow path of dream probability。 One may not even tell
an entertaining dream without being suspected of having liberally edited
it；……as if editing were one of the seven deadly sins； instead of a
useful and honourable occupation！ Be it understood； then； that I am
discoursing at my own breakfast…table； and that no scientific man is
present to trip the autocrat。
I used to wonder why scientific men and others were always asking me
about my dreams。 But I am not surprised now； since I have discovered
what some of them believe to be the ordinary waking experience of one
who is both deaf and blind。 They think that I can know very little about
objects even a few feet beyond the reach of my arms。 Everything outside
of myself； according to them； is a hazy blur。 Trees； mountains； cities；
the ocean； even the house I live in are but fairy fabrications； misty
unrealities。 Therefore it is assumed that my dreams should have peculiar
interest for the man of science。 In some undefined way it is expected
that they should reveal the world I dwell in to be flat； formless；
colourless； without perspective； with little thickness and less
solidity……a vast solitude of soundless space。 But who shall put into
words limitless； visionless； silent void？ One should be a disembodied
spirit