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And Mr. Sanborn, in his "Life," notes that in November, 1841, my father was "cruising in behalf of the education of the blind in South Carolina, where he was in after years to be execrated as an Abolitionist."

Some years later (in 1854) the printer who had worked under my father at this early time claimed the credit of the invention of the "Howe type," and my father was asked for the facts of the case. In his reply he says:

"The degree of credit to be attached to any individual for services rendered in this cause has never seemed to me of much consequence. The great object has been to get at the best system of tangible characters, and to print the most books for the blind. So that they got the books, I cared little about the credit. I have taken little pains to put upon record my own part in the work; for I never thought it would be necessary to bring proof of my having devised, contrived, and brought into use the system generally known as 'Howe's' or the Boston type; but I am a little disturbed by an imputation of having allowed the public and my friends to give me, during twenty years, the credit which belonged to another man.

"I have always innocently supposed that the contrivance was entirely my own; and am greatly surprised to learn from your letter that Mr. -- claims the paternity of this system or method; for it does not deserve the name of invention. It is in reality only an improvement (though certainly a great one) upon the system of the Abbé Haüy of Paris, who is the real inventor of printing in tangible letters. To him belongs the title of 'inventor;' suum cuique."

The Trustees of the Perkins Institution, in their Report for 1836, thus briefly summarize my father's services in this matter of printing for the blind.

"When it is considered that the improved formation and arrangement of the characters by Dr. Howe enable us to give the same quantity of matter in volumes of half the bulk formerly required, and at one fourth the expense, we have reason to believe that these improvements will be of general application and use in sister institutions, both in our own country and Europe."

Those were happy years in the big house in Pearl Street. Here, as in Corinth, my father "laboured day and night, in season and out, and was governor, legislator, clerk, constable, and everything but patriarch." Here, too, he wrote letters, sometimes twenty of them before breakfast; from now to the end of his life the letters flow on in a swift, full stream. Looking them over, one might think it would have been a man's work merely to write these letters, if he had done nothing more; yet I cannot remember that my father ever spoke of his letter-writing, or ever let it interfere with the full work of his arduous day. It was done "between-times."

The letter-books, faithfully treasured in the Institution for which he laboured, are rusty, faded volumes; the ink has faded too, and the hasty writing is crabbed and difficult; but the page blazes as one reads, with fervour of appeal, with intensity of purpose, with the white fire of an unconquerable faith in humanity.

"I cannot but think that there is humanity enough in your Legislature to grant the just claims of the blind for a participation in those benefits of education which they give to all; -- to all but those whom God in his mysterious Providence has made dependent on their more favoured fellow-beings, and the neglect of whom he will reckon an offensive sin."

"Mankind and our age have too many sins of omission to answer for, to allow any more; and surely no sin of omission is greater than the neglect of those whom God has made our dependents, and whose affliction he intended should draw out and develop our kindness and best qualities: for without sorrow, affliction and pain -- where would be pity and benevolence and pleasure?"

"I should no more think of refusing to help one of my fellow-mortals on account of the colour of his skin, than the colour of his hair; and I know too well the liberal and philanthropic spirit which actuates our Trustees not to feel justified in asserting that they will provide every facility for educating all blind children, black, white or red, who may apply to them."

He is constantly urging parents and guardians of blind children to give them every chance for development. Again and again we find such words as these.

"He has learned enough to convince him that he can learn a great deal more; to give him confidence in his own powers, and to make him put out at interest his four talents, and not bury them in despair because others have five."

Again and again writing of dull or deficient children:

"But the one talent must have just as much care as if it were ten."

And again, to an over-anxious and over-tender mother:

"It is often one of the parent's hardest lessons, to learn to yield up timely and gracefully the authority which was once necessarily despotic, but which should soon become responsible, and soon after be abdicated altogether. The inner man will not go long on all fours, any more than will the outer man; it will get up, and insist upon walking about. If it cannot go openly and boldly, it will go slyly, and this of course makes it cowardly. You may as well refuse to let out the growing boy's trousers, as refuse larger and larger liberty to his growing individuality."