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'As the children destined to a trade should not devote too much of their time to intellectual pursuits, so on the other hand those educated for a higher occupation should not be left unacquainted with some mechanical occupations: they cannot have their mental powers always on the stretch, and as they have the same means of amusement as seeing children, they must be provided with some means of getting the necessary exercises and recreation.

'This may be obviated by a regular attention to work, and by introducing many amusements among them.

'I have often observed with a delighted eye the movement of the blind boys in Paris as they leave the Institution to go to play; each grasps a cord held by a seeing boy, and follows him rapidly and unhesitatingly through narrow streets, until they enter the immense. "Garden of Plants," when quitting the string they run away among the trees, and frolic and play together with all the zest and enjoyment of seeing children. They know every tree and shrub, they career it up one alley and down another, they chase, catch, overthrow and knock each other about, exactly like seeing boys; and to judge by their laughing faces, their wild and unrestrained gestures, and their loud and hearty shouts, they partake equally the delightful excitement of boyish play.

'It appears to me very probable, that the delicacy of health so often the lot of the blind, is owing to the want of proper circulation of the blood; they being much of the time in a state of physical and mental rest.

'We must also adapt our Institution to local circumstances, and in our workshops try to produce those articles best adapted for sale in our markets. I have no doubt that the profit of work done in this country by the blind will be infinitely greater than in any other, owing to the higher price of labor; audit one cannot make a blind man approach any nearer to the seeing workman in the amount of his gains, yet, thanks to Providence, the gains of a laboring man with us are not so stinted that he would starve on their being diminished one quarter."

In submitting to the public this extract of the Report of Dr. Howe, the Trustees are aware, that they are furnishing to cavillers some opportunity of objecting to their infant establishment, on the ground that it is so difficult, even in Europe, to bring them to that degree of perfection which enables them to pay their own way; but besides that the Trustees are unwilling to suppress any evidence in the case, they are convinced that they can steer clear of many of the difficulties, which are to be encountered abroad, and they insist that too much consideration cannot be given to the fact, that they will have fewer obstacles to encounter, and more circumstances to favor them than their predecessors. It cannot be that in these United States there exists a parish which would not give a salary to a blind organist, in preference to a seeing one, provided they were equally well qualified, yet in Europe this is the case. There is not here this fixed prejudice to struggle with, nor yet the immense obstacle of the low price of labor, which in many parts of Europe is in direct ratio to the means absolutely necessary for supporting life.

'They have too the light and experience which the others did not, and can profit by their experiments, successful and unsuccessful.

The Trustees are well aware that the advantages of an education cannot be extended to all the blind; and it is in the hope of doing some little good to them, that the attention of their relatives is invited to some remarks on the subject of the domestic education of the blind.

'There is a great error prevalent among those who have friends or relations deprived of their sight; and who imagine that too much kindness, or too much attention cannot be lavished upon them. This is entirely a mistake, and it is quite certain that the greatest obstacle to the education of the blind children who are received into the European institutions, is, that their previous treatment has been such as to prevent the development of their remaining senses.

'Parents absolutely smother the faculties of a blind child in kindnesses; 'the poor dear thing' is blind, they say, 'it cannot feed itself, it is blind,' 'and cannot dress itself;' and if it venture across the floor alone, the anxious mother runs and silently removes every obstacle, instead of teaching it a lesson by letting it run against them; and bye and bye, when she is not near the child it may severely hurt itself by falling over something of which it never dreamed.

Then the blind are continually addressed in a strain of pity, -- they are reminded every moment of their misfortune, and taught to believe themselves inferior to their fellows, and burdens upon society.

Now nothing can be more injurious than such treatment of blind children, and 'It is all important to disseminate' in the community useful knowledge on the subject of infantile and early education; the mother is the most influential teacher in the world; and if few have correct ideas of their influence, and their duties as teachers of their seeing children, we may say that almost none understand how to act their parts in relation to a blind infant. The compassion of the woman, the affection of the mother, doubly claimed by the misfortune of her infant, grows into fond doting; and as the anxious bird in its eagerness to warm its shivering nestling, may stifle it beneath its feathers, so the mother of the blind child renders it doubly helpless by an excess of solicitude about it; by preventing it from supplying its own wants, or putting forth any of its own energies. (1)