North Carolina State School for the Blind - Astron Yearbook (Raleigh, NC)

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12 THE ASTRON of the proposition to oxtond the work to inulullc worknmn injured in shops and factories. May we not hope from this that in time tho inovvmont may ln- vnlnrged to un even greater degree, until it 0011105 io 1-l11lu'au'r all thosi- who from any cause ure blind? This list could easily he vxtendod to include scores-yes. hun- dreds-of ln':1vc-In-urtcd nu-u and woxnvn who hnvo avliieved success in nmny ai sccmingly hopch-ss enterprisv, und whose example of conrngv, hopr-fulness, und peisevrruuce ought to teach ns lessons of incnlculablo value. And now I cznnxot do hotter than to give you the spirit and purposu of what I have uttvnlptccl to say, in the lun- guugzv 0fiEllXVill'Kl Gin-st, lines allready fznnilinr tn most of yon: 'l'llE-rn nrv thousands to toll X011 it cannot bo dcnw. There are thoussnnls to nropln-sy fuilurc: There are thousands to point ont, nm' by onv. Tho alungm-rs that wait to nssnil yon: But just hnc-kle in, with u hlt of 11 grin. ' Then take oil' your cont and go to it: Just start in go sing ns you tuekle the thing: That Uunnnot be done. and yon'Il do lt.'f

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THE ASTRON 11 totally without sight, was the leading member of the famous firm of that IIIHIIP, who built many of the best gnnboats and other war craft of our navy and of the uavies of foreign eountries. The poet, preacher, and author, Matheson of Edinburgh, the Eng- lish poet Marston, and Fannie Crosby, who has written more than eight thousand saered songs that have brought hope, peaee, and comfort to multitudes of burdened hearts-all have proved that the loss of sight does not shut out The light that never was on land or sea. lt is good to think, too, of the success of Edward Baxter Perry, the well known pianist and lecturer, of Sir Francis Campbell, founder and for many years director of the Royal Normal Col- lege at Upper Norwood, near London. Though an American stranger, he sueeeeded in interesting some wealthy English gentle- men in the problem of higher education for the blind. Sir Frederick Frazer, superintendent of the School for the Blind at Halifax, Nova Seotia. like Sir Francis Campbell, was knighted hy the King of England for his eminent service to the blind, For the last quarter of a century the eyes of the world have been focused upon that miraele of modern times, Ilelen Keller, whose triumph over the seemingly insurmountable obstaele of combined deafness and blindness, has inspired thousands to 'tearry on, in spite of difficulties. Sir Arthur Pearson, as most of you know, himself blind, has been appointed by the Ih-itish Government as superintendent of the great institution for the training of hlinded soldiers, to enable them to return to their former oeeupations or to prepare them for new ones. lie has struek, T think, the true keynote of future endeavor in this direetion-the note of confidence, hope, and good cheer. NVith the great problem of ''reeonstruetion whieh is today elaiming the attention of the greatest minds of every nation, a new era seems to be dawning for the blind. Since the elose of the world war, the wounded soldiers have returned to homes and to people made compassionate through suffering. There they have found, not the spirit of demoralizing pity or eold inditferenee, but the warm hand-elasp of intelligent eo-operation in the diftieult, task of set- ting about living their lives over again. From St. lJunstan's in London, Fort McHenry in America, and 't'l'he Lighthouse in Paris rome reports of the inspiring success of the industrial edueation of blinded soldiers. Already brmnl-minded statesnien are realizing the praetieability

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3 MAIN BUILDING