It  is  obvious  from  these  facts  and  from  a  careful
consideration  of  the  matter,  that  a  well-fitted  and
'suflicienlly  provided  kindergarten  will  be  to  little
I  sightless  children  what  the  light  of  the  sun  and
.  the  dew  of  heaven  are  to  tender  plants,  —  a  source
.  of  life  and  growth  and  strength,  a  flame  dispelling
the  clouds  of  darkness,  a  fountain  of  happiness  and
strength,  aiding  them  to  outsoar  the  shadows  of
their  night.    It  will  be  a  psalm  of  their  deliverance
from  the  clutches  of  misery,  a  hymn  to  the  dawn
of  an  era  of  freedom  and  independence,  a  benedic-
tion to  the  benevolence  of  our  age.
In  behalf  of  these  afflicted  children,  who  from
the  midst  of  the  wretchedness  and  neglect  in
which  they  are  phmged,  stretch  their  helpless
hands  towards  the  shore  and  call  for  a  life-boat,
we  make  an  earnest  appeal  to  the  generous  and
wealthy  members  of  our  community,  and  hope  that
it  will  touch  a  responsive  chord  in  their  hearts.
When  they  determine  to  pronounce  the  grand  ver-
dict and  say,  "  let  there  be  a  permanent  source  of
light  and  happiness  for  little  blind  children,'"  there


1882.]        PUBLIC  DOCUMENT  — No.  27.  65

will  be  no  intellectual  and  moral  darkness  for  them
any  longer.
