第7部分(第2/7 頁)

affect　my　three　bodily　senses。　When　a　man　loses　a

leg；　his　brain　persists　in　impelling　him　to　use　what　he　has　not　and　yet

feels　to　be　there。　Can　it　be　that　the　brain　is　so　constituted　that　it

will　continue　the　activity　which　animates　the　sight　and　the　hearing；

after　the　eye　and　the　ear　have　been　destroyed？

It　might　seem　that　the　five　senses　would　work　intelligently　together

only　when　resident　in　the　same　body。　Yet　when　two　or　three　are　left

unaided；　they　reach　out　for　their　plements　in　another　body；　and　find

that　they　yoke　easily　with　the　borrowed　team。　When　my　hand　aches　from

overtouching；　I　find　relief　in　the　sight　of　another。　When　my　mind　lags；

wearied　with　the　strain　of　forcing　out　thoughts　about　dark；　musicless；

colourless；　detached　substance；　it　recovers　its　elasticity　as　soon　as　I

resort　to　the　powers　of　another　mind　which　mands　light；　harmony；

colour。　Now；　if　the　five　senses　will　not　remain　disassociated；　the　life

of　the　deaf…blind　cannot　be　severed　from　the　life　of　the　seeing；　hearing

race。

The　deaf…blind　person　may　be　plunged　and　replunged　like　Schiller's

diver　into　seas　of　the　unknown。　But；　unlike　the　doomed　hero；　he　returns

triumphant；　grasping　the　priceless　truth　that　his　mind　is　not　crippled；

not　limited　to　the　infirmity　of　his　senses。　The　world　of　the　eye　and　the

ear　bees　to　him　a　subject　of　fateful　interest。　He　seizes　every　word

of　sight　and　hearing　because　his　sensations　pel　it。　Light　and　colour；

of　which　he　has　no　tactual　evidence；　he　studies　fearlessly；　believing

that　all　humanly　knowable　truth　is　open　to　him。　He　is　in　a　position

similar　to　that　of　the　astronomer　who；　firm；　patient；　wat