第9部分(第4/7 頁)

at　the　rest　of　the　race　has　done。　Man　looks　within

himself　and　in　time　finds　the　measure　and　the　meaning　of　the　universe。

THE　LARGER　SANCTIONS

XII

THE　LARGER　SANCTIONS

SO；　in　the　midst　of　life；　eager；　imperious　life；　the　deaf…blind　child；

fettered　to　the　bare　rock　of　circumstance；　spider…like；　sends　out

gossamer　threads　of　thought　into　the　measureless　void　that　surrounds

him。　Patiently　he　explores　the　dark；　until　he　builds　up　a　knowledge　of

the　world　he　lives　in；　and　his　soul　meets　the　beauty　of　the　world；　where

the　sun　shines　always；　and　the　birds　sing。　To　the　blind　child　the　dark

is　kindly。　In　it　he　finds　nothing　extraordinary　or　terrible。　It　is　his

familiar　world；　even　the　groping　from　place　to　place；　the　halting

steps；　the　dependence　upon　others；　do　not　seem　strange　to　him。　He　does

not　know　how　many　countless　pleasures　the　dark　shuts　out　from　him。　Not

until　he　weighs　his　life　in　the　scale　of　others'　experience　does　he

realize　what　it　is　to　live　forever　in　the　dark。　But　the　knowledge　that

teaches　him　this　bitterness　also　brings　its　consolation……spiritual

light；　the　promise　of　the　day　that　shall　be。

The　blind　child……the　deaf…blind　child……has　inherited　the　mind　of　seeing

and　hearing　ancestors……a　mind　measured　to　five　senses。　Therefore　he　must

be　influenced；　even　if　it　be　unknown　to　himself；　by　the　light；　colour；

song　which　have　been　transmitted　through　the　language　he　is　taught；　for

the　chambers　of　the　mind　are　ready　to　receive　that　language。　The　brain

of　the　race　is　so　permeated　with　colour　that　it　dyes　even　the　speech　of

the　blind。　Every　object　I　think　of　is　stained　with　the　hue　that　belongs