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by touching them finds them out。〃
Hold out your hands to feel the luxury of the sunbeams。 Press the soft
blossoms against your cheek； and finger their graces of form； their
delicate mutability of shape； their pliancy and freshness。 Expose your
face to the aerial floods that sweep the heavens； 〃inhale great draughts
of space；〃 wonder； wonder at the wind's unwearied activity。 Pile note
on note the infinite music that flows increasingly to your soul from the
tactual sonorities of a thousand branches and tumbling waters。 How can
the world be shrivelled when this most profound； emotional sense； touch；
is faithful to its service？ I am sure that if a fairy bade me choose
between the sense of light and that of touch； I would not part with the
warm； endearing contact of human hands or the wealth of form； the
nobility and fullness that press into my palms。
FOOTNOTE：
＇C＇ I found that of the senses； the eye is the most superficial； the ear
the most arrogant； smell the most voluptuous； taste the most
superstitious and fickle； touch the most profound and the most
philosophical。
THE FIVE…SENSED WORLD
VIII
THE FIVE…SENSED WORLD
THE poets have taught us how full of wonders is the night； and the night
of blindness has its wonders； too。 The only lightless dark is the night
of ignorance and insensibility。 We differ； blind and seeing； one from
another； not in our senses； but in the use we make of them； in the
imagination and courage with which we seek wisdom beyond our senses。
It is more difficult to teach ignorance to think than to teach an
intelligent blind man to see the grandeur of Niagara。 I have walked with
people whose eyes are full of light； but who see nothing in wood； sea；
or sky； nothing in city streets； nothing in books。 What a witless
masquerade is this seeing！ It were better far to sail forever in the
night of blindness； with sense and feeling and mind； than to be thus
content with the mere act of seeing。 They have the sunset； the morning
skies； the purple of distant hills； yet their souls voyage through this
enchanted world with a barren stare。
The calamity of the blind is immense； irreparable。 But it does not take
away our share of the things that count……service； friendship； humour；
imagination； wisdom。 It is the secret inner will that controls one's
fate。 We are capable of willing to be good； of loving and being loved；
of thinking to the end that we may be wiser。 We possess these
spirit…born forces equally with all God's children。 Therefore we； too；
see the lightnings and hear the thunders of Sinai。 We； too； march
through the wilderness and the solitary place that shall be glad for us；
and as we pass； God maketh the desert to blossom like the rose。 We； too；
go in unto the Promised Land to possess the treasures of the spirit； the
unseen permanence of life and nature。
The blind man of spirit faces the unknown and grapples with it； and what
else does the world of seeing men do？ He has imagination； sympathy；
humanity； and these ineradicable existences pel him to share by a
sort of proxy in a sense he has not。 When he meets terms of colour；
light； physiognomy； he guesses； divines； puzzles out their meaning by
analogies drawn from the senses he has。 I naturally tend to think；
reason； draw inferences as if I had five senses instead of three。 This
tendency is beyond my control； it is involuntary； habitual； instinctive。
I cannot pel my mind to say 〃I feel〃 instead of 〃I see〃 or 〃I hear。〃
The word 〃feel〃 proves on examination to be no less a convention than
〃see〃 and 〃hear〃 when I seek for words accurately to describe the
outward things that 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； watches a star
night after night for many years and feels rewarded if he discovers a
single fact about it。 The man deaf…blind to ordinary outward things； and
the man deaf…blind to the immeasurable universe； are both limited by
time and space； but they have made a pact to wring service from their
limitations。
The bulk of the world's knowledge is an imaginary construction。 History
is but a mode of imagining； of making us see civilizations that no
longer appear upon the earth。 Some of the most significant discoveries
in modern science owe their origin to the imagination of men who had
neither accurate knowledge nor exact instruments to demonstrate their
beliefs。 If astronomy had not kept always in advance of the telescope；
no one would ever have thought a telescope worth making。 What great
invention has not existed in the inventor's mind long before he gave it
tangible shape？
A more splendid example of imaginative knowledge is the unity with which
philosophers start their study of the world。 They can never perceive the
world in its entire reality。 Yet their imagination； with its magnificent
allowance for error； its power of treating uncertainty as negligible；
has pointed the way for empirical knowledge。
In their highest creative moments the great poet； the great musician
cease to use the crude instruments of sight and hearing。 They break away
from their sense…moorings； rise on strong； pelling wings of spirit
far above our misty hills and darkened valleys into the region of light；
music； intellect。
What eye hath seen the glories of the New Jerusalem？ What ear hath heard
the music of the spheres； the steps of time； the strokes of chance； the
blows of death？ Men have not heard with their physical sense the tumult
of sweet voices above the hills of Judea nor seen the heavenly vision；
but millions have listened to that spiritual message through many ages。
Our blindness changes not a whit the course of inner realities。 Of us it
is as true as it is of the seeing that the most beautiful world is
always entered through the imagination。 If you wish to be something that
you are not；……something fine； noble； good；……you shut your eyes； and for
one dreamy moment you are that which you long to be。
INWARD VISIONS
IX
INWARD VISIONS
ACCORDING to all art； all nature； all coherent human thought； we know
that order； proportion； form； are essential elements of beauty。 Now
order； proportion； and form； are palpable to the touch。 But beauty and
rhythm are deeper than sense。 They are like love and faith。 They spring
out of a spiritual process only slightly dependent upon sensations。
Order； proportion； form； cannot generate in the mind the abstract idea
of beauty； unless there is already a soul intelligence to breathe life
into the elements。 Many persons； having perfect eyes； are blind in
their perceptions。 Many persons； having perfect ears；