wholly from others。 I should lack the alchemy by which I now infuse into
my world light； colour； and the Protean spark。 The sensuous reality
which interthreads and supports all the gropings of my imagination would
be shattered。 The solid earth would melt from under my feet and disperse
itself in space。 The objects dear to my hands would bee formless；
dead things； and I should walk among them as among invisible ghosts。
RELATIVE VALUES OF THE SENSES
VII
RELATIVE VALUES OF THE SENSES
I WAS once without the sense of smell and taste for several days。 It
seemed incredible； this utter detachment from odours； to breathe the air
in and observe never a single scent。 The feeling was probably similar；
though less in degree； to that of one who first loses sight and cannot
but expect to see the light again any day； any minute。 I knew I should
smell again some time。 Still； after the wonder had passed off； a
loneliness crept over me as vast as the air whose myriad odours I
missed。 The multitudinous subtle delights that smell makes mine became
for a time wistful memories。 When I recovered the lost sense； my heart
bounded with gladness。 It is a fine dramatic touch that Hans Andersen
gives to the story of Kay and Gerda in the passage about flowers。 Kay；
whom the wicked magician's glass has blinded to human love； rushes away
fiercely from home when he discovers that the roses have lost their
sweetness。
The loss of smell for a few days gave me a clearer idea than I had ever
had what it is to be blinded suddenly； helplessly。 With a little stretch
of the imagination I knew then what it must be when the great curtain
shuts out suddenly the light of day； the stars； and the firmament
itself。 I see the blind man's eyes strain for the light； as he fearfully
tries to walk his old rounds； until the unchanging blank that
everywhere spreads before him stamps the reality of the dark upon his
consciousness。
My temporary loss of smell proved to me； too； that the absence of a
sense need not dull the mental faculties and does not distort one's view
of the world； and so I reason that blindness and deafness need not
pervert the inner order of the intellect。 I know that if there were no
odours for me I should still possess a considerable part of the world。
Novelties and surprises would abound； adventures would thicken in the
dark。
In my classification of the senses； smell is a little the ear's
inferior； and touch is a great deal the eye's superior。 I find that
great artists and philosophers agree with me in this。 Diderot says：
Je trouvais que de tous les sens； l'oeil etait le
plus superficiel； l'oreille； le plus orgueilleux；
l'odorat； le plus voluptueux； le gout； le plus
superstitieux et le plus inconstant； le toucher；
le plus profond et le plus philosophe。＇C＇
A friend whom I have never seen sends me a quotation from Symonds's
〃Renaissance in Italy〃：
Lorenzo Ghiberti； after describing a piece of
antique sculpture he saw in Rome adds； 〃To express
the perfection of learning； mastery； and art
displayed in it is beyond the power of language。
Its more exquisite beauties could not be
discovered by the sight； but only by the touch of
the hand passed over it。〃 Of another classic
marble at Padua he says； 〃This statue； when the
Christian faith triumphed； was hidden in that
place by some gentle soul； who； seeing it so
perfect； fashioned with art so wonderful； and with
such power of genius； and being moved to reverent
pity； caused a sepulchre of bricks to be built；
and there within buried the statue； and covered it
with a broad slab of stone； that it might not in
any way be injured。 It has very many sweet
beauties which the eyes alone can prehend not；
either by strong or tempered light； only the hand
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 imaginat