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I trained my own children to the cold morning bath. I have persisted in the habit myself, tempering the water as I grow older; and I attribute to this practice, in part, the preservation of more bodily vigor at threescore and ten, than my original constitution seemed to warrant the hope of.

As for the charges which have been made of cruelty in the enforcement of my rules about morning baths, they are too absurd to be noticed.

That children so indulged at home as blind children usually are, should shrink from cold water upon the skin is natural enough.

But the imaginary scenes of suffering in our bath-room which have been depicted, are mere bugbears, held up to the public for selfish purposes.

The water is never "icy cold." The rule is to have it drawn from the Cochituate pipes, in the afternoon, and stand over night, to acquire the temperature of the room. After the plunge the boy enters immediately into a room made very hot by a stove; and there applies vigorous friction. The attendant is directed that if a boy does not have a healthy reaction, that is, a glow upon his skin, the water is to be tempered; if still he has no reaction, he is to be excused. During last winter, about 10 to 15 per cent. of the pupils were excused habitually.

I maintain, therefore, that the system was wise, and the practice productive of good effects, physically and morally.

There were certain faults in the administration that I am happy to say will be corrected as soon the high pressure service is introduced into South Boston; this is promised in this month.

I have long regretted that the boys had to go down to the basement for their baths, but it seemed necessary.

The high service will carry the water to our third, perhaps fourth story, and I have taken measures to have bath rooms near to the sleeping rooms.

We shall also obviate, in a great degree at least, the second valid objection which has been urged against our practice; to wit, that of having more than one bathe in the same water.

I shall continue to take especial care, moreover, that the attendant shall be a sufficiently intelligent and reliable person to prevent any pupil taking a cold bath while under any temporary indisposition which should forbid its use.

I shall not, however, pay any greater attention to certificates of medical men, to the effect that A or B's constitution forbids use of cold bathing.

Such certificates are easily obtained by any fond mother who thinks her boy ought to be spared the shock of washing his hands in cold water, and have it daintily warmed for him. She might, indeed, get doctors to certify that a little wine at dinner would strengthen his system.

Having remedied, as far as possible, all defects in the administration of the cold baths, I shall continue to administer them unless prohibited by a vote of your Board; and shall recommend the practice to my successor as one of the most important features in our system of physical training, and well calculated to invigorate both the bodily and mental health of our pupils.

The allusions which I have made to our bodily training will explain its general character. It has been carried out with more or less rigor, according as I have been seconded by assistants who had more or less faith in it. There was a time, for instance, when most our boys and many of the girls, could swim well; could pull an oar, and showed considerable muscular vigor in gymnastic exercises; and then again, such exercises fall into comparative neglect. While I had the great advantage of the assistance of Mr. F. J. Campbell, himself totally blind, our system of physical training was carried to high perfection. He believed in it; and always lived up bravely to his belief.

He taught me useful lessons as to the capacity of the blind. I remember, after having had a talk with him about the duty of training our pupils to perform all sorts of work which it was possible for them to do, and to do the full share of domestic work, he persuaded a class of his boys to volunteer to wash and scrub the floors; and they did it long enough to show that they could do it well.

He introduced some exercises which can be maintained persistently only by those who possess great natural pluck and personal magnetism.