The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-12-07

!
Monday evening. Nov. 80, ISL, and ON tht
Saturday morning following She beeam,
blind and dedf
! Before her illness, she had aot only learn.
ed TO speak, but to repeat hei letters. and
to spell words of three or our syiluhles
and for some time after the bss of her sigh,
and hearing, she was fond oitaking book
and spelling words and the names Of her
acqualntances. She retained her speerh
pretty well, for about year; but gradually
lost it, and seems now condemned 10 per
petual silence. For three years, she could
still utter few words. One of the last OF
| these was mother
Julia was at first unconscious of her mis-.
fortune. She seemed 10 imagine, that a lono
night had come upon the world. and often
said, 1t will never he day' She would
call upon the family TO light the lamp
and was impatient at then SEEMING peplect.
even to give her an answer. Atlength. in
passing window, she felt he sun shining
warm upon her hand: she Immediately
held out her hand, and lointed with de-
] light, to Indicate that the sun shore. From
the January after her illness, until the fol-
lowing August, she woul,! sieep dnrino the
Gay, and be awake thronghtbe night and
IL was not until Autumn, by taking grent
pains TO keep her awake during the day.
that she was set right. She is now as req
uiar IN this respect as other persons. From
lhe period of her recovery, she seemed
TO perceive the return of the Sabbath and
on Sunday morning would get her own
clean clothes, and those of the other chill
dren. If her mother was readjEo. she
would find book, ana endeavor to do so.
The intervention of day of fasting or
Thanksgiving, will confuse her rockoning
even now; and some lime elanses before
she gets right"
Unahle as she was, to lift. or penetrote
the veil of darkness and silence which sen
arated her from the world, the privatiops
she endured, without any consciousness Of
the cause, might, very naturally, appear to
her like cruel punishment, which those
around were Intictlng. 1t was probably
from some feeling like this, that during the
first winter after her recovery, she seemed
irritable almost to madness. would exhibit
the most violent passion, and use the most
proiane language. The next summer. she
became calmer; and her mother could pov.
ern her to some extent by shaking her. and
stamping on the floor in sign of dlsapproba-
ton; and stroking or patlinp her head.
when she conducted well. She is now, ha-
bitually mild, and ohodient, and affection.
ate.
During the first summer after her illness.
she was very unwilling to wearclotbes. and
would pull them off violently. At lenrth
her mother took one other frocks and tried it
on her sister, with view of aterinr il for
her. Julia had always been remarkable for
her sense of Justice in regard to pyopertv
This seemed to he awakened : and she
TOOK The flock, and put it on herself. AZ
ter THIS, she was willing 10 wear clothes.
ana even cried for neiO ones. She has ever
since been fond of dress. At nine wears of
age she was taught to sew, and since that
time has learned TO knit
Julia is now 25 years of age. She has
been resident for several wears in the
American Asylum at Hartford. where she
is supported in part by the vo luntarv COLI
trlhutlons OF visitors, and in part nv her own
ia"o'S' m swing aFd knitting. A language
OF Patpd6te SlgnS was early established. AS
a. means OF communication with her friends.
MS has been much improved by her inter
course with the deaf and dumb, and is now
suI1cleht Tor all necessary purposes.
Her countenance as she sits at work. ex
hioits the strongest evidence of an active
mind and a feeling heart, within; and
thoughts and feelings seem to fit across it,
IKE the clouds in summer sky A shade of
pehsVeness will be followed by a cloud of
anxiety or gloom; peaceful look will per-
maps succeed; and not unfreouentlv. a
smile lights up her countenance. which
seems to make one forget her misfortunes.
But no one has yet penetrated the dark
ness of her prison house. or been able tn
ind an avenue for intellectual or moral
light. Her mind seems. thus far. inaccessi.
bic to all Bat her Maker.