Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-05-20

/ Affected but By pungont odoTs; and hcrcc a
course her taste is much biuntcd She had
mus been cnt oil from the million avenues
~hlch The senses open between tho mind and
the outer world, since her tenderest infarcy
| and she has no conception or sight. or sound
or smell. She is now eleven wears OLD. md
mas been under instruction three wears.
Imagine 70 yourself, if You can. the situa-
ton OF this being when she came before hcr
present teachers, living, breathinp crea-
lure, with the figure and stature Of a pirl in
deed, end which probably containod a human
soul II embryo, but which had no more mcans
oil expression than am animal: which would
smile Ike Il dog when fed or carcssed. and
whine Ike him when chidden; beckon 20
.hiS hgure, and II secs not; speak. but L
hears you not; take hold oft. but il under
stands you not. and in fine. instead Of saving
us her teacher did, 'there is almost as much
hope OF fnsiructing spaniel as this creature,
would you not have said. dog with all his
senses is more teachable than this human
igure!"
But the result showed that the human soul
rs a thing sui !Seneris, and that with one sim
gle sense 1t can manifest an unreasonable
superiority over brutes with five senses shar-
pened To their greatest acuteness.
ms child by various devices was made 10
comprehend the relations between siuns and
things, tor her mind from the first seemed in
tuitiveiy 10 reach out and clasp the hand that
was extended to ii, and her teachers. GUIDED
by the light of philosophy, contrivod such
eXpedients as soon enabled them to hold COM
mnnion with her mind.
by process too long for me to detail here.
she learned the alphabet of the deaf mutes,
she rapidly acquired knowledge oflhe names
of things, mastered the adiectves. the verbs,
the Pronouns, and all the parts of speech,
except the articles, and now can hold very
Ineligible converse about material things,
and even express many of her emotions.
But she has not stopped here; she learned
to write lcgible hand, to compose whole
sentences, and can, and does, write legible
and sensible letters 10 her mother and friends.
All these things have seen her do myself,
and have not yet done wondering at it, and
have now letter which saw written, and
which runs in in this wise:
"My Dear Mother,
II want mother and Addison and JOHN TO
come ana see me with father. I will 90 to
Halifax in vacation. am very sorry mother
cannot come to see me because she is very
busy to work all days. stay with Miss
Jeanette all days. am very well. | have
got doll, and bed and chair, that Ms. Cliff.
plu gave bit SSllu lONe 10 INV nloIn-
er. Miss Drew teaches me. Miss Swift
teaches me to cipher. think mother loves
me very much"
hare dwelt long en- this case, because it
seems to me of very great interest to all hui.
manity-because in it all the workings of
mind seem manifested and made clear as by
a microscope. am pleased to find that great
interest too is felt for the sane reason, by
those who manage it, and that they not only
watch carefully all the phenomena, but give
to others the faciliiy Of doing so. advise
you not to miss any opportunity that you may
have of studying it yourself.
Solar our correspondent.
In a conversation with Dr.. Howe, few
days ago, he informed us that he has recent
ly acquired another pupi! laboripg under the
same deprivation of sight, hearing and speech.
ShoUId the doctor be equally successful in
developing the faculties of the immortal mind
in this case rs he has been in that OF Laura
Bridgman, he will thoroughly establish his
iame-nct as philanthropist. that is estab-
lshed already-but as one Of the most re-
markabie men Of the age.