The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-05-06
APPENDIX


LUM OF THE BLIND, TO THE CORPORA
TON. -
APPENDIX.
Report Of the Director to the Trustees upo,
I the Case Of Laura Bridgpan and other Pu
pills aoho receiOe special Instruction.
Boston, jan 1, 1847,
| GENTLEMEN
1t was stated in the Report about Laura
Bridgman, which was made in January last
that her health had been falling during sever
al months, and was then very feeble; am
! sorry to say that it continued to grow weaker
for some time, and has not yet become entire
ly rc-established.
During the most of the past year she has
been weak and sickly. In the spring, espec-
tally, she became very much emacated, her
appetite failed almost entirely, and she could
hardly be persuaded to take nourishment
enough to keep her alive.
She was placid and accomplishing, and
though never gay as in former years, she was
never gloomy. She appeared to feel no fear
or anxiety concerning her health and when
questioned closely about it, she would answer
that she was very well. Indeed, the change
had come over her so slowly and gradually,
that she seemed to be hardly conscious of it.,
and showed surprise when it was alluded to-.
Sometimes, indeed, when she found that she
was wcalied by walking half a mile, she was
forced to remember her former long walks Of
five or six miles, and to think about the
change.
As she grew thinner, and palcr, and weak
er, she appeared to be laying aside the gar
ments of the flesh, and her spirit shonc out
Ipn th1hDrb tron
countenance became more spiritualized and
its pensive expression told truly, that, though
there was no gloom, neither was there any
gadness in her heart.
Her intellect was clear and active, and she
study about subjects Of a serious nature; but
tai activity and craving were perhaps NOR
fearful crisis in her life, and it seemed TO be
not only diverted from all exciting trains Of
thought, but dissuadcd from pursuing her US
ual course of study. We were very DESTROYS
not to alarm her by showing the anxiety
which was really felt about her; and this OBJ
iect was gained so elfectually, that she proba-
bly, did not discover her danger. She is al
ways very obsorvant, however; and ascer-
tains the state Of mind of those about her, by
reading parts of the natural language Of the
emotions, which we never observe, but which
are as sure guides to her as the expression Of
the countcnancc is to us 1t is almost impos-
sible that her companions should feel particu-
larly gay or sad, and withhold the knowledge
Of II from Laura. The natural language of the
feelings is almost infinite. A common obser-
yer reads only the page of the countcnance
the kcencr one finds the meaning in the tones
of the voice, or, looking more closely, reads
signs in the very shaking of hands; but Lau-
IA not only observes the tones Of the finger
languago--shc finds meaning in every posture
of the body, and III every movement of a
limb; in the various play Of the muscles she
observes the gentle pressure of affection, the
winning force of persuasion, the firm motion
of command, the quick jerk Of Impotence,
the sudden spasm Of temper, and many other
variations which she interprets swiftly and
correctly.
With all these means of asccrtaining the
state of her teachers's feelings, and with the
certainty that an untrue answer would never
be given to her, Laura would surely have
learned that her life was thought to be in
some danger,if she had ever been accustomed
to dwell upon thoughts of sickness and death
but she had not, and therefore she walked
without even a shudder upon the very brink
of the grave.
The result was as had hoped and expect
ed it would be, for | was more sanguine than
others. The natural strength Of her constitu-
ton, which had triumphcd in that fearful
struggle during her infancy, though at the
expense of two of the most important organs
of sense, had been carefully nurtured by con-
slant exercise, simple diet, and regular habits
of mind aud body, and it carried her safely
through this second trial. After she had been
brought so low that it seemed as if the ten
dency to disease could find no more resistance
to overcome, it yielded at last, and then the
vital powers began to rally slowly.
When the weather grew warmer, she be-
gar a course of sea-bathing, and of exercise
upon horseback. These occupied and anus
ed her MIND, and strengthened her body and
she continued to grow better through the
year-yery slowly, indeed, but surely. She
has now recovered some portion OF her lost
flesh and her appetite is SO far restored, that
she eats a sufficient quantity of bread and
milk but does not like any thing else. She
does not wish to change her food at all, but
when meal-time arrives, she sits down cheer
fully to her simple bread ana mix, morning,
noon and evening; and having finished that,
she dsregards all the dainties and the fruits
with which the capri:ious appetite of inva-
lids is usually tempted. Her present diet is
one of her own choice, and though 1t is not
the best, and its sameness is unwlse,we do not
insist upon q change while she is manifestly
because it might do moro harm than
to indulge a caprice of appetite, not uncom-
mon with delicate persons.
But the best sign of returning health is the
change which has taken place in her animal
spirits; nor is this change unintcrestiug in a
moral point of view. Before her illness, she
was not only happy but a merry child, who
trippcd cheerfully along her dark and silent
path of life, bearing sportfully burden of in
trinity that would have crushed a stout man,
and regarding her existence as a boon given
in love, and to be expended in JOY; since her