The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-11-10
Exhibition of Deaf Mutcs.

MuHlFttlthi hCL ~, lrlb
a deeply Interesting scene WIS Witnessed
llils morning in tho hall ofihe House Of Rep
reseUlHIlyeH, II Wuy bu known r., otif fss,l-
era thai lhe STATE Of Vermont Inns nearly
twenty Of that unfortunate class Of hes sous
community known As Deaf Murs, under IN
slturlion NJ the American Asylum for the
Deaf aud Dumb, al Hartford, Conn, most Of
Mllnm me- suppnugd hY d public fund of Tie
state, Appropriated expressly 10 lliH nosl
lnudAblg charity, on account Of lhis, the III
rerlors Of lhal Institution have been Hccus-
lomed ocontlunAly 10 present before tie Leg
hlnlurn oi The Nlnis certain oflheir pupils Tor
Wie purpose Of showing tlieir proficiency and
Of explaining The manner by which knOwl,
edge Ia gradually inhlllrd inio dis singular,
" unfortunate clars Of minds
In pursuance Of lliH practice Mr. Weld the
Principal Of this Institution, appeared lhiu
morning la tbs hall Of tho House, by invita-
lion Of the General Assembly before the
members Of tho Executive Governments, aud
OF the Two Houses 0f the Legislature, M well
~ the ladies aud gentlemen Of Montpelier,
with three Of his Vermont puplls,nl OF them,
~ whole or IN pnrl, boneGcuries of the State.
The youngest Ut the three, LrNAE T., TRwr
Of Charleston, W., had been under inslruc-
ton only year mud hhlf and when tho dif
hculleh IlHT cUrr'tf'i's ~. 4.pedn lLe entrance
of knowledge inlo such mind are dHty
weighed -AiH6tlat never attempted a. be-
overcome NJ all until within unr nrmory
We think The progress attained hy the clid
Ia the knowledge ofwrillou language during
thni brief periodic be rftIly wonderful.
Tho other lads were older and had been
HomcwhnI longer under instruction. SLIu
HUNT of Pawlel, lad ofsprighuy appear
nnce aud ingenious cOunienHuce, passed
through n variety Of exercises upon The
blackboard showing IN an affecting manner
how successful had been tho efforts his IN
srnctors 10 compensate him 10y the ngrhi.
nlis devices of benoyolencc, for tho prlvntion
Of speech aud hearing. jaws DENisoS of
Roynllon, WIS last produced. lie was not
born doni-bul host las hearing almost Who'll.
~, NJ ~ early age, 10 consequence of M NJ,
tack n scarlet fever. lie II fine looking
aud intelligent lad of only rs years, aud the
ixedness of his attention aud rapidly of his
apprehension won the kindly interest ofeVo-
~ hchuldur James was called upon 10y
Judge Williams tn write upon the board
souIe account Of the character Of Socrhios,
and performed the task with an accuracy
hu,li Of phrase aud fact which would have
been crcdltnllc to more advanced years aud
better physical advantages. Sumo one ~ the
auditory asked him to stale thu difference
between man aud The hrutcs. lie promptly
H"NN'il NlNWA lllNll llNh Nll tItti l0lllt ullil
n mind aud soul, md hrutcs have none OF
these" tie wns then asked To state the dlf.
lercucc between Reason and Instinct lie
replied after n moments reflection, thnl"ltcn.
son r. ihc faculty hy which we inquire into
The causes Of thiuFr; Instinct II thc faculty
which lends animals TO provide for their
wants, mud Ia defend their young" Tins IN
tcllieeul lad entertained the assembly by
many other very satisfactory manifestations
OF his proficiency IN the knowledge Of Ian
gunge, aud the elementary branches of odu-
cation.
We once heard tic remark dropped by
lnnn whose nnmo is familiar To the country
that the acquisition of knowledge il the moot
pleasing occupation ofthe human mind. II
our children find 1t riy6fir, sHid he, II IN II,
lrhuiable TO the impcrirction OF our sysiems,
~ trGy cYSc. We have no doubt unat this il
ma extreme opinion, Bui whether il bn due
to u better System, or whether 1t he natural
10 lie human mind Ia, prize the means OF
knowledge ~ proportion MS they nrc. with
drawn, It has always deeply affected MS to
observe the intense interest which Deaf
Wuics manifest IN the efforts of their teach
crs TO give them light. They MI with heads
bcut lorwatd+tycs fixed inmovubly, some
times tcnrlul--hnnds rniscd, md eagerly
communicating, iu their silent finger-an- .
NN'f ''''' FN'l'lNAlllf Nl'il hhlll
or their dlihculucs-unlil tho bchoklor r. /
compelled to remember With shame the con.
trasI which their more favored equals pres.
cnt ~ the lstess Vncuiiy Of the ordinary /,
school.roou, Aud it is not too much 10 ms |
scrt that the lad from Roynton mentioned Il.
hove, who has groped his way to the sources
di improvement under distressing priybiions, !
with wisdom at ono entrance quitb shut
out" would pun to shame ninc-tenths of the !
school children of Vermont of his own ngc,
IN whatever branch OF school study tic conn
pnrison might be made
The deep interest of this exhihit6n-nnd
II enlisted rery deep interest inI our own
mind-did not rise so much however from |
sAs-lEISaE s-lEnintlI EnaEc-
tons which they suggested, Here, truly, is /
an indication TINT the world improves. A
railway around the globe--n telegrnphic com |
municaiion from pole to pole-wouid 10 uur
mind convey "A less indubiinblo proof TINT !
tAese- is ON the whole some progress in the
movements OF the race, than is found IN
lnrse patient, md systematized, and success
Gh, lnbors of beneVolence, "Au dliou IIB
THAT SHOULD COME, asked the Bnpiizer, 'er
do we look for another 2" "Tel Aim re-
piled the Saviour, "thni tho dump speak, the
dcnthcnr, The PooR have the Gospel preach /
ed unto them. LINTON Hhig.