The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-02-23
"reminiscences of Week in Boston and it.
Environs.-No. 2.

Its schools--its charitable institutions-school
for the bind--Laura Bridgman-frm
school for INDECENT boys-description of
Of Harriet Beecher Stowe-her book As
dramatized and acted upon the stage-dc.
scrip;ion of the actors.
Boston was wisely selected by our an
cestors, as the site of a great city. Its
location gives it the command of "a great
er coasting trade than any other port
in the United States 1t is blessed with
excellent schools, good laws, and with
all those moral, religious and charitable
institutions, which tend to make mankind
wiser and better, and under Providence
to elevate them in the scale of happiness
and prosperity 1t has upwards of 100
churches, to act upon the corrupt mas.
ses and shed light on the surrounding
darkness
The first settlers Of New England
were exceedingly tenacious of their civil
and religious rights. and they well knew
that knowledge was the grand instru-
ment to preserve those rights. and to
transmit them to postcrity Hence the
foundation of those free schools, of
which all New Englanders are Justly
proud. Exclusive ofnfant and sabbath
school scholars, about quarter part of
the population of Boston are kept at
school throughout tue year at an annu-
al expense of about 100000
Since the commencement of the pres
cnt century the citizens OF Boston have
donated two and half millions Of dot
lars for institutions of 4 m raj, religious
ana literary character, located ~ thcir
city.
The institution for the education Of
the bind was incorporated ~ 1879
The school opened with bind pupils
only 1t now numbers about 90 boys and
girls The scholars are instructed in
all those branches common in other
schools and some of them in the higher
branches of literature. The experiment
has been tried. successfully, of fitting
them for college One has graduated
ut Cambridge and another at Dart
mouth, doing honor to themselves and
the institutions As we have formerly
given, in your journal, an extended de-
scription of the inmates of this institu-
ton, We shall in this connexion speak
only of Laura Bridgman. the deaf,
dumb and blind girl. who is by far the
most interesting parsonage in the school
She is % years of age, has a vell-formcd
figure, strongly marked nervous-san-
guine temperament, a we'll balanced
head, and the whole system in healthy
action. When she was first brought to
the institution. it was ascertained be-
yond doubt, that she could not see a
ray Of light could not hear the least
sound, and never exercised her sense of
smell, if she had any No instruction
had been given her.nor had ANYBODY con-
ceivcd the practic ability of penetrating
within the dark cell which inclosed her
mind She was born in Hanover, n.
H.. and is described as having been a
sprightly and pretty child, but by a
stroke of disease in infancy, she was de-
prived at once of sight and hearing, and
not until she was four years old, was
she so far restored in bodily health, as
to be able to enter upon her apprentice
ship of life and the world. We saw her
converse for half hour with a lady
visiting the institution. 1t is done by
signs with wonderful rapidly. She re-
ceives the communications of others up
on the palm Of her hand, while her own
thoughts seem to fly from the points of
her fingers like electrical sparks We
were told she reads with fuency the
books printed in raised characters for
the blind, and writes with ease. More
persons throughout the civilized world