Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-05-10

Edward Gould Bufum, Esq, gives the fol-
lowing interesting description of visit to the
Deaf and Dumb Institute in Paris =
PANS, March 20, 1859
Somewhat tired with the routine through
which all strangers in P ris pass, | strayed
aside from the ordinary path which they usu-
ally take, and yesterday paid visit to the ON
sttuton DIES Sounds -Muets"-the Deaf and
Dumb Asylum of Paris. | witnessed there
some very wonderful examples of the results
of patient labor in teaching the deaf to speak
and hear. The guide showed us into room
where a teacher, surrounded by thirty or forty
boys, between the ages of six and fourteen
years, was writing some grammatical exercises
on the black board. AS soon as we entered
the room the teacher, who appeared to be a
man about forty years of age, descended from
the bench on which he stood, and coming up
TO me addressed me with some words Of wei
come, saying that he was always glad to re-
ceive VISITORS and that he would exhibit to me
some specimens Of the proficiency to which his
pupils had attained in speaking although they
were all born deaf noticed peculiar "clip-
ping" OF some Of the words and harsh gut
teral sound which he gave to Others but sup
posed the teacher to be German, and after
thanking him for his profIered kindness, he
called up bright, intelligent looking little fell
low. The boy looked closely at the teachers
lips while the latter told him to bid us good
day. The boy Immediately spoke to me,
enunciating his words clearly and distinctly,
and with very correct accentuation and said :
Glow do you do, sir -
| replied, and the teacher requested me to
ask the boy question. | did so, merely NOV
ing the organs of speech without uttering any
sound, and asking with my lips how old he
was
He instantly replied thirteen years and
half"
Upon being told by the teacher, he asked me
where did you come from 2
replied in the same manner as before,
from America.
The boy repeated America. and then tax
ing piece of chalk wrote upon the black
board:
"You have come from great distance, and
must have seen great many savages who
were very wicked"
During all this time had been conversing
with the teacher, he giving me information
about his pupils, and requesting me to ques-
ton them, without ever having Il suspicion
that was talking to deaf man and listened
to dumb man, and should have remained i'll
this state of ignorance had not the guide, af-
ter he had permitted me to enjoy my error for
quarter of an hour, informed me that the
teacher, as well as the pupils, had been born
deaf, and, until within the last five years, had
never spoken a word.
Two OF the boys stood upon the platform, at
the teachers suggestion, and held a conversa-
ton W til each other, and then each wrote
sentences upon the board and read them in a
loud and distinct voice Another boy was
called up and handed book, which l opened
for him at random, and from which he read
two or three pages, rapidly without the slight
est hesitation, and with really musical voice.
Iha AntNIlS Of =
tended to be conveyed to them through tile
formation of the lips, and once or twice, when
the teacher was speaking to them, they made
motion signitying that they did not fully UNI
derstand him, and once one OF them drew him
to the window, where the light played fully
upon his lips while he was uttering quite a
long sentence. Of course they can have no
idea what sound is, and the only difference l
noticed between their utterances and those of
other children was that the moduatons were
not always correct, and some of them kept the
voice at the same pitch while reading or speak
ing an entire sentence. But so perfectly can
they interpret the movement of the lips that
when placed SO that they could only see the
side of the teachers mouth, they understood
him evidently as well as when looking directly
at his lips. SO perfect, indeed, was the whole
exhibition, that had | dropped in accidentally
without knowing where | was going, the last
place ever should have suspected myself to
be in would have been among deaf and dumb
children.
1t was in this room alone | learned from the
teacher that spoken language was employed
and here no signs were used the children be-
ing taught their lessons either by speech or
writing, and the smartest and most ca
pable children are placed here. | remained
there an hour, and crowd of strange, sug-
gestive thoughts came over me as | left
When, after such an exhibition as | had wit
messed, could bounds be put to the result of
patient labor; where can be placed the limits
possibility | doubt whether the good Alb
be L'Epee, who founded the institution, ever
dreamed that in so short time the truths of
the text from ST. Mark, which is inscribed
over the chapel, al bein fat foutes chooses
II a fait entendre les Sounds ct parler les mu-
cts" would have been so literally verified as l
had seen it during my visit