Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-06-08
THE DUMB SPEAKING AND THE DEAF
HEARING.

THE DUMB SPEAKING AND THE DEAF
HEARING
One of the wonders Of the age is the great discov
cry in the Institution DIES Sounds Mutes " in Paris,
where the Deaf are taught to hear and the Dumb to
speak,
Edward Gould Buffum, ESQ.,, sends the following
interesting description of his visit to the Institu
ton:
d. Phe guide took his visitors into room where
teacher surrounded by thirty or forty boys between
the ages of six and fourteen years, was writing some
grammatical exercises on the blackboard. The
teacher said he very glad to receive visitors and
ciency to which his pupils had attained in speaking
although they were all born deaf The boy first
called up looked closely at the teachers fps while
the latter told him to bid us good day. The boy
Immediately enumerated his words clearly and dis
tinctly, and with very correct accentuation, and
said:
'How do you do, sir!"
Ireplied and the teacher requested me to ask the
boy question. did so, merely moving 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?'
I replied in the same manner as before, from
America.
The boy repeated America" and taking piece
of chalk wrote upon the blackboard:
"You have come from great distance and must
have seen great many savages, who were very
wicked"
During all the time had been conversing with
the teacher, he giving me information about bis pu
pills, and requesting ME to question them, without
ever having a suspicion that l was talking with a
deaf man and listening to dumb one. and should
have remained in this ignorance, had not the guide
after he had permitted me to enjoy my error for a
Quarter of an hour informed me that the teacher
well as the pupils had been born deaf. and, until
within the last five years. had never spoken a word
Two of the boys staod upon platform, at the
teachers suggestion, and held conversation with
each other, and then wrote sentences on the board
and read them in loud and distinct voice. Anotl,-
er boy was called up and handed book, which I
opened for him at random, and from which he read
two or three pages rapidly and without the slightest
hesitation and with a really musical, agreeable
voice.
The pupils, of course receive the idea intended to
be conveyed to them through the formation of the
lips, and once twice when the teacher speak
ing to them, ttey made motion signifyng that
they did not fully understand him. and once one Of
them drew him to the window where the light
played fully upon his lips while he was uttcring
quite long sentence. OF course they can have no
idea what sound is, and the only difference no.
children was, that the modulations were not always
correct and some of them kent the voice at the
pitch while speaking reading entire sentence
But so perfectly they interpret the movement Of
the lips that when placed that they could not
the side of the teachers r.outh, they understood him
evidently as well when looking directly at his
lips. So perfect, indeed, the whole exhibition,
that had dropped in accidentally without knowing
where was going the last place should ever have
suspected myself to be in would have been among
deaf and dumb children
1t was in this room alone, l learned from the
teacher, that spoken language employed, here
no signs were used, the children being taught their
lessons either by speech writing, ard the smart
est and most capable children arc placed here. I
remained there an hour, and crowd of strange sug-
gestive thoughts came over me as | left. Where,
after such an exhibition as had witnessed, could
bounds be put to the results of patient labor where
can be placed the limits of possibility? doubt
whether the good Able T. Ebee who founded the in
stitution, ever dreamed that in so short time the
truths of the text from St. Mark, which is inscribed
over the chapel door. "H bean tait tostes closes
Tia fit entendre les Sounds ct parler tes muets
would have been so literally verified as had seen it
during my visit.