Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-05-28

The Dumb Taught to Speak.
Many of our readers may not be aware
that the art of instruction has attained to
such excellence that deaf mutes are taught to
read and speak and converse with almost as
! much fuency as those who can hear. But
such is the testimony. Many years ago, when
Horace Mann, now President Of the Antioch
College, Ohio, was Superintendent Of the
Common Schools for the State of Massachu-
setts, he visited Europe for the purpose of
observing the improvements in the art of in
struction in the institutions of that Continent.
| In the report of his observations he stated
that he had conversed oralg and freely with a
| deaf teacher, without knowing he was Geaf
and had heard deaf children read apparently
as well as the children of the common schools
of this country. Of course, we accredited
the statement, but it was revelation of the
susceptibility and power of human improve
ment for which we were not prepared.
This wonderful improvement is called to
mind again, by seeing in our eastern exchang
es, the following statement of Edward Gould
Bufman, Esq, upon this very matter:
Pan1s, March 2e.
l yesterday paid visit to the Constitution
des Sourds-Mutes ;''the Deaf and Dumb Asy-
lum of Paris.
The guide showed US into room where
teacher, surrounded by thirty of forty boys,
hot fUa fho of
was writing some grammatical exercises no
the black board. AS soon as we entered, the
teacher, who appeared to be about forty years
of age, addressed me with some words of
welcome, saying he was always glad to re-
ceive visitors, and would exhibit some speci-
mems of the proficiency to which his pupils
had attained in speaking, although they were
all born deaf. | noticed a peculiar clipping
of some of the words, and harsh gutteraf
sound which he gave to others, but supposed
the teacher to be German, and after thank
ing him for his proffered kindness, he called
up bright, intelligent looking little fellow
The boy looked closely at the teachers lips
while the latter told him to bid us good day.
The boy Immediately spoke to me, enunciat-
his words clearly and distinctly, and with
very correct accentation, said:
~" How do you do, sir ?" .
| replied, 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 a
half" .
Upon being told by the teacher, he asked
me 'where did you come from p
| 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 a great many savages
who were very wicked" es-.-
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 suspicion
that was talking to deaf man and listened
to a dumb man, and should have remained in
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 word.
Two of the boys stood upon platform, at
the teachers suggestion, and held convcrsa-
ton with 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 topened
for him at random, and from which he read
two or three pages, rapidly without the sligh-
est hesitation, and with really musical
voice. .. r.
The pupils, of course, received the idea in
tended to be conveyed to them through the
formation ofthe lips, and once or twice, when
the teacher was speaking to them, they made
a motion signifying 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 uttering quite
long sentence. Of course they can haveno
idea what sound is, and the only difference
noticed between their utterances and those of
other children was that the modulations were
not always correct, and some of them kept
the voice at the same pitch while reading. or
speaking an entire sentence. But so perfect
indeed, was the whole exhibition, that had
dropped accidentally, the last place l ever
should have suspected myself to be in
would have been among deaf and dumb
children.
LEARNED from the teacher that spoken Ian
guage was employed and no signs were used,
the children being taught their lesson either
by speech or writing, and the smartest and
most capable children are placed here. II re-
NAMED there an hour, and crowd of strange.
suggestive 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
of possibility?