The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-03-15


seycz-vous, monsieur said this vivacious little
man, handing me his chair; then turning to his
class, "Attentionw he said, in voice hardly
brought out the fact of their present deafness.
Whatever suspicion one might have hsd before
that these pupils could, after all, perhaps, hear
out Tia 1as al blown to The Winds n ' me
ment by the whisper of that ono word, and the
visible effect it produced upon the faces in all
parts of the room. Here was demonstration of
deafness:which could not be gainsayed.
Attention ~ once more. "Je me propose de
long par ie eSemin de- fsi so%s q the young
" Mails pourquoi non r. said Frere Cyrille.
"Ce nest PCS possible" replied several voices
Eth bien, comment dois,je voyagerr con-
tinued Cyrile, addressing one Of the most
sChemin de fer jusqu'a ostende," he rejeined,
unhesitatingly.:.
EFT apres car
So long, however, as the questions were asked
by the teacher himself, there was obviously the
risk Of a suspicion in the spectators mind that
these dumb people had not been really taught
to speak with the freedom which is indispen-
sable for speech being of any practical use, but
rather that by dint of an almost inconceiyable
amount of labor they had been crammed,~ like
parrots, with a few select phrases, which, upon
occasion, they could parade before a wondering
stranger. Frere Cyrille was far too acute a
man for the liability of such suspicion to
escape Nun anu, Oy VlTtuc Oh his luCeHTlCy, Nc
could afford to challenge it. He was polite
enough to offer me the'opportunity of verifying
his results
"But monsieur will converse with them him.
self; his voice is quite strange to them, yet if
he will speak with only ordinary distinctness,
they will understand him perfectly well, and
will make him replies" Now this was very
polite but it was rather trial for me as well
as for them.
However, it had to be done, so began at
once to the little fellow next me, asking the
Anf oil both, ffrN
own sake and for his Mon enfant, quef age
avez-vous r. said, dividing the syllables care.
fully and distinctly. naturally was prepared
foreigner might occasion him some little diff
Guilty, and should accordingly have been very
well satisfied with q somewhat hesitating reply.
instantly tossed it off in clear and agreeable
voice, "Jai neuf ans, monsieur" But this
was not all. In answer to my surprise, Frepe
Cyrille assured me that so complete was the
education of the eye and the responsiveness of
the tongue, under his system, that if something
were said to them in a language which they did
not understand, these youths would BE able to
ample" he continued, you will easily believe
that they do not know one single word of Eng
lish ; we have quite enough to> doto acquire our
you select one of my pupils and say something
in English, he will be able to say it after you.n
Accordingly, selected one of them, and said
to him
without having the faintest idea of what he
was talking about
The examples have enumerated here are
some only out of many similar tests which
applied to ascertain the degree to which the
power of/speech had been developed by human
agency/in these dumb people. By their uni
form success 1 was compelled to admit that the
factI of their ability to converse freely on any
given topic was indisputably established. That
Mas patent.
| 1t was marvellous to see how speedily unity
g ocI,i 1rol ito In fl,a
year and a halfthese deaf but no longer dumb,
lads learned to speak perfectly well, after which
their newly acquired art was employed upon
the usual branches of education. Frere Cyriffe
did not seem to think there was any case in
which it would be impossible. He would not
despair even of the most unpromising. While
speaking to him on this part of the subject, he
told me little story which illustrated it, A
peasant had recently brought to him his little
son, boy of seven years DID, who never had
either heard or spoken The poor fellow was
in the greatest distress at the apparent hope
lessness of his sons case His coming to the
home of these amiable brethren was but n for
lorn hope. .tAh, sir" he said to Frere Cyrille,
| q Rle been advised to come and hear what you
have to say, but you'll be able to do nothing
with him. Eve had him with me these seven
years. and 1 can't get sound out of him."
" Well, at all events, we can try" was the
reply; "and if you will wait we will have the
first lesson in your presence.
$50" said Frere Cyrille to me, :" placed
myself in front of the boy, directed his atten-
ton to my lips, and articulated to him pe"-the
was sounded las the French mute-"t till at
last the boy began TO say pc too. advanced
step further, and the end was, that after the
patience of few minutes, the boy said papa to
his father before he left the ROOM" The latter
was at once amazed and delighted at such a
result. He gladly and gratefully contided his
bow to the protection of the brethren, aud at
the period of my visit to them the boy was in
q fair way of learning to speak freely and dis
tinctly.
Frere Cyr;lle and his confferes were not ordi-
nary men. Such labors as theirs money could
not buy. No hireiing services could ever fix
themselves upon their end with that intensity
of Y,,rnoaa which in indiaDenaablo to the sue