The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-12-13
The Deaf ard Dumb.
CAN THEY BE MADE TO HEAR AND SPEAK !!
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS A A
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL.

INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS A
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL. ,
It was a misty, rainy morning late
in October of this same year OF 1871,
when the Governor of Massachusetts,
with little company of curious and
interested people, went down to
northampton, in the same State; and
once there, soon found their way to
til. Clarke Institution. A visitor
coming into the school building a
little late, after going up flight OF
broad steps from the first door, finds
himself in large exhibition hall, at
the back of which, seated in rows on
benches, are between forty and fifty
boys and girls, of all ages and sizes,
from the coquettish young Miss, just
getting well into her teens and con-
cerned about her ribbons and her
couture, down to tiny little things
of five and six. The front seats are
occupied by the company; on the
platform, in front of large black
board, is group of children, evil
IDENTIFY class, attended by teacher.
You can not see that these chill
dren are being put through an ex-
animation in any especial branch.
They seem to be talking and laugh
| ing and having good time among
themselves. You think, perhaps,
they are having amateur theatricals
on small scale as you listen to a
conversation between them. The
teacher, advancing to a bright-eyed
little girl of seven, says: "Here, Fan
ME, is pear for you," and puts it in
to her hand. Fannie turns to cir
a little older than herself and says
"AIiss J. gave me this pear" Mar,
replies: 81 like pears very much
please give me some" Fannie says
"You may have small piece" ant
hands it to her. Here a small DO.
then joins them, and says to Fannie
Il like pears, too, give me some.
Fannie hands it to him saying again
"You may have small piece" Blu
= he puts it in his pocket and is goin
away, when the owner of the pea
. call out: "No! no! you are selfs
= boy!" and makes him give it bacl
$. She then gives it to Mary, saying
IT 'Put it in the closet" Mary take
IS it, and walks slowly towards t h
$. closet. eating it as she goes. Wall
id ing so slowly and eating SO fast, thu
it is question as to whether an
~ pear will be left when she gets to IL
5: closet. That Fannie has her doub
;, on the subject is evinced by the liv
., ly manner in which she expresst
a. her disapprobation.
N All ills is very Gin. 49, say. III
. you would expect more from tt
90 youngest children in our prime
We schools. Certainly. But are "
e. aware that every one of these en-
rs. dren are deaf? That when they car
on to this school they could not speal
=" and that had they been sent to O
u, of the ordinary schools, provided
D. children of their class, they won
have remained dumb us we'll rs de
ye for life? The exercises which th
ed are being put through are to Sin,
tly their proficiency in speech, and th'
IN quickness in compromising what
en- said from the motion of the lips; a
for all that they know of these thin
'~ has been taught them during one
'ce two years at school. Their pre-
cheney is tested in various ways. I
.nt class are made to stand with til
ar,. backs to the blackboard, and one
ia their number is selected to stand
inc fore them, facing it, and read 81
81 fences written by the teacher, su
al as "Bring me that book" "Put Je
Id, mic on the table," etc. They
al watch the little readers lips intent
Soo and at the end Of each sentence
go several little hands. The ow,
:, of one is selected, and he trots
-, with an air of gratiGed self-imp
lit. lance to bring the book, or to
Jennie on the desk, as the case II
fair be, thus showing that he has und
of stood what his classmate has i
'5c. said. Jennie, when lifted upon
desk, where he stands half timi
mi half proudly, facing the compa
y turns out to be a tiny fellow of o
five years, with large blue eyes, S
: ""' ny hair, and very resolute mo
49, and chin. The children then t
,ov. turns to write on the black DO
sentences spoken by their teacher
Tess In higher class. which is n
re- marshaled upon the platform, Ii
lot is one little maiden who lost hear