The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-08-02
Laura BridgnIan.

When CHARLES Dickens visited the Massa-
chusetts Blind Asylum at Boston, in 1912, and
found there Laura Bridgman, then thirteen or
fourteen years Of age, blind, deaf, dumb, des-
titute of SMELL and nearly SO OF taste, and
wrote OF her, she became a notorety in the
world We find in the Hartford Times of re-
cent date the following notice Of her:
"Miss Bridgman is now probably fitty-eight
years old or more. She is still with the
Bloomfield family, with whom she has lived
for perhaps the last thirty years, or since her
departure from the American asylum. The
family have recently removed from the house
residence at Bloomfield Centre, near the Con-
gregational church. 1t will probably take
Laura some time to become familiar with the
to herr unknown premises. BIT she learns
with surprising readiness when one reflects
how completely she is isolated from the world
OF outward things.
She could go about the house and premises
where she lived as readily as most persons
who have the full use of their senses, and she
can also distinguish instantly the different
persons with whom she is brought in contact.
n arly half a century ago, when she was at
the asylum here, her powers OF discrimination
in the latter respect were such as to astOnish
people who went to see her. For instance, a
party Of ladies, strangers to her, called to see
her at the asylum, and had their interview
with her after they had taken off and hung up
their shawls, bonnets, etc. Laura (who has
always possessed the sense of touch) went to
each one of them, and felt CT them. After
satisfying her curiosity in this way, she went
on with her usual work-for she could knit
and do good many other things. When the
ladies rose to depart she went to the place
where they had hung up their things, and,
taking down each article separately took it
straight to its proper owner.
What fate is hers Here she has lived for
nearly Sky years life all isolated from the
world around her. An interior world is hers,
into which nothing that we know of light
the physical light OF the sun--can ever enter,
nor any outward sound Alike to her,
through all the years, the silence OF midnight
or the more cheerful sounds of daily life, the
notes Of the birds, the voices of winds and
leaves and falling waters, the power Of music,
the peal of thunder, the loving tones OF the
human voice. Silent herself, she dwells in
her own world of absolute silence. If, as
some people might believe, there are for her
interior voices, she has no means Of apprising
her friends of her soul experiences. We must
accept the outward seeming that to her, and
such as she, the world is world of darkness
and Of silence. What, to a soul so imprisoned,
must be the final awakening into the lite of
That deep dawn behind the tomb.
which the consultations Of religion assure to
us. and whose finer light inspires the loftiest
strains Of the poet? 1t was the case of just
such an affliction-that of an interesting
daughter Of DIR. Coggswell. of Hartford, who,
unlike her sisters, Was deaf, dumb and blind
that interested philanthropical people,
Yearly sixty years ago, in the benehcent
project OF the American educa-
tional asylum; and it was OF her and her death
that Mrs. Sigourney, rising to the imagination
Of the final awakening and release of that i'm
prisoned soul, aitnned her harp to its finest
strain, in the poem beginning,
60 Sisters, there's music here"