Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-08-18
LAURA BRIDGMAN.
A Girl Bora Blind, Deaf and Dumb

A few weeks since, / visited Laura
Bridgman in her home near the institu-
ton for the blind at South Boston. If
any one supposes that by reason of her
deprivation she is queer or awkward In
person or manners, he is altogether in
error. There is nothing at all singular
in her appearance. When I entered
the parlor. a member of the family with
whom she lives was playing ON the
piano. and close beside her, on low
seat, there was very slight, very erect.
quiet, self-possessed looking girl, who
seemed to be listening to the music,
while her hands were busy at some
crocheting or similar work. She
would have been taken for a
ouest who was nimbly fashioning
some pretty article while being enter
tanned with music. The expression on
her face was bright and interested; and
one watching her satisfied look would
have been slow to believe that she did
not hea1. The green shade over her
ewes indicated that she was one OF the
blind. She had on a brown dress, a blue
ribbon at the neck, gold ring and
chain. and watch or locket in her belt
"a neatly attired, genteel, lady-like
person. looking about 35, though her
age is really not far from "A, with soft,
brown hair, smooth and fine, and a we'll
shaped head, fair complexion, and
handsome features. That was Laura.
DIR. Howe spoke of her as ''comely and
refined in form and attitude, graceful in
motion, and positively handsome in
features and Of her expressive face, .
which. indeed, in sensibility and intelli-
gence. is above instead of below the
average.
AS soon as the information was con-
veyed to her that she had visitor
from her native state, who knew people
in the town where her nearest kindred
live, she came swiftly across the room,
leaving her work on the centre-table as
she passed it, and grasped my hand,
laughing with the eagerness OF child.
Then she sat down face to face with the
lady who has charge of her, and COM
menced an animated conversation, by
the manual alphabet, easily understood
by one who practices it; butthe slelght-
of hand by which the fingers of the
friendly hostess, manipulating on
Laura's slender wrists, communicated
with that living consciousness shut In
there without one perfect sense except
i of taste and touch, was something
mysterious, inscrutable to my duller
sense. Yet that communication was
definite, quick, ineisive, so to speak,
was manifest enough, for Laura,s face
beamed, and she was all alert. Partly
bv the letters and partly by signs she
said a great deal to me. She fought to
be at home and to be company for her
mother she said; and, once or twice
she fashioned the word ssmam-ma" very
distinctly with her lips. With regard
to this vocal expression, DIR. Howe says:
s'She has attained such facility for talk
ing In the manual alphabet, that re-
greet that did not try also to teach her
to speak by the vocal organs, or regular
speech. y She asked If knew a mem
Der of her family now dead, and said,
ssThat was long year after Carl died. !"
She seemed trimming over with things
to tell me, and wanted me to know
about her teaching some Of the blind
girls to sew, which is part Of her daily
EMPLOYMENT in the school near by, and
which she takes great pride in, thread
ing the needles and making her pupils
nick out their work, If it is not done
nicely. She Is good seamstress her
self, does fancy work, and can run a
sewing machine.
Next, she caught hold of NY hand,
and led me up two flights or stairs to
her room, to show me her things; but
the first movement was to take me to
the window, where she patted on the
glass and signifed that I should see
what pleasant prospect there was from
it. And there she, who had never seen
or heard, waited by my side in great
content while looked and listened; the
sky was blue, with white clouds floating
over it, and birds were singing; it was a
perfect April day, but she could get no
consciousness of 1t except In the soft
ness of the air. Yet her face was
radiant, and she stood there as though
she both saw and heard. wish [ could
bring before all those who are discon-
tented with their lot, repining because
God has withheld something from them
or taken something away, the cheerful
face ofthis girl who has SO little, but
who accepts it as if she had all; who has
never seen human countenance Or
heard a human voice, who In the Infinite
glory and beauty of this outward world
has no part, shut in by herself in that
silent, dark, unchanging, awful loneli-
ness.
The next act was to show me how
springy her bed was; then she deliber-
ately took off my shawl, as if she meant
business, and showed me all the pretty
things and conveniences she had in her
room, opening every box and drawer
and displaying the contents; her jet
chain she laid against her neck, her
bows and collars. and embroidered
handkerchiefs were taken up one by
one, ther deffly replaced in their proper
receptacles; her writing materials,
sewing implements, little ssatuettes.
trinkets, large Bible-Ihad to see them
all; and then her wardrobe, and it was
With the greatest delight she ran her
fingers over the "shirrs" OF the founce
Of her best winter dress and the culrass
basque, as if TO say her things were IN