The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1875-06-05
Laura l}ri,lgmun.
ny JAMES PARTON.

II the reader has ever known n family
one child of which was either blind,
deaf and dumb, or so lame as to be help
less, he has probably been struck with
the great variety Of compensating circum-
stances which gathered round that clIild
to make its lot not less happy than that
Of children in general. 1t has seemed to
me sometimes rs if everybody and every
thing connected with such n child enters
into sort Of holy conspiracy to alleviate
its condition. Its mother loves it with
singular depth of tenderness. Its father
regards it with pitying fondncss. The
relations and friends Of the family vic
with one another Which shall do most for
it. Its own brothers md sistcrs-cruel
rs children often are to one an0thcr-oftcn
look upon the afflicted one with mixture
nf awe and affection, which makes them
vigilant in good offices toward il.
In tho town of Hanover, in New Iamp-
shire, the seat of Dartmouth College, Il
town surrounded with mountains, and
lravcrsoi by rapid mountain streams,
Laura Bridgman was born, in the year
l829. She was bright, pretty child,
with pleasing blue eyes, but of so feeble
Il constitution, that during the first cigl.
teen months Of her existence, her parents
scarcely expected her to outlive her in
fancy. But after her eighteenth month,
she rapidly improved in health, and, in u
very short time, she was as well and Wig.
orOus rs childron of hOr age usually are.
Her parents, rs parents are apt to do,
thought that she exhibited ut twenty
months signs Of uncommon intelligence.
She was two years Of age when she was
alta :kcd by II disease which brought her
to deaths door, one of those complaints
the after consequences of which are often
more terrible and lasting than the disease
itself. For seven weeks the fever ragged.
Her eyes and cars became living sores, and
they were finally consumed. For five
months she lay in n darkcncd room, and
two whole years passed before she was
sufficiently restored to take her natural
plarc in the family.
But how changed her condition! She
was totally blind. She was totally deaf.
She had lost the power Of speech. She
could not smell. There remained no
avenue from the outer touch. Such was
her state nj the age Of four yCars-a
healthy, sensitive, eager, intelligent child,
able only to usG her feet as InOnns of To-
comotion, and her rstoacquirc knowl-
edge.
AS soon M she was well enough to get
about, shc began curiously 10 gr0pe
around her room, and then 70 explore the
house, feeling, lifting, touching, in various
ways, every object, animate and inani-
mntc, within her reach. She used 10 10
with her mother about the house, and
feel her hands nS she performed the usual
household work, and seemed to take
pleasure in initiating her motions, ni-
though II was impossible she should
know their object. Her Initiative power
was remarkable, and in the course Of the
next three years she cvCn learned to knit
aud 10 sow II little. Being human, she
began also to show the less nniablc traits
Of human nature, to her parents great
pcrplcNity aud distress. AS they had no
way of reasoning with her, there was no
method except that Of force to prevent
her from running into danger, or doing
what was manifest : improper. So passed
the first three years after her ailliction.
During those years her great friend and
bcnciaCt0r was in training in the city ul
Boston. DR.. s. G. Howe, after STUDYING
medicine, was so powerfully wrought
upon by that movement for the indcpcnd.
cncc Of Greece in which Lord Byron spent
the last months Of his life, that llc went
to Greece, where he served ns n surgeon
In the patriot army, and in other capnci.
ties for live years. Afterwards hc was in
The Polish movement for 1891, which led
To his imprisonment in Prussia Tor siS
weeks. Nt thiry-iwo, We find him Pres
idcni Of the Perkins Institution for tho
Blind in Boston, in tho founding Of which
hc had taken nh active part.
In 1897, when he had had five years
experience in teaching tho blind, he hcart
Of Laura IIridgmnu, and went to Hanover
to visit her; intending, If her parents
would consent, To bring her to the tnsti
tuition, to see II II were possible To give
her some instruction.
81 found her" lie once wrote, twill
n wcll-formcd figure, strongly.markcd