The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-03-02
JACKSON O. H., OHIO, THURSDAY, MARCH 2. 1876

| in the care Of DR.. Howe. Accordingly,
she was brought TO Boston and process
Of instruction Immediately commenced.
She was first taught to use her hands
and to acquire a comms~d Of her muscles
and limbs, and afterward, by means Of a
pen and pin, to distinguish two articles
Of arbitrary signs Then from monosyl-
tables she learned all the letters o' the
alphabet and how to arrange them to
represent objects She soon acquired a
knowledge OF numerals, punctuation.
&c., and then she gained the power Of
expressing thought, the names Of things,
&c. The next process taught her was TO
recognize the same signs in embossed
types. She worked with great eagerness
thus rewarding the watchful care Of her
devoted teacher. Miss Bridgeman is
now in her forty-sixth year, and between
her homo and the Perkins Institution
she has passed her time thus far. She is
tall, slight, graceful in form aud motion,
wears green bands across her eyes. is very
dcmonstrative. and her face at times "a.
dates with emotion. She dresses with
great care-more TO please her friends
than herself-and takes pride in showing
her gold watch and other feminine orna-
mentations. She is quite expert in cro-
cheting and plain needlework, and takes
much delight in assisting one OF the
teachers in the sewing department A
few days ago she was at work with per
haps a dozen Of the pupils, turning the
hens of napkins and threading needles
with her fingers and teeth. She exhibited
some of her hemming with as much
pride as a soldier bearing a trophy from
a battlefield. A lady on the occasion
referred to made purchase from her OF
a crochet mat, and with clear articula-
tion, Miss Bridgeman repeated the word
money twice. She can utter intelligi-
bly, the name Of a teacher and such words
as baby, &c. She forms words with a
lead pencil by the aid Of n French writ.
ing. board. This latter article has grooy-
ed lines about an eighth Of an inch deep,
an inch or so apart, running traversely
acro1s the pasteboard. She takes her
paDer and presses il into the grooves,
thus making depressions that can be felt
by the pencil point, and when slightly
pressed, leaves a letter mark. In fur
nishing her autograph she writes above
her name a Scripture text. On being
asked il she realized the meaning Of the
quotation, "The Lord is my Shepherd"
she replied, Fully" On learning that
her questioner had been a Sabbath-school
teacher Tor eighteen years she clasped
her hands with delight and an attempt.
in a rapturous manner, to speak, giving
forth a lurid-li<e sound. Miss Bridge
man, after the death Of her father, was
selfshly deprived of the little property
he left for herself and her mother, and
she continued to earn little money by
the use Of her needle. She, however,
possesses the interest of a bequest Of
s., 900 from the Loring Fund. Yester-
day this lady was feeling actually the
death of the noble man who brought out
her imprisoned spirit from chaos. She
is a living monument Of his devotion,
patience hope, waiting, watching and
giving Of eyes to the blind and language
to the dumb lips. The Emperor Of Prus-
sia sent DR.. Howe n gold medal for his
marvellous achievement in educating
Laura Bridgeman. The attention Of the
European world was first drawn to Miss
Bridgeman's most extraordinary case
through Charles Dickens Notes, in
which a very full account was given and
a deserved eulogium passed upon DIR.
Howe.