The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-07-05
Schools for Deaf and Dumb Children.

Harsh little cries take the place of the |
pretty whisperings Of childhood, and the
excess of meaning in their eager looks is
sadly contrasted with the want Of meaning
in those broken sounds which comes from
their little throats, like the cries Of hedg-
lings, anxious and discordant. Our FIRST
experience, however, Of the school referred
to was of crowd Of little hands held out
to be shaken, and "How do you do !" of
monotonouS, but sufficiently distinct utter
anees, one of the first requirements evi-
IDENTIFY Of the little mutes upon whom ed
ucation only confers the gift of speech.
Their voice is not 4 sweet or liquid voice.
II is muffied and monotonous, and betrays
at once a stiffness of the unaccustomed
muscles, difficulty Of movements and
thickness Of tone; but it is not discordant,
nor loud, nor harsh. After this universal
greeting, the children returned to their
seats and their studies, and the smallest
and newest Of all pupils-those who were
I still only at the beginning Of their cduca-
tion-werc brought up, to show the first
stage of the process. Naturally, this first
stage-the manner in which these little
imprisoned intelligences are made aware
that they possess latent faculty by which
they can communicate with those around
them--is the most curious stage Of ALL 1t
is begun by play. The teacher places an
india-rubber ball on her hand, which the
little pupil has TO set 10 motion by blowing
at it with all the force of his little lungs;
or she produces a bladder, attached TO a
tube, which he has in the same way to puff
out with his breath The ball rolls along;
he perceiyes that this breath of his has
powers before unknown to him; the limp
bladder fills, becomes tight and round;
then is discharged against his cheek, with
a little rush fthe released air, which gives
the child pleasure. Several Of them, we
noticed, let the air escape from the blad-
der against the corner of the eye, with a
touching Identification Of the one valid
and all-powerful organ from which all i'm
pressions Gomez This is in reality the
establishment of the link which is neces-
sary between teacher and taught-the
channel Of all further communication
The next step Is TO show how that breath
can produce sound. An "a" is written
upon the blackboard, and with her mouth
fully opened, the teacher projects the
vowel into the air with movement Of her
throat and action Of her breath, which the
sensitive little fingers are made to feel.
When the child initiates this effort the vi.
bration Of the larnyx adds TO his cxpe
riences sense Of new effect attained.
Thus, sight aud sensation together achieve
the result which nature has denied, and
convey to the child's mind conviction Of
something new, which he is able to do.
} After this he is taught tho labials, a still
} more easy lesson, since the action by which
he has already putfed his ball viii produce
, the ''p' and "b, which vibrate upon his
hand from his teachers breath, with q
subtle difference Of sensation which We
, might be unable to detect, but which he
, can very well identify. Thus the entire
germ Of the system is depOsed in the mind
Of the little mute.
He secs the letter form Itself, mean
! ingiess hloroglyphie, on tho blackboard
then sees it on the lips Of his instructor
J feels 1t 10 the movement of the muscles o
the throat, to which his attention is di
reeted, and in the vibration Of the breath
: copies 1t, aud then recognizes the pleasure
OF new sensation, exactly corresponding
to the exertion he has made. This ioun
dation OF the system is, the reader viii
easily perceive, the explanation Of all tha
} follows, The littlo mute has recovered
one of his lost senses--or is in the roya
road of recovery the moment he has fel
the vibration Of that vowel in his throat
and learned that the breath Of his lip,
comes with different sensation when b,
breathes out 'pa" and phn" All the res
is simple perseverance and work. The
other aud still moro vital portion Of tht
process, by which the pupil reads on hi,
teachers lips, almost unerringly, the ordi
nary words of human speech, has, We
confess, still more the air of miracle
The unwcarying patience, by which alone
this can be attained, cannot, it is needles.
to say, be followed or fathomed in single
lesson. We can confidently assert. how.
ever, that this marvellous result has been
o,,a;ooJ Tbo Id, u.hoso los,..,., ,,.. l. 4