The Portland daily press., 1881-01-08
Portland School for the Deaf.


The reader fresh from Addison's charming
essay which proves sight to be the most per-
feet of all our senses, would be slow to believe
that hearing is, nevertheless, the more valua-
BILE sense. But he may be convinced that su ch
is the case if he will reflect that, although
sight gives us more information at first hand
from nature, it is through spoken words. or
their printed representatives, we have our
communication with our fellow men. And
the difficulty which child who has lost his
hearing, before learning to talk, has in learn
ing the meaning of the written and printed
representatives of spoken words is almost in
surmountable
When patient and skilful teacher takes a
deaf child and begins to teach il the first emo
tion of an attentive observer is usually aston
ishment at the grossness of ignorance which is
brought to light. The narrowness of mental
vision,s the paucity of clear ideas, the utter
want of information about everything which
they do not happen to have seen, is in the un-
taught deaf beyond the imagination of those
who have no especial knowledge Of the sub
iect. When such a child is taught the mean
ing and use of written language sight itself
becomes new sense to him. 1t is an act of
high philanthropy to teach deaf child to read
and write; and this has been long acknowl-
edged in every Christian State.
In modern days, however, we do something
far better than this. Reading and writing are,
indeed, highly useful arts, but they make
poor substitute for the living voice. The deaf
child has not in fact learned the full meanin 9
Of wrttan word uOtil ba hoe
thing about audible Speech and as means OF
communication slate writing is so slow and nm.
satisfactory that the mere ability to read and
write does not put a pupil into direct contact
with ordinary society The deaf who cannot
speak remain, in spite of their reading and
writing, isolated creatures But in our Port.
land school all the deaf children, who have
any talent or ability for speech, are taught tn
speak, and to read speech from the lips of ner.
sons talking to tnem. 1t is slow work: all teach
ing of the deaf in matters of language is SLOW.
but it pays; it is a wonderful process. M
more interesting or more valuable work is done
| in our city than is done in the Deaf school on
| Free street. Ii men would visit the school and
examine it they could not but be aroused an
grow enthusiastic over it. W.
But 1t is great work, an expensive work
There can be no class instruction: none in
comparison with other schools. Each pupil is.
In most respects, class by himself This re-
suits from the very nature of their infirmities.
1t therefore requires larger proportion of
teachers to the children 1t requires also more
apparatus, more illustrated books, more globes
and models than other schools. The CITY Gov.
sernment has dealt literally and wisely with it:
still it needs private help also, and it is greatly
to be hoped that the lecture given for its beneS.
| fit next week may be we'll attended: and that
| many OF those who cannot go will at least pur.
chase tickets. 1t would do only good if MANY
who can afford it should buy tickets. who'll
irrespective of his attendance, or the attend.
ance of his family. TfIoMAs Hit.