Connecticut western news., 1882-07-26
A SILENT MERRYMAKING.
FESTIVITIES WHERE NOT WORD WAS SPOKEN - DANCING TO MUSIC THAT COULD NOT BE HEARD-A NOVEL Ex- sCURsIoN PARTY.
From the New York Heral6. l

There were about forty couples danc- ing on the upper deck of an excursion barge, as it moved slowly up the Hud- son in tow of the steamer Vanderbilt. The feet of the dancers kept perfect time to the merry music of the orchestra, and they moved easily and gracefully through the figures of the lancers. Had @ chance observer been told that not oue of these eighty young ladies and gentlemen could hear a single note of the music he would probably have received the state ment with incredulity, as he took an- other look at the smooth, gliding mo- tions of the jewellers. Yet such was the fact. The dancers were not only deaf but dumb, for it was 8 picnic party, made up of these poor, doubly afflicted ones. But there was nothing to suggest aff1iotion in the manner of the excursionists. On the contrary, they were enjoying themselves hugely, and seemed to feel all that indescribable exhilaration which thrills true lovers of the dance when the soft strains of Strauss waltz comes floating downward from the gallery of the Academy of Music on the night of the charity It was the sixth annual excursion of the Manhattan Literary Association, an organization of deaf mutes formed prin- cipally of lady and gentlemen graduates from the institutions for instructlng
 the deaf and dumb. Accompanied by
 their friends, the party, about five hun
 dred in all, started from Eighth street,
 East River. at half-past eight in the
 morning, steamed around the Battery,
 to the North River, and, after calling
 at Eleventh street to take few more
 on board, proceeded up the Hudson to
 Mount Pleasant grove at Hastings.
 WHAT SCIENCE HAS DONE.
 The excursion was striking illustra-
 tion of how much science has done to
 alleviate the condition of the deaf and
 dumb. It was strange, indeed, to see
 them dance with such precision merely
 from watching with quick, trained eyes
 the time beats of the orchestra leader | duu LILO 6bOPS O4 bAO60 WAO OOuAU AOeSAs
 But still more marvellous was it to hear
 the deaf speak. There were at least @
 score of those present who had been
 educated in the new art of lip reading
 and who could carry on 8 conversation
 in the usual way, having learned to read and speak from watching the lips oi their teachers. A mustache on the part
 of the person they spoke with was g 7 puzzle for them sometimes, as it partly , conceals the movements of the mouth and the Herald reporter, who has { heavy mustache, found it severe tes for some of the pupils. One charming young lady, however, conversed witt great ease and fuency. She admitted
 and here she blushed very deeply-tha
 she was accustomed to a mustache,
 young gentleman, very intimate friend possessing very soft and silky one. 2 Two things were noticeable about tn ,, excursion party. When the musi
 ceased there was almost dead silence
 Now and then peal of hearty laughte ia would be heard, showing that in tha sense the plcknickers were not dumt ~ but there was little of the buzz an 's chatter of conversation which ~one usu Id ally hears on festive occasions of tn - sort. The few who conversed were, ( r r course, a very small minority. Br 70 such 8 confusing and rapid gesticul' ', tion with the hands With the quicl h ness of lightning, and with bright, @. ar pressive eyes, the mutes conversin .. with each other in the sign lal T guage, and jokes and repartee we. ,w, w round very much as they always d. " Another thing noticeable was when ,+ group of ladies and gentlemen was COT is posed of mutes and hearing people-f .a there were several such on board. Wht Jo this chanced and conversation spru1 ,a up an amusing sight followed. I'll oa hearing persons not understanding u sign language, another means of col bo munication was necessary. Quick as 1d flash out would come note books al bo pencils, and the whole party would ta
 to dashing of nasty notes to ca o+ other. When the talk became animat ot all hands would be seen writing flu ,h- ously in their note books.
 ho When the barge reached Mount Ple' >.4 ant and lunch baskets had been emptie ,ho little parties strolled off under the tre ,o+ and it was very soon evident to one W
 watched the pretty girls and their L1 corts that irritation and expressions
 andearment are about the same in m sign language as in our spoken tong oo Whether any of the students pursr soil 'ne.r s'oulos Ill Np io"''ins ""' no' - certained.
 ,;io The excursionists amused themsel ,n1 very much as others do--with boatil u15 fishing, swimming and so on and uoo half-past four started to return, req ooo ing the city again at nine o'clock.
 ot The officers of the Manhattan Lii ,;oh ary Association are as follows: Jt ;Ia Wilkinson, president; G. l.. Reynol
 first vice president; 5. P. Cornell .ho second vice-president John Hog Lo secretary, and John P. Hams, treasu
 There are about l, ,OO0 deaf mutes in ! ,s1. York City, and about half that nun
 were at the excursion.
 Id if
 hem THE Pic SrYE.-An American W ,uld ing through town in Wales saw ] am- cession with flags flying, trumpets bl 1ell. ing, and man hoisted shoulder h cted and asked, "What is all this abou
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