River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-06-14
LAURA BRIpGMAN.
Interesting History or Mrs. Haw.
thorne's Bust of the Greatly AGlict-
ed Child

Interesting History of Mrs. Haw
thorne's Bust of the Greatly AnIict-
ed Child
From the Boston Commonwealth.
In 1889 there was published by Weeks.
Jordan & Co., in this city, and Wiley &
Putnam, New YORK aad London, a pa
per-covered qqarto pamphlet entitled
THE Gentle Boy,a hrite-rold Tale, by
NathaniaI Hawthorne. With an Oriental
Illustration" The illustration was an
outlines drawing, after Flaxman, ana
the passage in the story selected as its
theme was: f'The boy had hushed his
wailing at once aud turned his face up to
| the stranger" This Sketch, falling tin-
der the eye of Clevinger, a young sculp-
| tor of brilliant promise, who had come
! to Boston from the west. was examined
with much interest His Comment up.
on it was that the artist had, in his
| judgement, a decided natural Gift for
sculpture. Miss Sophia A Peabody of
| Salem (aferward the wife of Nathaniel
HawthorRe,) was the artist, and in
due coufse she became pupil of Gle
| vinger. And, although iii this depart
mems of art but few specimens Of her
work remain, she accomplished
enough TO satisfy her friends that Clev-
niger was not mistaken. Among her
earlier efforts were two medallian por-
traits Which We're remarkably success
| full, although one was made Chiefly from
memory, aud the other from such sug-
gestions as friends were able to.furnsh.
Her first serious work in soul pture, for
which sittings were regularly given, was
a portrait bust of Laura Bridgman, at Is
years of age, which she undertook at.the
request Of Dr. Howe. To the benevo,
lent in all lands the history of Laura
Bridgman has been a familiar story.
child of unusual promise. she had been
Smitten with scarlet fever while not
three years of age. Escaping barely
with her life, she survived with an inn
paired constitution and totally deprived
OF sight, of hearing, and of every sense,
in fact, save that of touch and a
faint vestige of taste and smell.
1t is difficult to conceive of the utter
sadness and isolation of this child upon
whom had fallen a calamity so complete
and dreadful, With bodily disabi tiles
thus multiplied, it seemed as if her soul
were immured within marble tomb,
and her one solitary sense, that of
touch, has been likened to lily hand
stretched out from her living grave APP
pealing in her silence and darkness for
sympathy and succor.
The lleshly walls arc white and thin
Which close her yearning spirit in;
Celestial FOOTBALLS she can hear
Inaudible to grOsser ear"
And DR.. Howe Ito the glory Of God and
his own everlasting honor responded
with celestial footballs" to til Z cry of
this imprisoned Psyche; and beautiful
upon tie mountain tops were the feet
of her deliverer. He took her TO the
institution for the blind which will forev-
er more be identified with his name and
Laura's. He watched over and in
structed her, until ,lunder his foster care.
her faculties were so marvelously devel
oped that he has been termed, not inap
propriately her, second creator.
One of the most interesting chapters
in Dickens American Notes, is the
story of his visit to the Perkins institu-
ton and his account of Laura Bridgman.
"Her face" he says "was radiant with
intelligence and pleasure. Her hair,
braided by her own hands, bound about
a head whose ntellectual capacity and
preselopment were beautifully ex-
broased in its graceful outline and its
pectd open brow" Such were the as
was ofthe little girl when Miss Peabody
A9p commissioned by DIR. Howe to
make the portrait bust above referred
to. And it is an interesting circum-
stance that she was at that time be-
trGthed to Nathaniel Hawthorne, and
that the $3.50 which she received for the
work went into a fund which she had
already begun to set apart for her we'd
ding trousseAu.
Laura herself watched the progress of
the clay model with keen interest, per-
using its features with delicate; sensitive
fingers, clapping her little hands with
delight, and gleefuly speaking of the
bust as her "white baby Miss Peabody's
plan was to screen the eyes with kerr
chief as in the classic statues of the god
dess of Justice, but DIR. Howe unfortu-
nately, as we think, objected to that
method, preferring literal treatment;
and, in conformity with his wishes, she
reluctantly copied the ribbon which was
actually worn by the child at the time.
The completed bust was perfect sue.
cess-satisfactory TO DIR. Howe and to all
who had watched with interest the pro-
gress of the work. Only one copy was
made, however, and that may still be
seen at the Perkins institution for the
blind, at S )uth Boston. For long time
it has stood there in the rOtuDda, but
unfortunately, it was placed at too high a
point for the light to fall upon it at a
favorable angle, and so 1t would seem to
have lapsed practically into unmerited
oblivion.
During the present year, however, an
active interest seems to have sprung up
in this nearly forgotten work of Mrs.
Hawthorne. Copies have been multi
piled; and nearly every school for blind
and for deaf mutes in this country which
could afford the triiing cost has gladly
procured one And inquiries for copies
are now coming from England, France,
q Al Il, al,