The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-10-22
A SILENT CHURCH.
a Visit to the Deaf Iutes' Sanctuary in New
York.
tCor. Pittsburgh Dlspatch.l

A. Visit to the Deaf MuteS Sanctuary In New
York.
[Cor. Pittsburgh Dispatch.l
strolled the other Sunday through
Eighteenth street, and found q number Of
people entering a small, unpretentious
Gothic structure, and followed them In:
II proved TO be church, with free seats
novelty In this city-no galleries. and .
big stained glass window in the wall at
the back Of the chancel, at each side Of
which was mural tablet That at the
right bore the text, "The tongue Of the
dumb shall sing" and that at the left,
"The ears of the deaf shallbe unstopped."
These told me plainly what might have
known from the strange quiet that pre-
vailed, that this was St AIMS Church for
deaf mutes. 1t stands Just at the rear Of
Chickering Hall, q stones throw from
Fifth avenue, and yet suppose not one in
hundred Of the inhabitants OF the city
are aware Of its existence. Indeed, 1t Is
really one Of the rarest and most curious
institutions In the world.
The church was founded something more
than thirty years ago, and was, l am in.
formed, the first of Its kind Id the world.
There are now several others; two in this
country, l think, and probably one in
France and ono in England. There are
several preachers in this country capable
of ministering to the peculiar wants Of
these people. They conduct the services
in the sign language, of course, and some-
times orally at the same time. The re.
sponses in the litany are made by the
silent congregation with awonderful fash.
ing and twinkling Of fingers.
The pastor Of this church Is DR.. Gallau.
det, whose name is known throughout the
land in prominent connection with the
work for the educational and spiritual
benefit Of deaf mutes. He was the first
preacher In the world to give himself up
entirely to this work. His father was DIR.
Thomas II. Gallaudet, a clergyman Of
Huguenot descent, who early in life
studied in France the best systems Of in.
struction Of deaf mutes, returned to Amer.
lea In 1917, founded at Hartford, Conn.,,
the first school for deaf mutes in Ameri.
ca, and then married a deaf mute young
lady belonging to prominent family of
that city.
The junior Gallaudet, the son of this
couple, was born in Hartford about 1928 or
1924. Before he was twenty years old he
was graduated at Trinity College with
high honors. The son of deaf mute, he
possessed perfect powers Of speech and
hearing, but inherited deep interest In
the unfortunate class to which his mother
belonged. So he soon camS TO the city
and became teacher in the Deaf Mute
Asylum school here. Among the pupils
was daughter of the celebrated DIR. Rudd,
and her he wooed and welded, thus be.
coming the husband and son Of deaf
mutes.
DIR. Gallaudet was the founder of this
church for deaf mutes beginning 1t merely
with Bible class. Other clergymen
were from time to time associated with
him, until now there are six Of them at
tending to the wants Of the 'silent par
ish." Three of the clergymen are them
selves deaf mutes. A large amount Of
mission work is done by them In all parts
of the city, and the number Of persons un.
der their spiritual and benevolent charge
may be approximately estimated from the
fact that the church has about 1000 COM
municants.