The Osceola times., 1884-08-30
THE DUMB TALK.
Hsw They are Taught to Read the Move
ments of the Lips.


ments of the Lips.
Springfield Mass Republican.
In somewhat obscure corner of fSoulh-
eastern Connecticut, near the village Of
Mystic River, is a school where the deaf
and dumb are Taught 10 speak like hear
ing people and understand spoken words
through the sense Of sight A very
touching incident is told by the princi-
pal, Mr.. Whipple, about a former pupil,
young woman who had graduated deaf
and dumb from DIR. Peet's sign school in
New York. She came to DR.. Whipple
TO learn articulation and lip reading.
Through the aid of an ingenious alpha
bet invented by the late Zerah c. Whip
ple) which pictures the organs OF speech
in the position they assume in produc-
ing audible sounds, this pupil will soon
be able to speak so as TO be easily under
stood. One morning she brought her
slate to Mr.. Whipple with something
written in this alphabet. On reading
he found it to be the Lords Prayer.
Perceiving her agitation, he could scarce
ly restrain his emotion as he corrected
the few uniniportant errors and delicate
ly returned it TO her.
The next morning she came exulting-
ly to him, exclaiming vocally, Il prayed
last night in my voice." Her teacher
then asked her if she had never prayed
before. "Oh, yes," said she, 81 have
thought my prayers, but never spoke
them BEFORE" and then she said, audi
bly,. my lips shall praise Thee. o God"
Attend to the voice Of my supplication,
. o Lord" The enthusiasm and JOY man
ifested by this young woman in her new
found power of speaking was shared in
by her friends, who greatly rejoiced with
her. We quote from letter she wrote
Prof Whipple after she had returned
home: 81 shall never give up my speech
for anything in the world. 1t is great
enjoyment to me, ! assure you. My
friends consider it perfect wonder, and
don't find it at all hard to understand
+. NE. Many smart and intelligent people
3 think have been restored TO hearing.
Is that not funny?" Another Interesting
, case is that of a nephew Of the late Gov.
Packer, who is receiving instruction of
Mr.. Whipple through the summer vaca-
5 uon. This gentleman lost his hearing
about nine years ago-a few weeks be-
l fore he was to graduate from college.
He has received instruction in the art OF
: lip reading only about ten weeks, and his
I progress for 80 short time has been re-
: markable. He reads the lips of his
, friends With but little difficulty, while
|. he converses with his instructors so well
that stranger looking on would hardly
:. suspect he was deaf A few evenings ago
: he tried an experiment of reading shad-
=. ows. A friend conversed with him for
some time, he standing behind her in
such position that he could not see her
: face, depending wholly upon reading the
d shadow of her lips on the wall in under
Il standing what she said.
But the most wonderful case of deaf
mute speaking in this country, and per
$ haps in the whole world, is man about
e sixty years old, an uncle of Mr.. Whipple
n who lives about SIX miles from new Lon
S don. The following account appeared in
r a paper published near his home.
e "Yhis deaf man possesses quick percep-
tons, with fine intellect. He meets
d and converses with strangers, and they
5 never mistr,lst that he is deaf The only
u serious difficulty he encounters is a
e moustache, which hides the mouth. Ev-
Is enings he has some trouble, especially
J. when the face is shaded so that he can
o not plainly see the movement of the lips.
,, 1t is then he spends much of his time
d reading, often orally, to his family or in
Z vited friends. At mass grove peace
4 meeting held at Mystic River nearly two
q years ago he was introduced from the
l. platform, and spoke to an astonished au-
s. dieDce of over 5000 people, who listened
" in breathless silence to the words of one
n who was born deaf and dumb. Mr.
?, Whipple tells some amusing anecdotes
II about himself. He once met q stranger
n near his home who asked him if there
l. was a deaf mute in that neighberhood
who has been taught to speak, and he
e replied: 81 am just the man Of whom
e you speak, and you can judge for your
z SELF" He was once conversing with a
a lady who did not know he was deaf
q Her face being shaded by her bonnet,
he had to get very near in order TO catch
her mouth. She installing his motive
n for rudeness, hurriedly left him standing
: alone. They afterward became well ac-
gu inted and had many laugh over the
y incident of the long sun bonnet Mr.
u Whipple married very estinable hear
!. ing lady, and she talks with him appar
: emily with as much ease as she would
u were his hearing perfect"
Q This deaf man was taught to speak by
u his father, the late Jonathan Whippe
J. who was the first in this country to make
e the discovery and demonstrate the fact
E to the people that deaf mutes may be
successfully taught to talk and under.
stand spoken words, through the sense
:. of sight. Such instances as these narrat-
$ ed strengthen ones faith in the prophe-
cy of Isaiah Then shall the lame man
lame man leap as hart, and the tongue
I of the dumb shall sing"
/