Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-08-16
THE DUMB TALK.
How They are Taught to Read the Move
ments of the Lips.

ments of the Lips.
Springfield CMass) Republican.
In a somewhat obscure corner of South.
eastern Conn ecticut, near the village Of
Mystic River, is school where the deaf
and dumb are taught to 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,
a young woman who had graduated deaf
and dumb from DR.. 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 uninlportant errors and delicate
ly returned it to her.
The next morning she came exulting-
ly to him, exclaiming vocally, 81 prayed
last night in my voice." Her teacher
then asked her if she had never prayed
before. "Oh, yes," said she, Il 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 re turned
home: 81 shall never give up my speech
for anything in the world. 1t is great
enjoyment to me, l assure you. My
friends consider it a perfect wonder, and
don't find it at all hard to understand
me. Many smart and intelligent people
think have been restored to hearing.
Is that not funny?" Another Interesting
case is that of nephew of the late Gov.
Packer, who is receiving instruction of
Mr.. Whipple through the summer vaca.
ton. This gentleman lost his hearing
about nine years ago-a few weeks be-
fore he was to graduate from college.
He has received instruction in the art of
lip reading only about ten weeks, and his
progress for so 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 a 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 |
shadow of her lips on the wall in under.
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 |
sixty years old, an uncle of Mr. Whipple |
who lives about SIX miles from new Lon
don. The following account appeared in |
4 paper published near his home.
This deaf man possesses quick percep-
ions, with a fine intellect. He meets |
md converses with strangers, and they |
never mistrlist that he is deaf The only
serious difficulty he encounters is a
which hides the mouth. Ev-
enings he has some trouble, especially
when the face is shaded so that he can
not plainly see the movement of the lips.
It is then he spends much of his time
reading, often orally, to his family or in
vited friends. At a mass grove peace
meeting held at Mystic River nearly two
years ago he was introduced from the
platform, and spoke to an astonished au-
Hence of over 5000 people, who listened
N breathless silence TO the words of one
who was born deaf and dumb. Mr..
Whipple tells some amusing anecdotes
about himself He once met stranger
near his home who asked him if there
was deaf mute in that neighborhood
who has been taught to speak, and he
,eplied: Il amjust the man Of whom
you speak, and you can judge for your
elf" He was once conversing with a
ady who did not know he was deaf.
Her face being shaded by her bonnet,
ne had to get very near in order TO catch
her mouth. She mistaking his motive
tor rudeness, hurriedly left him standing
alone. They afterwa-d became well ac-
lu tinted and had many laugh over the
Incident of the long sun bonnet. Mr..
Whipple married a very estinable hear
ng lady, and she talks with him appar
,ntly with as much ease as she would
we're his hearing perfect"
This deaf man was taught to speak by
lis father, the late Jonathan Whipple,
Who was the first in this country to make
he discovery and demonstrate the fact
o the people that deaf mutes may be
taught to talk and under
tand spoken words, through the sense
# sight. Such instances as these narrat-
ID strengthen ones faith in the prophe-
y of Isaiah: "Then shall the lame man
anne man leap as hart, and the tongue
# the dumb shall sing"
pINKERTON,S TRAP