The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-08-21
THE Du1rB talk.

THE DUMB TALK
How they are Taught to 1sad the Move
msnts Of the LIPS.
From the Springfield (Mass.) Republican.
In somewhat obscure corner OF
Southeastern Connecticut, near the vii
lage of Mystic Biver. is school house
where the deaf and dumb are taught to
speak like hearing people and under
stand spoken words through the sense
of sight. A very touching incident is
told by the principal, Mr.. Whipple,
about former pupil, young woman
who had graduated deaf and dumb from
DIR. Peet's sign school in New York.
She came to Professor Whipple to learn
articulation and lip reading. Through
the aid of an ingenus alphabet Tin
vented by the late Zerah
G. Whipple), which pictures
the organs of speech in the position
they assume in producing audible
sounds, this pupil was soon able to speak
so as to be easily understood. Ono
morning she brought her slate to Mr..
Whipple with something written in this
alphabet. On reading he found Tito be
the Lord'sprayer. Perceiving her agita-
ton, he could scarcely restrain his emo
ton as he corrected the few unimpor-
tant errors and delicately returned it
to her. The next morning she came
exultingly to him exclaiming, vocally,
II prayed last night with my voice."
Her teacher then asked her if she had
never prayed before. ooh, yes," said
she, II have thought my prayers, but
never spoke them before" and then she
said, audibly, "My lips shall praise Thee,
O God" "Attend to the voice of my
supplication, o Lord" The enthusiasm
manifested by this young woman in her
new-found power of speaking was shar-
ed in by her family and friends, who
greatly rejoiced with her. We quote
from letter she wrote Professor Whip
pie after she had returned home I shall
never give up my speech for anything
a
to me, I assure you. Ny friends con-
slider it perfect wonder, and don't find
it at all hard to understand me. Many
smart and intelligent people think I
have been restored to hearing. Is that
not funny?" Another interesting case
is that of nephew of the late Governor
Packer, who is receiving instruction of
Mr.. Whipple through the summer
vacation. This gentleman lost his
hearing about nine years age
"a few weeks before 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
remarkable. 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 that he was deaf. A few.
evenings ago he tried an experiment of
reading shadows. 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 upon the wall in understanding
what she said.
But the most wonderful case of deaf!
mute speaking in this country, and per-
haps in the world, is man about 60
years old, an uncle of Mr.. Whipple,
who lives about six miles from New
London. The following account ap-
peared in a paper published near his
home:
s"This deaf man possesses quick per-
captions, with fine intellect. He
meets and converses with strangers.
and they never 1listrust that he is deaf.
The only serious difficulty that he en-
counters is mustache, which hides the 1
mouth. Evenings he has some trouble,
especially when the face is shaded so
that he cannot plainly see the move
ment of the lips. It is then he spends
much of his time reading, often orally,
to his invited friends. At mass grove
peace meeting, held at Mystic River
nearly two years ago, he was intro
duced from the platform, and spoke to
an astonished audience of over 5000
people, who listened in breathless
silence to the words of one who was
born deaf and dumb. Mr.. Whipple
self. He once met stranger near his
home who asked him if there was a
deaf mute in that neighborhoed who
had been taught to speak, and he re-
piled: Il am the man of whom you
speak, and you can judge for yourself
He was once conversing with a lady
that did not know he was deaf. Her
face being hid by her bonnet, he had to
get very near in order to see her mouth.
She, mistaking his motive for rudeness,
hurriedly left him standing alone. They
afterward became well acquainted
and had many a laugh over
the incident of the long
sun bonnet. Mr.. Whipple married a.
very estimable hearing lady, and she
talks with him apparently with as much
ease as she would were his hearing per-
feet"
This deaf man was taught to speak
by his father, the late Jonathan Whip
pie, who was the first in this country to
make the discovery and demonstrate
the fact to the people that deaf mutes
may be successfully taught to talk and
understand spoken words through the
sense of sight. Such instances as these
narrated strengthen ones faith in the
prophecy of Isaiah: ."Then shall the
lame leap as hart, and the tongue of
the dumb shall sing"
A Hanover Girl Objects to Being
Called q Witch.