The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-03-16
LAURA BRIDGMAN.
SOME FACTS REGARDING THIS RE-
MARkAeLG WOMAN RECALLED.

Her Story Has Often been Told Before,
Int.rest-Her Delight In Work Her
Writing.
In Hanover. N. H., on Dec. 81, 1929, the
wife of Daniel Bridgman gave birth TO a
delicate girl, who was destined TO become one
Of the most interesting persons OF this age.
The constitution of the little girl was very
feeble, and she was subject to severe conyul-
sions till she was year and half old For
while her health improved wonderfully,
and she began to show fair degree Of intel
ligence. She had barely reached the age OF
years when she was stricken down with
scarlet fever, and at the end Of five weeks
she had lost both sight and hearing. For
five months she was kept in bed in a dark
ened room; year passed before she could
walk unsupported, and it was two years be-
fore she was strong enough to sit up all day
1t was not until she was years Of age that
her bodily health was restored, but her sense
Of taste and smell had died too Her living
brain refused to die, but there was no means
Of communication with her except through
her sense of touch. As soon as she was able
70 walk she wandered about the room
feeling Of everything she could lay her
hands on, and through the guidance of her
mother even learned to sew, to knit and to
braid She was very affectionate, but it was
not easy to communicate with her. The only
way Of telling her to go TO place was by
push, and wish to draw near was indicated
by drawing movement. A pat on the head
meant approval, on the back disapproval.
She showed eagerness to learn, but the need
of language to restrain her became evident;
only her father had control over her will.
She had lived this monotonous life for eight
years when Dr. s.. q. Howe, director of the
Perkins Institute and Massachusetts, School
for the Blind, in South Boston, heard Of her.
He went to Hanover, saw the child and pre-
vailed upon the parents to intrust her to his
care. In October, 1887, she was taken to the
institution. DR.. Howe commenced her in
struction by taking common household arti-
Giles, such rs spoon, fork, knife, table, etc,
and having the names printed in raised let
ters BY feeling Of these she learned that the
words differed from each other as much az
the articles they designated. Then she
learned to place the labels on the things they
designated. Within three months after the
beginning Of these experiments she had
learned the manual alphabet as used by the
deaf mutes.
Imagine the delight Laura Bridgman must
have felt when she found that she could com
municate with the world by the movements
of her fingers
Her progress from now on was marvellous,
and she was soon able to read books for the
blind and to write letters to her parents She
also learned the process Of addition and sub
in small numbers, to understand
the days of the week, and to measure time so
accurately as to distinguish between "A half
and a whole note i'll music. Her sense of
touch informs her when music IL being per-
formed by the fluctuations of the air or the
vibrations of the floor. She is quick to per-
ceive the opening Of II door or the approach
of n person, and recognizes in an instant her
by touching their hands or
their dress Laura Bridgman is now almost
GO years old and enjoys the best of health.
Her head is finely developed Her light
brown hair is parted in the middle and
combed very smoothly back; the ends are
braided in fine plaits and twisted around the
back of her head. Her face is small and
somewhat wrinkled, her mouth very small,