Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-03-15
LAURA BRIDGMAN.
SOME FACTS REGARDING THIS RE-
MARkABlG WOMAN RECALLED.

Her Story Has Often Been Told Before,
but 1t Can Never Lose Its Wonderful
Interest-Her Delight in wcrk-Her
Writing.
In Hanover, N. H., on Dec. 81, 1899, 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 convul-
sions till she was a year and a half old. For
a while her health improved wonderfully,
and she began to show a fair degree of intel
ligence. She had barely reached the age Of
2 years when she was stricken dow 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; a 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 4 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
to 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 1t was
not easy to communicate with her. The only
way Of telling her to go to a place was by a
push, and a wish to draw near was indicated
by a 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;
op1u Ior fothor haI CONTROL o1yar bar will
She had lived this monotonous life for eight
years when DR.. s. G. 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 as spoon, fork, knife, table, ETC.,
and having the names printed in raised let
tiers. By feeling of these she learned that the
words differed from each other as much as
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,
ond 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
straction in small numbers, to understand
the days of the week, and to measure time SO
accurately as to distinguish between a half
mud n uhola ppfa in rnucic Hpr cnpcp NJ
touch informs her when music is being per-
formed by the undulations of the air or the
vibrations of the floor. She is quick to per-
ceive the opening of a door or the approach
of a person, and recognizes in an instant her
acquaintance 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