The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-05-27

Miss Dridgman was born at Hanover,
N. H., on December 81, 1929. She was
born possessed OF all her faculties, but
during her infancy she was subject to
severe fits. When eighteen months old
scarlet fever, which carried away her
two older sisters, brought her very low.
She lost her eyesight and her sense Of
hearing, and for five months she was
left In a darkened room. Her sense Of
smell was almost destroyed and her taste
was much impaired. The sense OF touch
was the only means with which she
could communicate with others. Her
health returned when she was five years
old and her mind became eager for
knowledge. Deafness had been followed
by dumbncss, and II was only by feeling
the motion Of her mothers hands TINT
she could make any progress. Sewing,
knitting and braiding were taught her.
= It was at this time that DR.. Samuel G.
Howe, then director Of the Perkins In.
stitution for the Blind, In South Boston,
went to sec her, He persuaded her pa.
rents TO let him take charge OF her, and
II was through him that the avenues OF
instruction were opened To her.
Laura was years old when she was
taken to the institution, and there she
remained until her death. DR.. Howe,
assisted by Miss Drew, began her fint
lesson by giving her the word knife,
which was printed In raised letters on q
slip OF paper. Then knife was given
her. BY repeating this process with
other articles, she was led To understand
what words represented. Then she
learned To spell, and at tho end Of a year
her first writing lesson was given. She
was slower In learning to write well
than many Of the blind children.
Laura became quite expert in talking
with her fingers, and only persons &C.
customed To the language could follow
her rapid motions with the eye. In
walking through passsge. with her
hands. before her, she knew all the per.
sons she met, and gave them a passing
sign ot recognition, but she embraced al.
tectionately her faVorites, and expressed
the varied language OF the emotions by
the lips as well aS by the fingers. After
she had been twenty.eight months un.
der instruction she made great progress
in expressing her ideas, and had learned
10 write letters.
On january 20, 1912, Laura was visited
by Charles Dickens, who was 30 much
interested In her that he remained sew.
eral hours. His visit is described In his
"Notes on America" In order 10 pre-.
vent her being made proud and selfish
by undue attention, she was never told
that people came 10 see her particularly,
and she always understood that their In.
terest was In the blind children gen.
erally
A remarkable faculty Of Laura Brids.
man was her ability 10 read character,
and this she did literally at her iinpers'
ends. She was very thoughtiul oil ber
friends, and liked 70 aid the poor. Al
tho tlmo OF the famine In Ireland she
bought With money which she Mad
earned at her work, barrel Of -four,
Which was sent 10 the sufferers. In The
summer Of 1859, when she was % YEAR
old, she undertook 10 make her pertna.
nent home In her fathers house IN
Hanover, but BhU became 90 honesIOk
that al last she was confined 10 her ned,
and Dt. Hoye, who vent 10 see her,
found that she was almost at dealbie
door. He had her brought back 10 the
institution, where In time Bho fully re-.
covered her health.
On December 81, 1887, tue flitleth an.
nlyenafy Of her admission 10 the lnSli.
tuition was coinmemofated, Mrs, tuIlh
Ward Hove, Dr. Howe's widow, nre,
siding gt the reception. DR., Howe, n
his will, left Miss hfldgman the interest
on 1900 annually,