, 1889-10-05
LITTLE HELEN KELLER.
Remarkable Intelligence Displayed by n
Blind Deaf Mute.

Remarkable Intelligence Displayed by a
Blind Deaf Mute.
Helen Keller has a wonderful mem
DRY and seldom forgets what she has
n learned, and she learns very
quickly. She is a wonderfully bright
child, and her teacher, instead of urg-
ing her 10 study, is often obliged to
coax Helen away from some example
in arithmetic, or other task, lest the
little girl should injure her health by
working too hard at her lessons. But
her marvellous progress is not due to
her fine memory alone, but also to her
great ~quickness of perception and to
her remarkable powers Of thought.
To speak a little moro clearly, Helen
understands with singular rapidity,
not only what is said 10 her, but even
the feelings and the state of mind of
those about her, and she thinks more
than most children of her age. The
Touch" schoolmistress has done such
wonders for her little pupil that you
would scarcely believe how many
things Helen finds out, as with cleo
trio quickness, through her fingers.
She knows in a moment whether her
companions are sad or frightened or
impatient-in other words, she has
learned so well what movements peo-
pie make under the influence of differ
emit feelings that at times she seems to
read u thoughts.
Thus, when she was walking out
one day with her mother, a boy ex-
ploded a torpedo which frightened
Mrs. Keller. Helen asked at once,
what are you afraid Of" Some of
you already know that sound Il. e.,
noise of all sorts is produced by the
vibrations OF the air striking against
our organs of hearing-that is to say,
the ears; and deaf people, even though
they can hear absolutely nothing, are
still conscious of these vibrations.
Thus, they car feel" loud music,
probably because it shakes the floor;
and Helen's sense of feeling is so Won
derfully acute that she no doubt learns
many things from these vibrations of
the air which to us are imperceptible.
The following anecdote illustrates
both her quickness of touch and her
reasoning powers. The matron of the
Perkins Institution for the Blind ex-
hibited one day to a number of friends
a glass lemon squeezer of a new pat
tern. 1t had never been used, and no
one present could guess for what pur-
pose it was intended. Some one hand
ed it to Helen, who spelled lemon
AIDE" on her fingers, and asked for a
drinking glass. When the glass was
brought, she placed the squeezer in
proper position for use. The little maid
was closely questioned as TO how she
found out a secret that had bafHed all
the seeing people present. She tap
ped her forehead twice and spelled, Il
think"
L cannot forcbear telling you one
more anecdote about her, which seems
to me a very pathetic one. She is a
very good mimic, and loves to initiate
the motions and gestures of those
about her, and she can dose very clev-
erly. On a certain Sunday night she
went to church with p lady named
Mrs. Hopkins, having been cautioned
beforehand by her teacher that she
must sit very quiet during the church
service. 1t is very hard to sit perfect
ly still, however, when you can't hear
N word of what the minister is say
ing, and little Helen presently began
to talk to Mrs. Hopkins, and ask what
was going or. Mrs. Hopkins told her,
and reminded her of Miss Sullivan's
injunction about keeping quiet. She
immediately obeyed, and turning
her head in a listening attitude, she
said, II listen. "-St. Nicholas.