The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-28
A MODERN MIRACLE.
Helen Keller, the Blind Deaf Mute,
Learns to Talk.

Boston Special to ST. Louis Republic
Boston, May 17.-Little Helen Keller,
the blind deaf mute of Tu- ,umbia, Ala.
who has for several months been an inmate
of the Perkins Institute for the Blind at
South Boston, has acquired the power of
speech. She was the counterpart of Laura
Bridgeman, and scientific men throughout
this country and in other countries have
been deeply interested in her case. She was
quick to learn, and the acuteness of her re-
manning senses. especially that of touch, was
brought TO perfection by constant practice
The Quickness with which Little Helen has
always imbibed knowledge seems little less
than miracle. No child in the full
possession of her faculties, ever made
such quick strides, it is said,
aud what she learned she
retained. Ia one year she acquired a vocabu-
larry of 100 words. the average vocabulary
being from 200 to /, 400 even to those VINO
can see. She recognizes her friends as soon
as she comes into contact with them either
by their hands or dress, and not the faintest
odor escapes her. She is passionately fond
of music and dancing. She is made aware
of the former by the vibrations of the floor
and Of the latter by feeling the motions of
the feet and the bending of the knees of her
partner. Her vocabulary has now increased
to even 5000 words, which she can spell
without a mistake and employ accurately in
composition. 81 must learn many things"
is one of her favorite expressions, and she
has acquired a knowledge of French. Ger
man, Latin and Greek that is remarkable
under the circumstances.
Now comes the most " onderful event of
her history. Helen has known for a long
time that other people spoke and has been
very eager to learn TO talk herself. For in
stance she had tried to say mamma" and
papa" accenting the tlrst syllable. She
had tried this by placing her hant on her
teachers throat and lips, getting the motion
of them and duplicating it. The knowl-
edge IT, at people who were deaf could speak
has been coming to her gradually ever siucs
October, but it was not until she heard the
story of a child in Norway who was deaf,
dumb AMI blind, and who it was said, had
learned TO talk, that she really felt That she
could learn. She began to make sou DIS, but
they were quite unpleasant and id not
really constitute talk. Miss Fuller, princi-
pal of the Horace Mann school. and Miss
Annie M. Sui, who has been Helen's
instructor the past few years, have been
tireless in their efforts to cultivate Helen's
power of speech, and this is how they went
to work to do it. Miss Sull explained by the
sign language how the little one should
place her tongue so as to produce certain
sounds which formed words. Papa" and
mamma" were the first words she learned.
She would place her little hand over her
teachers mouth, and in that way became
acquainted with the lip movements. Then
she learned the words sis" and sit" and in
those four words she had the sounds of m,
p, a, i, and t, which she could combine
into great many letters.
Little Helen was interviewed to-day by
Republic reporter, and for the first time in
her life talked with stranger. Her first
question, addressed to her teacher, was:
who is your companyp
To be sure the tone was trifle gutteral
and there was slight pause after each
word, but the tone was not especially dis
agreeable and the enunciation was suffi-
GENTLY distinct to be understood. "Where
does he lIve9 was the next question, and
this, too, was very Ineligible As the
conversation progressed, Helen seemed to
speak with more ease and confidence.
Occasionally, if she found difficulty in
enunciating word or saying a syllable she
would touch her teachers throat and lips
with her fingers to get the motion, and then
the difficulty would disappear. Some of
the sentences she uttered with surprising
clearness under the circumstances were
these:
81 am learning to speak"
"Caa you understand mep'
NY Hioener VIII 10 80 surprised 10 near
me speak"
II am going to learn to make my voice
sweet"
81 am going home In June"
THAT will be very SOON"
81 shall talk to my dear little sister, and
my parents, and brothers, and ALL"
The sample sentences coming from Helen
Keller's mouth are evidences Of one of the
greatest of modern miracles. There is no
such case a. hers in this country, and but
one other has been heard of in the world.