The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-07
WONDERS OF PATIENT REACHING.
How Helen Keller, without Sight or
Hearing. Learned to speak.
Eron lie Mem YORK Ttn1es

Hearing. Learned TO speak.
From the Neto YORK Times.
The Volta bureau of Washington has pre-
pared a souvenir Of the first summer meet
ing of the American Association to Pro
mote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf
The book deals wholly with the case Of
Helen Adams Keller, the wonderful child.
who, at the age of II years, has learned to
speak and write. though she ia blind and
deaf
This child's progress was the subject of
an essay at the last meeting Of the associa-
tion by Sarah Fuller, principal Of the
Horace Mann School for the Deaf of Bos>
ton. The child was possessed of all the fac
ulties and senses Of healthy child, so far
as WAS known, until upon recovery from a
serious illness at the age of Is months she
was 70 md to have lost her sight and hear
ing. In 1887 she was placed under the in
sbruction of Miss A. NJ. Sullivan, who had
been educated at the Perkins' Institute for
the Blind in Boston. Under this instruction
Helen developed with astonishing rapiditv
the genius which has since COM
manded the admiration of those
interested in instructing the deaf
In 1888 Helen paid a visit to the Horace
Mann School. The interest that she then
manifested in the children aud in the course
Of instruction sugs ssted to Miss Fuller that
she could DO taught to speak. twas nearly
two years later, however before any effort
was made in this direction. Learning at
that time that deaf and blind child had
acquired speech, Helen became anxious to
learn to speak, and Miss Fuller was quite
ready TO undertake TO teach her.
Miss Ful,er's essay describes how she
gave the child her first lesson. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY
TASK REQUIRING MUCH PATIENCE
for Helen was obliged to learn how to use
her organs Of speech by feeling her teach
etS mouth and throat, and determining by
the same means the position of the tongue
and teeth. She proved an apt pupil, aud in
n little while she was able TO pronounce the
vowels and to give utterance also to some
OF the cOnsonants
Having gone through the preliminary
drill, tho teacher shaped her lips for the
vowel "a, )" and with the child's fingers as
guides, abe slowly closed her lips aud pro-
nounced the word ''arm.n Without hesita-
ton, Miss Fuller says, the child arranged
her tongue, repeated the sound, aud Was
delighted to know that she had pronounced
a word.
Her next attempt at pronunciation was
with the words mamma" and papa, ~
which she had tried TO speak before going
20 the teacher. The best she could do with
these words was "mum-mum" and pup
pup The teacher commended her efforts
and in order to illustrate to her how the
words should be correctly pronounced she
drew her finger along the back Of the child's
hand to show the relative length of the two
syiablss. the child's other hand In the
meanwhile resting on the teachers lips.
After a few repettiops the words imam
ma" and papa" came with almost musical
sweetness from her lips
There wore nine Lessons after fhiq in
which the child proved an ideal pupil, fol-
lowing every direction with the utmost care,
and seeming never to forget anything told
her. AT the close of her lessons she used
speech huently. She received her first les
son March 20, 1890, and April 10 of the
Same year, while at the house of a friend,
she related an account of a visit she had
made to DR.. Oliver Wendell Holmes, IN
which her pronunciation was 80 good that
there were only four words out OF more than
hundred that the teacher failed TO under
stand
AS part Of this souvenir there are two let
ters wonderfully well written by the child,
the first st South Boston, April 3, 1880, and
the second at her homo at Tuscumbia, Ala,
Dot. 70, 1880 A photograph of the child is
also published in the souvenir.
Helen Adams Keller is the daughter of
Maj. Arthur Henry and Kate Adams ReI-
Ter. She was bora at Tusoumbia, June ~,
1880. Her father was q psymaster in the
confederate army and United States mar
shall under President Cleveland. He is an
editor at Tuscumbia. Her paternsl grand
mother, Mary Fairfax Moore, was
the daughter Of Col Alexander Moore OF
Rocfbridgs county, Virginia. who was
aide.de-camp to Gen. Lafayette She was
also second cousin to Maj. Cen Robert (.
Loe. Her maternal grandfather was Gen.
Charles William Adams, q lawyer and
Judge OF Memphis, Tenn, who was briga-
der general in the confederate army. Her
maternal grand cnother, Helen Everett, was
cousin ct Ed = sr Everett and Of the Rev.
Edward Everett Hale Of boston.