The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-20
Helen's teacher. Miss Sullivan. describes how
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ssI WYNN Y. 4: ;ys;S
Sss dean and S; in
from her lips III is wiling e battle VIII
d ps.as pSsa ss II
Hs
ana a not .S 6aS s
Of and ss sH's e wtS
rssd Una asf deaf
ss M s IN wo months whs y. Hsss
copsh and then they DO not speak so plainly A. she
In letter to Mr.. Anaganos. when he, was
abroad. Helen told the story OF the origin OF
her desire to learn to speak.
l!iie dssshtsr again ana q hear nsf SPEAK. !.
va, surprise FOR n,a not rs 4, snsan
i5s all other nsIR I am happy now never was
Teacher says she thinks you would like TO hear how
M You a %sfh thoughts
,,!. sha tm. age r wss very sS
xs an sns as sfny my Sa and &f
10 at: snd ia 70
SS. @ %Sss s %a S
Ms y ioy VIII
ss, noticed mS iSss sSt t sSS
nc ~oafd 'ss'. p pso 'aiss .omssins. m:%s
'a could s0 I'd eGS %y sy
Alter that my teacher oa%e 70 me and laugh, me 70
.;srJ M. "a !ss
%"n;s.a ssi"s .n Az. Wi
went 70 Boston q see YOU AMI you went With mother 1
m .h1 ] hat should to 's sns III.
other people until very Kind lady who taught Laura
deaf and eiina rri that, she had seen Sorxsy
aa ssn .rs' to Sy the
NY an' sEs ss SHs ms
ssnsa anu In very
To Mr., Anagnos,s mind that letter. whether
viewed from historical or psychological
we'll as 81 the state in which her mind was
world and began to understand the nature OF
things BY constant practice and unr ,eI III,
os be- repc e sound Is II s
voice Of this wonderful child is far from must
pathos, which cannot fail to touch the heart Of
the auditor"
A TEACHERS OBSERVATIONS.
In Mr. Anasn9s,s report Is Miss Sulllvan's
in learning to speak. When she entered the
tive, Ike those Of a young child. Her mental
ton made the employmcnt Of tangible. forms
for the embodiment Of her thoughts almost
ception being hopcessly closed to her: and.
as the manual alphabet appealed more directly
ad foc6 to her OF touch
tion.it was made the channel through which her
ideas could flow, For three years therefore.
dunn Of intercourse with the outside, world.
She felt OF every object and observed every
m
time when Miss Sullivan became her teacher
she had made for herself moro than sixty
derstood by those who knew her. Whenever
she wished anything very much she would
fns "a * se
For, some, timo after Helen and Miss
they had no adequate means of communion
ton. and the child was often thrown upon her
sit beside her teacher after a lesson or wander
restlessly about the house. making strange.
although rarely unpleasant. noises. When sit;
on her throat. while the fingers Of the other
hand noted Cd the m3yements Of her lips 0eea.
iauGh at SON some wJ passinr I iancy and them shs
would reach out and touch the. mouth. Of any
wo 9 be as her to
trying to convey her thoughts. but il she
sit very still for a few moments. with a troubled
and disappointed expression. She was plensed
with anything that made noise. lfby chance
would show great pleasure. She liked to stand
beside piano when some ono was playing
singers mouth. while the other rested on the
piano. and she would stand there us. long as
any one would sing enjoying the perfcsmance
she had w%s snS sssa girl
she effa Of Else
and that night she was not able to sleep. She
to and Mss gSaH wh sSn
ingly. she was taken to tthe Horace Mann
we're and nd are Very dificult Tor her to pro.
nounce when occurring in c :, 2, with
n Ssr the w % Mis- snas
the one and change tho other. and sometimes
she will replace both by an analogous sound
4 and was very noticeable in her speech Mt
FIRST She THud canGs one for the other
nents to be mastered She was not content |
to be drilled in single sognds or meaniingless
Length Of the w9rd or the difficulty Of tho Hr-
so"Sase her. Sic was CONSTANT state Of
mental excitement which finally, affected her
health In less than month sho was able
The sRiids own esstaaS Of delsSt Whea sie
was first able to utter her thoughts and her |
Joys in living and distinct speech was shared |
by all who witnessed the achievement OF this |
Inst md most remarka bic OF her undertakings. |
She prefers now to speak rather than to spell |
with her fingers. and she is very much plensed |
when told by strangers that they understand |
her readily. She is now learning to read. by |
:ouching our lips. what We say to her. and is |
almost AS quick ut catching the meaning Of |
words and phrases as We utter them MS she is |
1t forming them for herself. She can read in |
This way words In foreign languages with |
which she Is not acquainted. She understands |
.hn necessity, OF close observation. and care |
,,ully notes the slightest vibrations resulting |
FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND MUSIC. |
Helen delights In studying foreign Ian |
yuages, and sho possesses an extraordinary |
acuity tor acquiring thom. Ono evening In |
July. 1888. she was informed for the first time |
)f the numerous forms and variations of hui
nan speech. and she exhibited great eager
less to know more about them. Irregular Of
orts resulted in the acquisition of n large
number o! Latin, French. Greek. and German
words. and familiar phrases. but systematic in
'truction was not begun until year later.
"Will You teach mo French 2" she spelled
with her fingers while sitting beside the
eacher OF French at the dinner table ono day.
From that day Helen sacrificed part Of her
afternoon freedom ind began to study the
language In about three months she had
'tored q great quantity Of material In her
mind. and WAS able to handle 1t skilfully and
construct sentences. She was troubled by any
mistake. and II she discovered one would con-
As..S