Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-02
HELEN KELLER AT THE FAIR.
How This Wonderful Girl Did the
Great Exposition.

Anna VI. Sullivan in December St Nicholas
Helen Keller spent three weeks in Chi
cago during the exposition, land had a per-
fectly splendid time" Thousands and thou
sands of American young folk will share
her enthusiasm as they recall the delight
full days at the wonderful show, when, see
ing II all and hearing all about it. they took
in pleasure and information at every turn.
But little Helen Keller can neither see nor
hear. Everything is a blank to her until
an impression can be made either through
her imagination or through the deaf and
dumb language of the hands and fingers
and even then. in Helen Kellers case the
words are not seen but felt by her own
palm and fingers they lightly hold the
hand that is making these signs of words
and letters.
The president and the managers Of the
exposition were exceedingly kind to her
and did all in their power to make her visit
pleasant and instructive. So widely is she
known, and so general is the interest in
her. that wherever she went she received
loving attention. The task of describing
things to her was made lighter by the help
full sympathy of the chiefs of the depart
ments. They gladly permitted her to pass
her fingers over the exhibits whenever ii
was possible. and cheerfully gave her all
the information they could. OF course
interpreted everything to Helen by means
of the manual alphabet She was allowed
even to climb upon the great Krupp gun,
and its workings were explained to us by
one Of the German officers. Everywhere
the showcases were opened for her. and
rare works of art were given to her for ex-
animation.
At the Cape of Good Hope exhibit the
great doors were unlocked, and Helen was
admitted to the realms of diamonds, where
everything was carefully explained to us
about the precious stone: how il is mined
separated from the matrix, weighed. cut and
set Wherever it was possible she touched
sl< IN
ing done. Then she was made very happy
by being allowed to find diamond herself
the only true diamond, they assured her
that had ever been found in the United
States.
But the French bronzes afforded her more
pleasure than anything else at the fair The
picture which she presented as she bent
over beautiful group her eager fingers
studying the faces or following the grace
full lines of the figures, in her effort to
catch the artists thought. was the most
touching and pathetic / have ever seen.
And, strange as II may seem to those who
depend upon their eyes for the pleasure
which they derive from works of art this
little blind girl, who has not seen the light
since she was nineteen months old, rarely
failed to divine the thoughts which the
artists had wrought into their work
Constant practice. indeed. has given &c
Helen's sense of touch a delicacy and pre-.
cision seldom attained even by the blind
Sometimes ii seems as If her very SOU
interest her everywhere. People frequently
said to me at the fair: ''She sees more
with her fingers than we do with our eyes -
And in one of her letters she says. II am
like the people my dear friend DR.. Holmes
tells about, with eyes in their fingers tina,
spy out everything interesting. and take
hold of ii as the magnet picks out iron
filings"
Descriptions are to Helen what paintings
are to us; and her well-trained Imagination
gives the light and color. One evening. as
we sat in gondola, / tried to tell Helen
how the thousands OF tiny electric lights
were reflected in the water OF the lagoons
when she asked: Does il look as IL a
shower of golden fish had been caught in
an invisible net?' Is IL any wonder that
DR.. Holmes says of her. "She is a poet
whose Tyre was taken from her in her early
days, but whose soul is full of music"
So We see, pathetic as Helen's life must
always seem to those who enjoy the bless
ings of sight and hearing. that II is yet full
OF brightness and cheer. Of courage and
hope.