The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-10-18
WITH FINGER TIPS.
HOW HELEN KELLER WAS TAUGHT
THE NAMES OF THINGS.
Something Of the Method Explained by
-&8er-Tireless Instructress-A Face That
Mirrors . Soul Which Knows Naught Of
the Appearance of Sin.

Mirrors . Soul Which Knows Naught Of
b Appearance Of Sin.
The most interesting feature of the ed
vocational congress was the appearance
Of Helen Keller under the kind and skill
full guidance of Miss Annie M. Sullivan,
her teacher. When a babe. Helen Keller
became blind, deaf and dumb. When
Miss Sullivan, a young woman of unus
nal beauty Of form and feature, stood
before the audience beside a girl who,
except for the sad sign of blindness in
the large eyes, gave promise Of still
greater beauty. her face glistening with
a rapture that painters try to express in
the ecstacy of angels, hearts seemed TO
stand still. 1t was a face that had never
consciously looked on the distortions of
passion or pain-the mirror Of a soul
that could not imagine the outward ap-
pearance of sin nor remember any Of the
discords of life.
In her presence it was hard to appre-
ciate the fact that her world lay within
ours, without sun, music or speech. No
one who saw it will forget the impulsiye
futter1ng Of her yours, white hand as
it sought her Teachers face or round,
white throat: the sati sfaction when the
contact of her delicats white finger tips
gave her what sight gives us; the fash
Of light over her fuce when. with her
f~orefinger resting Oh her teachers lip,
she read the answer to the question she
had asked by the tw.nkling digital move
ments in her teachers palm. There
were those who wept when she repeated
audibly, with a depth of feeling she
alone can feel:
Tell me not in rnournful numbers
Life Is but an empty dream.
All We're invited to ask questions, yet
not many did so. The occasion seemed
sacred.
How did you teach her the first
word?' some one ventured at last.
Her first word was doll was the
answer. Il gave her the doll. placed
her finger on my lip and spoke the word.
When she wearied of the doll. l took it
from her, and when / returned it again
gave the movement Of the lips. The
second word was 'mug.' used the cup
from which she drank. but became CON
WINGED that she had not a clear idea of
the name, but that ii meant to her also
water or drink. Sol one day took her
to the pump. ard as the water was flow
ing into her cup had her hold her hand
in the stream, and then putting her fin
ger on my lip gave her the word water
Then ! again gave her the word mug
The idea that everything had a name,
the comprehension of nouns. was a great
revelation to her and came then and all
at once. she was greatly excited. A
nurse, with the baby sister in her arms,
was standing neal. Helen Immediately
pat her hand on its face to know its
name. ] told her baby, and she caught
1t at once. Then she stopped down and
patted the ground to know what it was
called. She learned many words that
day, and those words she never forgot
How soon after she learned words
did she frame sentences
Immediately
Were verbs harder to learn thai.
nouns
Not at all. began with such words
as sit stand and the like that were
easy to illustrate. Propositions troubled
her most"
How does she get an idea Of the alb
stractg"
Il cannot tell. 1t seems to be with
her, OF it comes"
Has she any distinguishing sense Of
musical vibrations"
Eyes, very distinct. She likes music"
lis her vocabulary large::'
Very large. She expresses herself
fuently and is choice of words"
What books does she like best?"
Every now and then the white fingers
duttered to the teachers face for Just
n delicate touch-a finger look it was
and now they rested on Miss Sulli-
vans lip:
"Tell-the people what - books
you-like-best."
Helen's face was an open book of her
processes. She repeated each
word after Miss Sullivan, but hesitated
q little on the words tell" and you"
the brightness of her face dimming for
the instant. As soon as she compr
hended the question, which she did in ad-
vance of its completion, the fash of intel
Hgence came, and when she turned To-
Wdiu lAe daiieiCs, ioI sHe dld NOT seem
at any time to lose her location, she said
with spirit:
"Oh. l have read so much that it is
very hard to say what | like best, but
waiting moment Little Lord Faunt- |
leroy And then followed rapidly
the names OF several works, some of
which, it would seem, could hardly lie |
by any u who cannot know
sound and color.
"How do You read:"
by raised letters and by ~myteacher."
Il noticed when you pronounced for
hsr you a~rticulated with an exaggerated
motion Of the lips" said one. "Is not
hat necessary"
"Her teaching was begun in that way.
do not think it Is necessary or best. l
lttxibuts the peculiarly q her voice to
lAst mechanical action which she uses.
| think Il WouA haYn hnnn hnkhnr and