The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-10-11
WITH FINGER TIPS.
HOW HELEN KELLER WAS TAUGHT
THE NAMES or THINGS.


Her Tirelcss Instructress-A Face hat |
Mirrors Soul which Knows Nanght Of
the Appearance of Sin.
The most interesting feature of the ed |
ucational congress was the appearance
of Helen keller under the kind and skill
full guidance of Miss Annie M. Sullivan,
her teacher When babe, Helen Keller !
became blind, deaf and dumb When
Miss Sullivan. a young woman of unus-
ual beauty of form and feature, stood
before the audience beside girl who,
except for the sad sign of blindness in
the large eyes, gave promise Of still
greater beauty, her face glistening with
q rapture that painters try to express in
the ecstacy of angels. hearts, seemed to
stand still. 1t was face th:S had never
consciously looked on the distortions of
passion or pain-the mirror of soul
that could not imagine the outward APP
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 impulsive
fiuttering of her young, white hand Ms
it sought her teachers face or round,
white throat; the satisfaction when the
contact of her delicate white finger tips
gave her what sight gives us; the fash
of light over her face when, with her
forefnger resting on her teachers lip,
she read the answer to the question she
had asked by the twinkling 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 mournful numbers
Life is but an empty dream.
All were invited to ask questions, yet
not many did So The occasion seemed
sacred.
"How did you teach her the 6rst
wordy' some one ventured at last.
Her first word was doll, ;" was the
answer II gave her the doh, placed
her finger on my lip and spoke the word.
When she wearied of the doll, took 1t
from her, and when returned it again
gave the movement Of the lips. The
second word was mug Insed the cup
from which she drank, but became con-
vinced that she had not clear idea Of
the name, but that IL meant 10 her also
water or drink. So one day took her
to the pump, and az the water was fow-
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 q name,
the comprehension of nouns, was great
revelation to her and came then and ali
at once. She was greatly excited. A
nurse, with the baby sister in her arms
was standing near. Helen Immediately
put her hand ON its face to know its
name ] told her baby. and she caught
it at once. Then she stopped down and
patted the ground TO know what II " q:
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 thas
nounsy'
mot at all. began with such word
as 'sit,' stand and the like that wer,
easy to illustrate. Propositions troubled
her most"
How does she get an idea of the alb
stract"
Il cannot tell. It seems to be witt
her, or it comes"
Has she any distinguishing sense o
musical vibrations
''Yes, very distinct. She likes music.
rs her vocabulary larger"
Very large. She expresses hersel
fuently and is choice of words"
'.What books does she like besti"
Every now and then the white finger
futtered to the teachers face for jus
one delicate touch---a finger look it wa
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 he
mental processes. She repeated eac
word after Miss Sullivan, but hesitate
a little on the words .'tell" and s'you,
the brightness of her face dimming fo
the instant. AS soon as she comprt
hended the question. which she did in ai
vance of it's completion, the flash OF inte
hgence came, and when she turned II
ward the audience, for she did notseel
at any time to lose her location, she sai
with spirit: ~ 's Z J sst @s ~
"Oh. I have read so much that it
very hard TO say what I Hike best, but
waiting amoment . title Lord Faun
leroy y'''---a And then followed rapid
the names Or several works. some /
which,sit would seem. could hardly |
understood by any one who cannot lno
sound md color. ~ Ase 80
..How doycu read?''
by raised letters and by my teacher
II noticed when you pronounced *
her you Articulated with an nexaggerate
motion OF the lips, said ones .Isn,
that necessarily
s.Her teaching was begun in that wa
do not think 1T Is necessary or best.
attribute the peculiarly Of her voice
that mechanical action which she use
think it would have been better al
inst as easy if she had been spoken i