Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-02-01

these she says nothing in this MARIA
tive, only of the blind children in the
institution with whom she talked con
tinually, and Of her regaining of the
power of speech by teaching. Then
she describes her visit to the sea in
company with her beloved teacher,
! from Brewster On Cape Cod Then
runs her graphic account of the new
/ experience
Our pathway led through low. sandy
/ hills, and as we FASTENED on, l often
caught my feet III the long, coarse
grass, and tumbled, laughing, in the
warm, shining sand The beautiful,
warm air was peculiarly fragrant and
! [ noticed it got cooler and freSher as
we went on Suddenly we stopped.
! and [ knew. without being told, the
sea was at my feet. | knew. too, 1t
was immense. awful: and for n mo-
ment some of the sunshine seemed to
have gone out of the day. But I do
not think / was afraid: for later. when
( | had put on my bathing suit, and the
| little waves ran up on the beach, and
kissed my feet, | shouted for joy, and
plunged fearlessly into the surf. But.
unfortunately. | struck my foot on a
rock, and fell forward into the cold
water. Then a strange. fearful sense
of danger terrified me. The salt water
filled my eyes. and took away my
breath, and a great wave threw me UP
on the beach as easily as if [ had
been a little pebble. For several days
after that | was very timid. and could
hardly be persuaded to go in the water
at all; but by degrees my courage re-
turned and almost before the summer
was over, I thought it the greatest
fun to be tossed abOdt in the sea-
waves. Oh, the happy, happy hours [
spent, hunting the wonderful shells.
How pretty they were with their love
", fresh hueS and exquisite shapes.
And how pleasant it was to sit on the
sandy bank, and braid the sea-graSS
while Teacher told me stories of the
sea. and described, in simple words
that | could understand. the majestic
ocean. and the ships that drifted in
the distance like White-winged birds.
coming to her. The next morning she
helped the teacher unpack her trunk,
and when everything was i'll place,
"she kissed me kindly and gave me
Il doll. But my curiosity concerning
her was soon satisfied and she lay I'M
noticed in my lap"
Then Teacher took my hand and
slowly made the letter doll with her
fingers, at the same time making me
touch the doll OF course | did not
know the motions meant letters. L
did not know what letters were; but
/ was interested in the finger play, and
tried to initiate the motions, and L
think / succeeded in spelling (dolD in
very little while. That afternoon, be
sides doll | learned to spell pin and
hat but | did not understand that
everything had a name. Teacher had
been with me nearly two weeks ard L
had learned IS or % words, before that
thought flashed into my mild, as the
sun breaks upon the sleeping world.
! Teacher had been trying all the morn
ing to make me understand that the
mug and the milk in the mug had diff
ferent names, but | was very dull, and
kept spelling milk for mug. and mug
for milk until Teacher must have lost
all hope of making me see my mis-
| take. At last she got up. gave me the
mug. and led me out of the door to
the pump -hOuse. Some one was pump
! ing water, and as the cool, fresh
stream burst forth. teacher made me
put my mug under the spout and
spelled Water. Water.
THAT word startled my soul, and
| it awoke full Of the spirit of the morn
! ING, full of joyous, eXultant song. IN
| til that day my mind had been like
darkcned chamber, waiting for words
to enter and light the lamp, which is
thought. / left the pump-house eager
to learn everything We met the nurse
carrying my little cousin. and teacher
spelled baby And for the first time
[ was impressed with the smallness
and helplessness of a little baby, and
mingled with that thought there was
another one of myself, and | was glad
[ was myself. and not Il baby l
learned a great many words that day.
/ do not remember what they all were:
but ] do know that mother father,
sister and teacher were among
them. 1t would have been difficult to
find a happier little child than / was
that night as I lay in my crib and
thought over the joy the day had
brought me. and for the first time
longed for new day to come"
Helen then enlargeS on her delight
in nature as she then felt it, when she
could begin to put words to her feel
ings: Il was continually spelling and
acting out words as l spelled them. |
did not have regular lessons as [ do
now: | just learned about everything;
about trees and flowers. how they
absorb the dew and sunshine, and SO
on"
"The next step in my education
which I remember distinctly, was
learning to read. AS soon as | could
spell a few words. Teacher gave me
slips of cardboard on which were
printed words in raised letters. I very
quickly learned that the printed words
stood for things / had a frame IL
: which l could arrange the words sc
, People sometimes seem surprised thai
[ love the ocean when [ cannot see 1t
But I do not think it is strange. L
is because God has planted the love
of his wonderful works deep in the
hearts of his children. and whether We
! see them or not we feel everywhere
+heir haauty and mystery enfOldins