The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-20

suppose you fee. 50. too. when you gaze
Ep 70 ffae stars Ia the stiffness OF the
night, do you not 90
Another specimen OF Helen,s style Is
gwen IN dream Of which she wrote
long ago.
Last night irsant that long. long
ago. when the birds and flowers and
trees we're first made. the great God
Who mad created all things SAT- upon a
beautiful cloud which hooked like silver
ana seemed to float in the midst OF the
piue SKY Ike throne: and He looked
down upon the earth-the wonderful
world He had made out Of His own
thought.
Oh. how beautiful the earth was:
with her great mountains climbing 10
wards 10 the sky. and her valleys filed
with understanding flowers and deiic-
foas fruit The trees seemed alive with
beautiful living things: the little birds.
joyous song made the air yibrase with
music kneit on the cool, green moss
that crept down to the edge OF the
merry little brooks. and I touched the
water "a Il rippied past me. The broad,
deep lakes were as quiet as little Sleep
ing babies. and felt the ground trerEbie
under my feet when the river went
rushing past 10 Join the stormy ocean.
Then went 20 the shore and nut my
bare fsel IN the water, and felt the
waves beating against the shore con-
tiauaiiy: and God smiled. and the
world was filed with light, and there
was no evil. no wrong In all the world.
only love and beauty and goodness.
Just then felt teacher kissing my lips.
and / awoke"
One of the most lovely traits in Hell
ems character is her devotion TO other
little children, particularly those who
are blind. One day while she was visit
ing an institution for the blind in Bos-
Ton her teacher found Helen seated In
the center of a group Of blind girls, tel
ing them stories from memory and
reading To them with the raised letters
from one OF her favorite books. The
childs great desire to acquire oral
speech was chiefly prompted by her de-
termination to make her little sister
Mildred understand her. After her first
success in this extraordinary effort. she
wrote to her teacher In a burst of glad
ness:
Ny heart Is fun OF joy this beautiful
morning because have learned to
speak many new words and can make
lew sentences. How glad my mother
win be. can hardly wait for June TO
come. am so eager TO speak. to her and
TO my precious little sister Mildred
could not understand me when I spelled
with my fingers. but now she will sit
In my lap and I will tell her many
things to please her ind we shall be so
happy together
Really. as one talks with Helen or
reads her writings, one marvels at the
constant joy which seems to illuminate
this afflicted sould. perhaps less afflicted
than one might think. Certain it is that
had Helen Keller been born with sight
and hearing like other girls. she would
never have possessed her present mar
Vicious memory or known that exquisite
delicacy of feeling which is hers now
nor would she. at the age of ii, haze
written such a thought as this, taken
from one OF her letters:
Il am always delighted when anyone
writes me a beautiful thought which /
can treasure in my memory forever. 1t
Is because my books are full of the
riches of which MIR. Ruskin speaks that
/ love them so dearly. / did not rea-
ifze until began to write the sketch
what precious companions books have
been to me, and how blessed even my
life has been. and now / am happier
than ever because I do realize the hap
piness that has come to me-
Thus We see that the grand law OF
compensation applies even In case of
a child who is born deaf, dumb and
blind. There is a splendid lesson for
others in the life of Helen Keller. a les
son that much may be accomplished
with little IL one has but the will 10 do
1t. and that happiness and peace of
mind. at least, is possible In spite of the
saddest affliction.
I,tyIsI Nh Aflar,r,-,,rxr.