The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-13
HELEN KELLERs FEAT.
Interesting Exhibition of SIKH in
Teaching Deaf MuteS.
From the Philadelphia Record.

From the Phlduelpnla RECORD.
Finished oratory could not have claimed
closer attention from an audience than
did the half-blurred, yet happy words,
which fell from the lips of Helen Keller,
the famous deaf and blind girl, at Mount
Airy, yesterday afternoon Her speech
was the browning event of the proceed
ings Of the American Association to Pro-
mote the Teaching Of Speech 10 the Deaf,
now holding it's summer meeting in the
buildings of the Pennsylvania Institution.
Clad in a girlish costume, with dark ring
lets falling to her shoulders and a bright
smile Illuminating her face, she took the
platform to talk on 1.-THE Value of Speech
to the Deaf
The fame of her accomplishments had
attracted many people, both scientific
and curious, all anxious to hear the af-
hicted girl, who is declared by her teachf
ers 10 be the brightest of any OF her age,
not excepting those in possession Of the
full five senses. She was introduced by
Miss Sara Fuller, principal of the Horace
Mann School, Boston, where she received
the greater part of her education. With
out a trace of embarrassment she began
her little speech. To many Of her hear
ers the articulation was somewhat indis-
tinct, and for the benefit of those fami-
liar with the signs of the deaf and dumb
Dr. Alexander Graham Bell translated
her words by the manual alphabet. She
said:
IF you knew all the joy l feel in be-
ing able 10 speak to you to-day l think
you would have some idea of the value
of speech to the deaf, and you would un-
derstand why l want every deaf child in
all this great world to have an Oppoftu-
nifty to learn to speak. / know that much
has been said and written on this subject
and that there is wide difference Of
In ton, qf17Dr Of 1aa loot In
gard to oral instruction. 1t seems very
| strange to me that there should be this
difference of opinion; | cannot under
stand how any one interested in our ed
ucation can fail to appreciate the salts
faction we feel in being able to express
our thoughts in living words Why, l use
speech, constantly, and l cannot begin
to tell you how much pleasure il gives me
to do so.
"Of course I know that it is not al
ways easy for strangers to understand
me, but it will be by and by; and in
the meantime 1 have the unspeaka Bile
and friends rejoice in my ability to
speak. My little sister and baby brother
| love to have me tell them stories in the
long summer evenings when / am at
home, and my mother and teacher often
ask me to read to them from my favorite
books. also discuss the political situ-
alton with my dear father, and we de
eide the most perpleXlng questions quite
as satisfactorily to ourselves as if 1 could
see and hear. So you see what a bless
ing speech is to me. 1t brings me into
closer and tenderer relationship with
those / love, and makes ii possible for
me to enjoy the sweet companiOnship of
a great many persons from whom I
should be entirely cut off if l could not
talk.
Il can remember the time before I
learned to speak, and how 1 used to
struggle to express my thoughts by
means of the manual alphabet-hOw my
thoughts used to beat against my finger
tips like little birds striving to gain their
freedom, until one day Miss Fuller OPEN
ed wide the prison door and let them es-
cape. wonder if she remembers how
eagerly and gladly they spread their
wings and few away. OF course, 1t was
not easy at first to fly. The speech
wings were weak and broken and had
lost all the grace and beauty that had
once been theirs; indeed, nothing was
left save the impulse to fly, but that
was something.
"One can never consent to creep when
one feels an impulse to soar. But never
theless, 1t seemed to me sometimes that
/ could never use my speech wings as
God intended / should use them; there
were so many difficulties in the way, so
many diScOuragements; but l kent on
trying, knowing that patience and perse-
verance would win in the end. And while
I worked / built the most beautiful air
castles,and dreamed dreams, the pleasant
est of which was of the time when
should talk like other people; and the
thought of the pleasure It would give my
mother to hear my voice once more sweet
ened every effort, and made every failure
an incentive to try harder next time
80 1 want to say to those who are
trying to learn to speak, and those who
are teaching them, BE of good cheer
Do not think of to-day's failures but of
the success that may come tomorrow.
You have set yourselves a difficult task,
but you will succeed If you persevere and
you will find a Joy in overcoming obsta-
ces-a delight in climbing rugged paths
which you would perhaps never know if
YOU did not sometimes slip backwards.
If the road was always smooth and pleas
ant Remember, no effort that I'VE make
to attain something beautiful is ever
lost Sometime, some where, somehow we
shall find that which we seek. We shall
speak, yes, and sing, too as God intend
ed we should speak and sing
At the conclusion of her speech Miss
Keller conversed for a short time with
her teacher, Miss Sullivan, to show the
audience her method of reading the mo-
ton Of the lips simply by resting fore
finger vertically upon them. She is so ex-