The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-28

cate TO him conception OF something he
has never seen he Cbtairs very confused
or erroneous idea. lie has some idea OF
the relations of cause and effect. lie
knows that IL he goes out in the rain he
will be wet. Ii he s cold he can obtain
warmth by putting wood in the stove and
lighting IT,. By observing familiar effects
he learns what has produced them. But
his iudgmt mt is exercised on particular
cases with which he is familiar, and he
seldom arrives at general conclusions. lie
has memory, anal gy, association OF
IDEAS. Ii has been observed that IN his
efforts to communicate one thing he sug-
gests another.
Dr. Isaac Lewis Pest, who was TO- many
year principal of the New York institu-
tion for tn Deaf and Dumb, said of the
uneducated deaf mute:
THINK IN IMAGES.
Except when he is actually convers-
ing wi h others he does not employ any
vehicle of thought, not even signs. This
is the invariable testimony OF all deaf
mutes whom / have questioned on the
subject. They think in images, aud the
signs they make grow out OF and yep
resent these images.
Some experienced teachers believe that
the mind of the deaf mute is SO inert be-
fore education that the process which
goes on in it is not illogical thinking"
A few try to accou for what they see
alb ut them; others have testified that be-
fore education their minds almost pas
siveIy received impressions of their sur
roundings, and that they never tried to
account for them. This mental inert ess
is one of the difficulties with which teach
ers of the deaf must contend. Aside from
his one defect deaf child may haveghad
at birth a brain as well developed as that
l. -. A. l.. I..A lnI 70 frn
silence, almost cut of from communication
with his fellows, certai mental slug
gishn ess is inevitable.
The reflective powers deaf mute
children usually develop much more
slowly than with children who hear, be-
cause the possession of signs for ideas that
are beyond the sphere of.direcI i tuition,
and the exercise of the faculties by inter-
course with other minds, are essential for
development of those powers. deaf
child, in his first years at school, usually
acquires knowledge more slowly than his
hearing brother; but. after reaching
certain point, the intelligent deaf mute
often keeps pace with the hearing. Deaf
mutes have graduated with h nor from
C llegss for the hearing. The training
of the eye has gene on from infancy with
out inte ruption. The mind is picture
gallery; and the 6eaf mute often excels
III art.
The question, have educate deaf mutes
n conscience? has been discussed by edu-
Gators, and the opinions OF some OF the
most prominent instructors favor the neg
ative. 1t is admitted that the uneducat-
ed deaf mute never rises TO the concep--
tion of God or Great First Cause, and
it is equally clear that his mind is desti-
tute OF ethical distinctions. Dr. Harvey
u. Peet said: all he teacher In nu3ier-
Gus class of newly arrived deaf mutes is
olt N no A "a g.
sionary to some tribe of heat hens"
ANIMAL PASSIONS STRONG.
Another educator says: "The unedu-
Gated deaf mute grows up in the midst OF
an enlightened civilization free from the
influences of his surroundings, and is in
respect to morals i'm almost an absolutely
primitive condition. The animal passions
are rong an their qualification sought
for; he app eciates kindness and resents
injury, end will steal end hide the thing
stolen; he Acquires Ger. ain IDEAS IN regard
TO the rights OF possession and will com
init violence in Cefensc Of such rights
without Temorse; but these facts fail to
es ablish the existence of n conscience"
The sam teacher says that after educa-
tion is begun in an institution the fund
amental principles OF morality are reiter-
ated so persistently that the pupils must
necessarily imbipe a little by absorption,
at least. Before 10 z they show Q knowl
edge OF the moral quality OF actions and
manifest conscience which, however,
at first IL no more like the theological
conscience than the teeli~g that makes n
dog stink away when detected | 4 ooing
something wrong.
The testimony OF educated deaf mutes
regarding some OF their ideas before in
structo on - very interesting. Some fsncied
the " ind was b own from the mouth OF an
unse being. a number supp sed that
rain and lightning were caused by men
In the sky pouring down wster and firing
guns. one who had seen flour falling in
a mill thought that snow was ground
from mill In the sky. Some thought
the stars were candle or lamps, lighted
every evening by inhabitants Of the
heaven. @ iy one said she bad "tried TO
think" about the orig n of the world
and its inhs bitants. All had great
terror OF death and being put I'm the
grave One had been haunted by n fear
that she mighs awake ia the grave and
te unable TO call for help. One thought
death was cause by med 'ciue admins
tered by the doctor Dea mutes savc re-
fused l. so 20 bed when III Il ON obssrv-
ing that sick persons have taken To their
beds before death. Those who were taken
IN church ly lheir pareuts IN ia fhey had