The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-25
A WORLDS WONDER.
The Marvellous Accomplishments
OF Blind and Deaf Helen Keller.
3nder Her Many Disadvsusaeea shs
Masters Speech and Becomes Elo-
quent-Her Touching Talk
in Public.

Finished OratOry could not Lave
claimed closer attention from an audi
ence than did the half-biurred, vet
happy words which fell from the lip.
Of Helen Keller, the famous deaf and
blind girl at Mount Airy a few days
ago. Her speech was the browning
event of the proceedings of the Ameri-
can Association to Promote the Teach
ing of Speech to the Deaf, now holding
its summer meeting in the building oil
the Pennsylvania institution. Clad in
falling to her shoulders and bright
smile illuminating her face, she took
the platform to talk on The Value OF
Speech to the Deaf"
The fame of her accomplishments had
attracted many people, both scientific
fiicted girl, who is declared by her
teachers to be the brightest of any OF
her age, not excepting those in posses
sion of the full five senses. She was
introduced by Miss Sara Fuller, princi.
pal of the Horace Mann school, Boston.
where she received the greater part OF
her education. Without a trace of en-
barrassment she began her little speech.
To many of her hearers the articulation
was somewhat indistinct, and for the
benefit of those familiar with the signs
of the deaf and dumb DR.. Alexander
Graham Bell translated her words by
the manual alphabet. She said:
eff you knew all the joy feel N be.
ing able to speak to you to-day think
you would have some idea of the value
of speech to the deaf, and you would
understand why 1 want every deaf child
In all this great world to have an OPP
portunity to learn to speak. know
that much has been said and written
on the subject, and that there is a wide
difference of opinion among teachers
Of the deaf in regard to oral instruc.
ton. 1t seems very strange to me that
there should be this difference of oPin-
ion; / cannot understand how anyone
interested in our education can fail to
appreciate the satisfaction we feel in
being able to express our thoughts in
living words. Why, use speech con-
stantly, and cannot begin to tell you
how much pleasure it gives me.
"Of course l know that it is not al
ways easy for strangers to understand
me, but it will be by and by; and in
the mean time have the unspeakable
happiness of knowing that my family
and friends rejoice in my ability to
speak. My little sister and baby broth
er love to have me tell them stories in
the long summer evenings when l am
at home, and my mother and teacher
often ask me to read to them from my
favorite books. L also discuss the po-
litical situation with my dear father.
Cnd we decide the most perplexing
questions quite as satisfactorily to our
selves as if l could see and hear. So
you see what blessing speech is to me.
1t brings me into closer and tenderer
with those 1 love, and
makes it possible for me to enjoy the
sweet companionship of great many
persons from whom l should be entire
ly cut off if / could not talk
II can remember the time before I
learned to speak, and how / used to
struggle to express my thoughts by
means of the manual alphabet-how my
thoughts used to beat against my finger
tips like the little birds striving to guin
their freedom, until ore day Miss Fuller
opened wide the prison door and let
them escape. / wonder if she remem-
bers how eagerly and gladly they
spread their wings and flew away. OF
course it was not easy at first to fly.
The speech wings were weak and
broeen and had lost all the grace and
beauty that had been theirs; indeed,
nothing was left save the impulse to
fy, but that was something.
"One can never consent to creep when
one feels an impulse TO soar. But,
nevertheless. it seemed to me sometimes
that could never use my speech wings az
God intended 1 should use them; there
were so many difficulties in the way.
20 many discouragements: but kept
On trying, knowing that patience and
perseverance would win in the end.
And while I worked l built the most
beautiful air castles and dreamed
Creams, the pleasantest of which was
of the time when / should talk like
other people; and the thought Of the
pleasure it would give my mother TO
Gear my voice once more sweetened !
very effort and made every failure All
incentive 10 try harder next time.
so / want to say to those who are
'rying to learn to speak. and those who |
ire teaching them: Be Of good cheer
Do not think of to-day's failures. but |
4 the success that may come to-mor- |
ow. You have set yourselves a difficult |
ask. but you will succeed If you perse- |
'ere. and you will find joy in overcom-
rg Obstacles delight in climbing |
-ucged paths which You would per-
laps never know if you did not some
ines slip backward; if the road was
lways smooth and pleasant. Remem-
'er, no effort that we make to attain |
omething beautiful is ever lost. Some
inc, somewhere, somehow. we shall |
Ind that which we seek We shall |
peak. yes. and sing. too. "a God in
ended we should speak and sing"
At the conclusion of her speech Miss
teller conversed for a shor. time with
er teacher, Miss Sullivan, TO show the
udience her method of reading the mo-
ion of the lips simply by resting .
orefnger vertically upon them She
; 50 expert in telegraphy of thi, kidd
hat she can understand everything
iiss Sullivan ~ys when taking az the
ate of 2co words a minute.-Phila,lei-
his Record
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