Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-12


noted in these columns If sent to Mrs.
| George c. Ball, Nineteenth street, between
| Tenth and Eleventh avenues. South High
| lands. Telephone $685.
Notwithstanding the many and very
remarkable accounts we read of Helen
Kellar, the little Alabama girl who has
given such unmistakable evidences of
marvellous gifts, though deaf and blind,
we occasionally lose sight of her mental
progress and development because she SO
quietly pursues her studies and Is, in a
measure, cut off from the big busting
world on account of her physical infirm-
titles. She is no longer dumb, having
learned to speak through the careful
training of specialists according to the
process now employed at the most ad-
vanced institutions for the deaf and
dumb in this country and Europe. Oc-
casionally the newspapers. of the country
contain items of interest concerning this
rarely endowed Alabama girl, and the
following description of her keen enjoy
ment of vocal music and the means used
to convey to her mind the sensation of
sound, though she Is hopelessly deaf,
will give some idea of Helen Kellars
physical Improvement and, the degree of
cultivation she has attained. The last
number of Harper's Bazaar says:
I'm the very interesting article on Hell
en- Kellar, which recently appeared in
this paper, the fact of her extraordinary
susceptibility to the influence of music
was, 1 believe, not touched upon. In
credible as 1t may seem to those who
have never witnessed her rapture while
under this influence, she is nevertheless
capable of deriving exquisite enjoyment.
from vocal music.
Some time ago the writer was present
when the bearer of certain messages
from a group of intimate friends living
I11- III
in this city where she was studying dill
igently at that time. An Introductory
note printed in raised characters had
been sent in with the card but, as subse-
quent events proved, the visitor knew
nothing of the contents of the former.
During the interview which followed,
and in spite of Helen's visible pleasure
in hearing about her absent friends,
there was a certain constraint in her
courteous manner, an effort in the polite
and graceful way in which she sustained
her share-of the conversation. l noticed,
too, that she continued to hold the note
in her hands, restlessly turning and
twisting 1t at intervals. Her mind was
assuredly at work on something apart
from the subjects spoken of. AT last,
with a sigh of relief, she eagerly exc1aim-
ed: 'C--writes that you have a wonder
full voice. and promises that you will sing
to me- C fatters,' was the reply,
hastily made to cover surprise and utter
confusion; but Helen only laughed joy
ously at this, and with one of the fine spir-
tied movements peculiar to her she
sprang up, offering her hand to lead her
guest to an upright piano at the other
end of the room
with her teacher, Miss Sullivan, to
guide her movements, Helen, standing
close to the vocalist, adjusted her finger
tips so that they lightly touched the
throat of the singer. 1t was an inde-
scribably beautiful sight, for her emo
tons were mirrored in her countenance
as she drank in those waves of sound
thus mysteriously absorbed and truly
stirring her very soul. LISTS tender
and ethereal setting of 'Du Dist vie cine
Bume, was the song rendered, and the
prolonged notes seemed to cause ineffa-
BILE bliss, so radiant was the face upturn-
ed-eloquent and suggestive beyond
words. grateful kiss and the astound-
remark, You were singing in GERMANY
brought this scene to close, and its de-
scripton will serve to illustrate one more
phase in the phenomenal development
of this gifted young creature
Speaking of remarkable Alabama peo-
pie, L was reading few days ago
gracefully written account. by a bright
Georgia woman of an old family scrap
book owned by Mrs. Milledge of Atlanta,
now venerable woman more than so
years of age, but whose faculties are but
little impaired ny mel 1ndny ySdISt hIo.
Milledge is the representative of distin-
gushed families and her scrap book con-
tains all kinds of "reminiscences of past
generations, and diving into it's yellow
pages must have been like opening
rose jar, the lifting of the corner of
which discovered rose petals dissolved
and shrunken with the touch of time
but still fragrant with beautiful memo
RES Well, in this same scrap book
this rose jar, If you please-there was
the name and some reminder of Madame
LIE Vert, one of the most distinguished
women the south has produced, and after
her marriage resident of Mobile. Know
ing that many Alabamans still recall
her social triumphs and brilliant mental
endowments, l give this extract from
the article referred to:
II remember well when she first
visited Savannah" she continued,
bright smile flashing over her face at the
"Reminiscences. Emma Barnwell, Mar
garet Telfair and several other of my girl
friends came rushing towards me one
day, and Emma cried,~ oh, Catherine,
don't you want to see girl who has had
200 offers?' Yes, who Is it?' I asked.
why, it's Octavia Walton, and she's
coming to see us!
This was Madame LIE Vert of later
wears. And it was very interesting to
hear Mrs. Milledge talk of this brilliant
woman-a woman of plain appearance,
short, stout, with no special beauty of
feature, but with that charm of CONVERSE
ton, that vvacity and wit which made
all men in Savannah crazy about her
before she left the city although they
were reluctant to meet her when they
first caught sight of the plain face.
Madame LIE Vert married a Mobile
gentleman bearing that French name.
but possessing English kinsmen of nobil-
ity One of these was an earl, who enter
tanned at his house his brilliant Ameri-
can cousin-in-law and her. daughter.
years after that visit to Savannah.
"A pretty incident occurred during that
visit. Madame lie Vert, on her presenta-
ton to the queen, was especially honored
by reason of her husbands distinguished
relatives in England, She was standing
in the throng waiting her turn, when the
lord. chamberlain approached her. maxi
ing path in the crowd by waving his
golden wand, and babe her come forward
to the dais upon which her majesty was
seated. Madame LIE Vert complied, bear
ing the conspicuousness of the honor with
the dignity surprisingly characteristic of
her short stature. One of the ladies of
the court remarked to her. afterwards
upon her great composure.
".You bore yourself as though you