The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-11-28
BRILLIANT .ATTAINolENTS OFT A
BLIND AND DEAF GIRL.
a Sixtcen-Tcar Old Alabamian Who
Is Preparing Tor Harvard An
Eex-HOw She Learned
to Talk,
I ELLEN KELLAR. tho won.
NJ derful girl who, without the
q. cnnSca of oinhf ar l,onrinn

Cambridge, Mass, with as high, if not
a higher record than any of her fellow
students. The school is like other
private schools, and after three or
four years study there Miss Kellar
expects to enter Radcliffe College, the
women's department Of Harvard Uni
versity.
The famous blind girl, after she
left the Wright Humason School for
the Deaf, in Juno last, went to Cape
Cod for the summer, md few weeks
ago entered the Gilman Preparatory
School for girls, in Cambridge. Her
accomplishments 60 impressed Mr..
Gilman that he decided to measure
them by the examination papers given
to young women who applied for adj
mission to Radcliffe this year, with
the result that her work, which was
passed upon by the Harvard examin-
ers, without knowing who she WAS CT
that she lacked any Of the senses, was
pronounced most satisfactory.
When she entered the Gilman School
it was expected that she would need at
least three years OF preparatory work
before entering the Harvard annex
She will not apply for admission for
long time yet-perhaps year or two.
She is now sixteen years DID, When
she does enter the annex she will be
much younger than the average matri-
culant. and her teachers have no doubt
that her standing will be high from
the first.
She submitted typewriter answers
in the unofficial examination which she
psst, and although deaf and blind the
time she consumed WAS no greater than
that usually allowed tor the work
when the usual applicants are exam
ilea.
Those who have devoted years to the
education of deaf and bind children
know of only one other person in the
world whose accomplishments in the
face of similar obstacles approach
those Of Helen Kellar. This person is
Ragnhild Kaata, a Norwegian girl.
She is q girl year or two older than
Miss Kellar, and her lip reading and
articulations are not SO nearly perfect.
Miss Kellar's articulation has been
so developed within the last three
years that to-day she speaks tluentlY
English, German and French. For a
long time even her conscious efforts
to speak intelligently were IN vain, but
she WAS so Intelligent, and applied
herself SO steadily to the great task,
that the difficulty " ns overcome.
What sort OF o task it was may be
Judged by the fact that she had to
learn to tell the diGerenc &c between the
action OF the larynx in sounding such
words as ''caught' and ftgot" by press
ing her sensitive fingers upon the
throat OF the speaker.
Many blind and deaf children have
essayea lip reading ate y they learned
it at the Wright-Aumas on School, but
MI have failed. Yet Miss Kellar can
READ with her fingers v hatever is said
to her.
TO Go so she places her thumb over
the larynx of the spea ker, her fore
finger upon the lips and her middle
finger at the side Of the speaker
nose. Her touch is So sensitive ant
her understanding OF the vibrations 81
perfect that she does not miss word
She has read widely and is familiar
with all Of the standard authors. ShE
takes delight IN history, of which bel
knowledge is now extensive, an(
mythology has pleased her even more
She was born in Alabama, in 1880
being one OF the four children of
Confederate officer. She, like tn
others, had all her faculties at first
When she was eighteen months old
severe illness attacked her, and whel
it was over she was blind and deaf
Besides, she could not articulate clear
~: The senses of smell and taste wer'
, not impaired, md her brain onl.
needed development. In Boston sh'
received on Elementary education,
, but it was fur below that to which sh
aspi1zd.
. She entered the Wright Humeso1
School when She was fourteen, and he
, progress since chat time has been as
tonishing.
q er mother lives in Alabama, as d
her young brothers. one of whom
named for Phillips Brooks, the lat
Bishop, who was one of Miss Kellar'
dearest friends. She has made man
friends among literary and societ
folk, and has endeared herself to a.
by her lovable disposition.
Trees and Lightning.
= Writing in Himmel ind Erde, DR.
Carl Muller makes the intercstln
statement that in Germany, durin
the period of eleven years includes
hntween 1879 and 1890. some fifty.si