The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-06
HELEN KELLER.
How That Wonderful Young Person
Succeeds in Her Studies.
HER FIRST YEARS COLLEGE PRE-
PARATORY WORK.

1880
member of a Class-Eow She Takes
examinations and the Praise Which
They Have Won for Her-she Is Now
in the Second Years Course,
An account of the first years college
preparatory work done by Miss Helen
Adams Keller, as 'Little Helen Keller, :"
the. blind and deaf girl, is now called, has
just been given out by Arthur Gilman,
NJ. A, director of the Cambridge School
for Girls, where Helen has lived for the
past year.
Helen entered in September, 1896, &C.
companied by her teacher, Miss Anne
sullivan, the plan being to have them
Doth In every class, Miss Sullivan being
the interpreter of the instruction given
by the teachers. For the first time in her
lie Helen lived in the constant society OF
seeing and hearing persons, and was
taught with normal pupils by instructors
inexperienced in. teaching the deaf or the
blind. Her companionship at all times
was supplied by normal persons. Mr.
Gilman himself had had no experience
with any but seeing and hearing pupils,
and at first could converse with Helen
only by allowing her to talk with her
mouth and take his words from his lips
with her fingers.
Though Helen had not been instructed
ina course preparatory to college. she had
been taught much English and needed
little instruction in that direction beyond
the critical study of books especially as
signed by the colleges for. that purpose for
1897. She had also made good progress in
French and had had what would amount
to about a half years Latin. She was
unusually advanced in German, and it
was thought that good years work
would fit her for both the elementary and
the advanced examination. These expec-
tations were more than fulfilled. 1t was
thought probable that at the end of the
nation set by Harvard in English, history
French, and elementary and advanced
German. While preparing for these tests,
Helen was to study arithmetic also, in
order to begin algebra the next year.
One of the first questions that arose
At Harvard the candidates are num- ered
and are known to those who conduct the
examinations by numbers only. 1t was
impossible to conceal the fact that
Helen papers were written by her, be-
cause she was obliged to use typewriter
+ha- oh
Some one had to serve as eyes for Helen
and testify that she was the person who
actually produced the written paper.
Miss Sullivan was unwilling to act in
that capacity, and Mr.. Gilman, who, as
"a member of the corporation of Radcliffe
College for many years, was familiar with
the Harvard examinations, was chosen.
He proceeded, therefore, to learn the
manual alphabet and acquired facility in
it by giving Helen q portion Of her work
in English and reading to her examina-
ton papers in French, German, etc.
About Christmas time he began to read
Shakespeare and other authors to Helen,
she constantly complimenting him upon
his good progress.
All difficulties vanished as the work
progressed. The teacher Of German be-
came. interested and learned to read Helen
with her hand Others did The same.
There was, however, difficulty in getting
the books made promptly enough in spite
of the willingness in London, in Phila-
delphia and elsewhere to hasten all such
work. I'll Q aviG ity with which Helen read
whatever was placed within her range
kept her always ahead Of the respective
lessons. Helen never studied as If 1t were
task. With her new text book was
fresh and delightful field for investiga-
ton. The exhiIaration of overcoming OBJ
stscles kept this schoolgirl as much inter-
ested as another might be . in achieving
success in game of golf or tennis
The actual school work during the year
showed little difference between the treat
ment of Helen and of other pupils. In
the class Miss Sullivan was always by her
side interpreting the instruction OF the
teachers, and in study hours she read to
her pupil what she had to learn, except
such work as was prepared in Braille.
Helen enjoyed the plays of Shakespeare
that Mr.. Gilman read to her immensely,
and also Burke's essays. Macaulay and
Johnson interested her less. In reading
Burke, when the word heterogeneous
was encountered, Helen said: Il have
never seen that word, but it is evidently
OF creek origin, although she had never
studied Greek. When Burke said that
parliament had disarmed Wales by statute
ana now proposed to disarm America by
an instruction. Helen quietly re-
marked: Rather polite, was it notP"
When MIR. Gilman explained the meaning
OF 'chlcane," and showed her the trick
by which the New Englanders nullifed
an act OF Parliament, Helen exclaimed
That was the way in which the case W.
decided in the Merchant of Venice. 1t
was legal bubble that Bellario taught
For1la?' From these and other incidents
Mr. GlIman was led to believe that the
logical action of Helen's mind is it's most
pronounced trait.
Inc harvard examinations were held