The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-11-18
HELEN KELlER'S WORK,
She Raised Money for the Education
of Boy Afflicted Like Herself.

A little child lived in black silence.
There never was midnight so dense a,
the darkness that envelOped his mind.
Sight and hearing were gone utterly
and forever. The child knew absolutely
nothing, except that sometimes from
somewhere something put food into his
mouth. and moved him about when
necessary. His world was limited by as
much of his little crib as he could feel
with his hands, and by the touch of this
something that cared for his wants.
The merest babe knows the sunlight
and its mothers voice and face. Five
years had passed over this little boy as
he lay on his hospital cot, but he knew
less than a mOnth-Old infant-less, in
deed, than the least of the beasts of the
field. He was completely shut up in
living tomb of flesh, with no commune
cation between himself and the great
world about him. Yet within that
prison was a healthy brain, open to all
the possibilities of life.
Since the terrible sickness that had
come to him in infancy, little Tommy
Stringer had lain thus among strangers.
His mother was dead; his father could
not help him. From his birthplace in
Washington, Pa, the helpless sufferer
had been removed to a hospital in Allie
gheny. But no institution wanted tins
troublesome charge, who would require
the constant attention of a teacher. So
the almshouse seemed the only haven
for Tommy. There at least he could
find shelter.
But it was not to be so. Light was
ahead-the glorious light of knowl-
edge. One who had been similarly shut
in by the walls of a triple affection was
to lead Tommy Stringer out into the
bright light that she herself enjoyed.
It was during the summer of 1890 that
the news of Tommy's sad plight came to
Helen Keller. The sensitive soul of this
tcn-year-old girl was deeply affected.
She, if no one else, would save the poor
boy.
ThenCeforth Tommy became the bur
den of Helens thought and conversa-
ton. She talked about him to her
friends; she wrote letter upon letter
asking aid for him. At this time oc-
III lNh d illNlOCllN liltl w tiN IllN
means of turning toward the little blind
boy the kindly interest and generous
gifts that accomplished his rescue.
The pet and playmate of Helen when
she was at home was a beautiful New
foundland dog. Through foolish
blunder. this animal was shot by
policeman. When the news came to
Helen, she had no word of reproach, but
simply said. with beautiful charity: Il
am sure they never could have done it if
they had only known what dear, good
uog 'LiOneSs' was"
The story of her love was published
widely, and from far and near-eyen
from across the Ocean-came to Helen
offers of money or another dog. The
little girl had only one answer to all
these kind expressions; she was CRATE
full, but she did not care for another
dog to take the place of Lioness. Never
theless, the gift would be accepted, if
the donor so desired. on behalf of a
little deaf, dumb and blind boy, for
whom she was trying to raise money
enough to bring him to Boston to be
educated.
In every direction Helen sent this
message, always in a specially written
personal letter that was marked by the
sweet simplicity and remarkable ability
of the author. For a long time these
letters averaged eight a day, and a
marvelously versatile and eloquent lit
tie pleader Helen showed herself. She
also wrote for newspapers articles ad-
dressed to children, as well as general
appeals-never any two precisely alike.
Helen instituted for herself rigorous
course of self-denial abstinence from
soda water and other priced luXuries),
that she might save money for her one
great object, The result of all this
effort was the securing of sufficient
funds to insure Tommy at least two
years of education at the kindergarten
for the blind, Jamaica Plain, Mass
William T. Ellis, in St. Nicholas.