Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1898-10-14

wonderful Accomplishment OF nd
ucational Science.
Two BIND and Deaf Children Nm.
s0iea to Hold Converse with One
Touching
Sight.

history is so we'll known, by per
sonal appeals secured the sum neces-
sary to educate a little boy similarly
They were separated soon
aiter the education of the boy began,
Mr.. Ellis gives the following ac-
count OF their recent meeting, after be-
ing many years apart: Helen had been
for weeks longing to see her little
Trend, and to many verbal messages
a added her own written invitation to
Tom and his teacher to visit her at her
cambridge home. Tom himself, al
though recalling little or nothing Of his
past acquaintance with Helen, and al
together ignorant of the debt he owed
her, had begun to look forward with
pleasure to the visit.
l fear that Helen's greetings to her
old friends, Toms teachers, were not so
protracted as they otherwise would
have been; for all the while that she was
welcoming them in feminine fashion,
her hand was quietly moving about to
discover, If possible, her long-desired
visitor. When she did touch his head,
her fingers ran over it lightly for an in
slant, and the her arms were about his
neck. The expressive features of the
blind girl lighted up with a are Joy,
and throughout the visit her counten-
ance was shining.
What a fine big boy he is! The dear
little fellow" was her contradictory ex.
c.amation of delight when at last she
found her voice. Then her swift-mov-
ing fingers began to spell messages OF
affection into Toms chubby fist. All
this time she was running her othe,
hand over his face, or lifting up his
hands to her own face and curls. Toms
comment Of pleasure on touching hel
soft hair delighted her.
1t was many moments before Mis-.
Sullivan, Helen's devoted friend and
teacher, could persuade her pupil, with
the small company of friends, to BIZ
seated. The two blind and deaf chill
dren, by some subtle instinct, seemed
to know at once their community of in
terest, and together they sat in a wild,
window seat, talking with eagernesl
and ease, and absorbed in each other.
This is not the place to report fully
the merry chatter and eager words o
these two souls that so marvelousl,
dwell apart from the world in thei
realm of innocence.
The strangeness of their meeting i'm
pressed her deeply. She stopped he
conversation with Tom long enough u
speak of this. She had been readin,
Toms hand, following the movement
of his fingers, as he spelled out tn
words with a rapidity that would max
an inexperienced onlooker dizzy, b.
keeping her own hand partly closed owe
his. II suppose Tom is not used to HAY
ing people read his hand in this way,
she suggested.
The progress that Tom has mad
since Helen last met him amazed an
charmed her. In answer to an inquir
concerning Toms education in articuls
ton, his teacher asked him to speak t
her with his lips. The strange pictur
that was then presented I shall neve
forget. The children sat together, fat
ing each other, each countenance i
lumined with an animation that the po'
session of every faculty could not hay
increased. The older ones accomplish
ments are remarkable, SO that in a
things save the senses of sight and heal
ing she is not one whit behind the mo.
cultured and favored of young womel
The other child is following close afte
her, along the same pathway that sh
has pursued, knowing not his deficiel
cies even as much as his companio
knows hers, and withal richly encon
.passed by her tender sympathy.
There they sit, neither having see
since b%abyhood a ray of light, or LAWN
heard the slightest sound, and y
speaking together in articulate, audib
words that all present could unde
stand, yet which were not heard /
either of the speakers!
One finger of Helen's delicate har
touched Toms lips, and her thumb res
ed lightly upon his throat near Il
chin. He spoke to her sentence aft
sentence, and she repeated aloud aft
him the words that he uttered, answe
ing them with her fingers. The signi
canoe, the NERVOUSNESS of it all, WI
overwhelming. l doubt if the wor
has even seen a greater triumph OF ed
, cation.-St. Nicholas.