Cañon City record., 1898-02-10
DEAF. DUMB AND BLIND.
A Little Texas Girl Who Neefis
Equals Helen Kellar.
In spite of Her Great Amictfon
Has Many Accomplishments
Some of Her wonder-
full Acts.

Mrs. W. W. Rice is a widow living at
the little village of Wyatt, in Ellis
county, Tex. Her youngest child is
little Ruby. just past her tenth birthday
anniversary. In the fall of 1855, when
Ruby was little tot two years old,
that fearful plague, ,cerebro-spinal mem
ingitis, with the spotted fever accom-
paniment, became epidemic in the
neigfiborhood of the Rice family. Her
father, two brothers and herself were
stricken down, the father and one
of the sons soon dying with it.
Little Ruby fingered between life and
death for five weeks. when she began
slow recovery. At the end of three
months She could sit up, and from that
time on she had to learn anew to walk,
Just as she had learned in her babyhood.
Her Illness left her totally blind and
deaf. and she has never since been able
TO articulate.
In spite of her great misfortune,
Ruby is bright, Intelligent and pretty
child. When the News representatives
called Ruby and another little girl were
seated on the floor before the fire, eat
ing pecans. Although unable TO see or
hear. she, by some means. seemed to
know that stranger was in the house,
and began at once to find him. Having
located the News man. she grasped his
hand in welcome, then reaching out for
her brother and sister, drew their
hands TO his, indicating that they
should shake hands with the stranger.
Some of Huby's performances are in
deed remarkable. While the News man
was present her sister handed her a
needle aud spool of thread. The child
put both the end of the thread and the
eye of the needle in her mouth. and,
taking them out again, quickly passed
the thread through the needles eye.
She seemed to locate the eye of the
needle with her tongue. AS in the case
with most blind persons, Ruby's sense
Of touch is remarkably acute. Her fin
gers are soft and slender, with a Pc
cnliar veIseiy feeling. and they serve
for her eve as well as fingers.
Her sense of smell is very keen. Ruby
seems to be as fond OF dolls as the aver
age little girl, and displays wonderful
skill in cutting out and making dresses.
aprons, capes. etc, for her mimic
babies. She has a habit of inspecting
the trimming and style of cut Of the
dresses of lady visitors, and she shows
great ingenuity in so cutting and
trimming her dolls wardrobe
Her sewing is not confined 10 her fin
gerS by any means. She is equally ex-
pert with the sewing machine, and is
very fond Of operating it,
Ruby's accomplishments do not stop
at plain sewing. After cutsing and
sewing her dolls clothes she also cuts
aud works the buttonholes and sews on
she buttons. She is. for the most part.
seIf.taught in these munipulations. She
keeps her clothes in her own trunk. and
does not allow anyone else TO put any
thing in Il. Not long ago her sister put
some aprons In Rnhr's trunk. but they
were sooT discovered by the little miss
mud were F1Immnrily cast upon the floor
Ruby. while affoetiouate and amiabie
IN disposition. is by no means devoid of
temper.
Resides her doll. she has cat. of
which she is quite fond. and she also
.axes 20 PLAY with chickens. Not long
'ince she got mp In The night when al
The rr<t Of the family were sound
ssisep. wen; TO the fowlhouse. where
she found a hen iha, was DESTROYS Of
siitiun Rnby procured box. in which
she fixed mp urs; Of straw. and gath
cring up oil the eggs she eouid find.
some three OF four dozen. she set the
hcn up IN business, placing the box
upon the scwins machine, where her
mother found Il next morning.
she sometimes goes into the fowl
house--hlwnys at night-and catches
checkers. which she puts into coop.
Next day. after amusing herself with
ihem awhile. she turns them out. The
chickens do not seem TO be afraid Of
her. ~ may be supposed. little Ruby
Is very muc, humored. and, as far as
possible, she Is allowed TO do just as she
plcases. and amuse herself ns suits her
bcst.--5alvss;on (Tex.l News.