The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1898-03-11
DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND.
A Little Texas Girl Who Noarly
Equals Helen Kellar.
In Spite of Her Great Addiction She
Has Many Accom- .,iishments-
Some of Her WONDER
fu1 Acts.

Mrs. W. W. Rice is 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 1889, when
Ruby was a little tot two years old,
that fearful plague, cerebro-spinal men-
nights, with the spotted fever accom-
paniment, became epidemic in the
neighbcrhood 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 WALL,
lust as she had learned in her babyhocd.
Her illness left her totally blind and
deaf, and she has never since been able
to ariicuiate.
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 TIE fire, cat
ing pecans. Although unable to see CT
hear, she, by some nea-s, seemed to
know that stranger was in the house,
ard began at once to find him. Having
located the News man, she grasped his
hand in welcome, then reaching out fol
her brother and sister, drew their
hands to his, indicating that they
should shake hands with the stranger.
Some of Ruby's performances are in
deed remarkable. While the News mar
was present her sister handed her &
needle AID spool of thread. The child
put both the end Of the thread and the
eve of the needle in her mouth, and,
taking them cut 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 r:ost blind persons, Ruby's sense
Of touch is remarkably acute. Her fin
gers are soft and slender, with pc
GUITAR velvety feeling, and they serve
for her eye rs well as fingers.
Her sense of smell is very keen. Ruby
seems TO be rs 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
,,abies. She has habit of inspecting
Ike trimming and style of cut of the
lresses of lady visitors, and she shows
Great ingenuity in so cutting and
trimming her dolls wardrobe.
Ter sewing is not coniincG to her fin
GERS by any means. She is equally eX-
pert with the sewing machine, aud is
very ford Of operating it.
Ruby's accomplishments do not stor
at plain sewing. After cutting. and
sewing her dolls clothes she also cuts
and works the buttopholes and sews or
the buttons. She is, for the mcst Part
self-taught in these maDipu.ations. She
keeps her clothes in her own trunk and
does not allow anyone else to put any
thing in it. Not long ago her sister put
some aprons in Ruby's trunk. but they
were soon discovered by the little mis-
arc we're srIrrarily cast upon the floor.
RUBY, while affectionate ard amab'c
in disposition, is by no means devoid O.
temper. ,
lteSIflCS ENT iOil. HliO iAAh - NeA'f
which she is quite fond, and she ais'
loves to play with chickens. Not lone
since she get up in the night when n
the rest Of the family were sound
asleep. went to the fowlhouse. where
She found a hen that was DESTROYS o!
sitting. Ruby procured box, in which
she fixed up nest of straw. and, gath
ering M all the eggs she could md
some three or four dozen, she set the
hen up in business, placing the box
unon tEe sewing machine, where her
mother found it next morning.
She sometimes goes into the fowl
aouse-a.ways at night-ard catches
CHECKERS. which she puts into coop
Next day. after amusing herself with
hem awhile. she turns them out. The
chickens do not seem to lie AFRAID CT
'.er. AS may be supposed, little Ruby
very mutil humored, and, as far as
1cssib!e. she is allowed TO do just as she
leases, ard amuse herself as suits her
,est.-Ca.ycston (Tex.) News.