The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-08-31
HELEN KELLER,
Wins Admission to Radcliffe College
Though Desperately Handicapped.

1'oStol ANeiiiiis5 transcript.
Hiss Helen Keller, having complete,
under the tutorship Of Merton S. Keith
her preparation for college IN TIRE
years instead OF in the four which ha,
been assigned by some Of her friend
f)r the purpose, went to Cambridge il
June last to take the regular entrance
examinations tor Radcliffe. She hae
successfully given the usual subjects q
the preliminary examination, two year,
ago, and these remained for this en-
trance examination. Geometry, a'ge
bra, elementary Greek, advanced Greek
and advanced Latin.
1t is quite certain that no person
ever took a college examination with
so heavy handicap-we may say with
so many kinds OF a handicap-as Helen
Kel!er's on this occasion. AS all the
world knows, she could not see the ex-
animation papers nor hear the voice Of
an examiner. he natural method II
communicating the questions TO her
wonld haye been to make use Of the
! fingers 81 her oid-time "teacher' ana
Interpreter, Miss Sullivan. iss Sulli-
| van does not know Greek OR Latin or
the higher mathematics, and while she
is able to serve Helen by commitment
ing to her printed Greek and Latin.
letter by letter, she could not even if
she bad been SO disposed, have given
her she slightest Assistance IN answer
ing the examination questions. But it
was deemed best hy all concerned to
avoid even the ramotest suggestion or
possibility Of assistance. 4 gentleman
was found-~Mr. Einlng, OF the Per-
klns Institution, who had never met
Helen Keller and who was quite TN
known to her and unable to sneak to
her-who could take the examination
papers as fast as they were presented
and write them out in Braille charac-
tiers, the system of writing in punctur-
&c points now much used by the blind.
The questions thus transcribed by him.
were put into Helen's hands IN the ex-
animation room, in the presence OF a
proctor, who could not communicate
with her, and she wrote out her an
swers On the typewriter.
Here, however, came in one of the
additional points of Helen's handicap
There are two systems of Braille writ |
lng-the English and the American
There are marked differences between
then-very much such difference as
those between the two PRINCIPAL svs-
TENS OF shorthand writing. Helen
Keller has been accustomed to the
English system, in which nearly all
The books which have been put into
Brallle are printed. AS the arrange
nent with Mr.. Vining was completed
2ut day Or two before, and as it was
lot known to her that he did not write
ne English Brail!e, it was impossible
o make any other arrangement. She I
lad to puzzle out the unfamiliar meth
u OF writing, much as writer of the
'itman stenographer might use his +
snse OF logic and general intelligence
y tour dc force. to enable him to
cad the Graham shorthand and this
abor was added to the other labor of :
ielen KelIer's examination. To add .
} her difficulties, her Swiss w.toh
'ade for the blind, had been forgotten i
home, and there was no one at hand
give her the time. She worked in
Re dark with regard to the time which
'malned to her as she went along from Il
uestion to question.
But she passed the examination fri
mphantly in every study. In adj
anced Greek, which her tutor regard L
as her "star" study, she received a =
5, which is a very high mark, Yet ',
Gre, the time and the BrailIe d1fficu1- ri
worked most heavily against her. u
hat her marking was In other stud- =.
5, is not known; it is only known "
at she passed them. W
Helen Keller is now ready for ms to
culatlon as student of Radcliffe ~
'ilege. Her passing OF the examlna- or
ms, especially under such circur,- "
'nces, is in itself wonderful achieve be
ant. No particle of its severity was
ated for her because she is deaf ~
mo and blind, and no precautions
re RENTED because she is known to 8
Incapable of deceit. she sat in total
rkness and alone, without the touch do
any friendly hand. A slip pricked re,
tn unfamiliar characters was nut be- Gel
e her, and her typewriter clicked sal
Its quick and true response to the -,
rd questions. That was all. Will mf
other human being in such a =;
rid OF silence and darkness, ever do as u
lch? y
fhe question may we'll be asked. will ~
len Keller now take the regular col.
e course? Who will interpret to Der