The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-18
MISS RELLER's EXAMINATIONS.

IhouRn Desperately handicapped
Boston Evening Transcript: Miss
Helen Keller. having completed. under
the tutorship Of Merton s. Keith. her
preparation for college In three years
Instead OF In the four which had been
assigned by some OF her friends for the
purpose, went to Cambridge In June
last to take the regular entrance exam
nations for Radcliffe. She had sue
cessfully given the usual subjects at
the preliminary examination. two years
ago, and these remained for this en-
trance examination Geometry. alge-
bra. elementary Greek. advanced Greek
and advanced Latin.
II Is quite certain that no person ever
took college examination with 50
heavy a handicap-we may say with 50
many kinds OF handlcap-as Helen
Keller'B on this occasion. AS all the
world knows. she could not see the ex-
animation papers nor hear the voice OF
an examiner. The natural method OF
communicating the questions to her
would have been to make use OF the
interpreter. Miss Sullivan. Miss Sui
Ivan does not know Greek or Latin or
the higher mathematics, and while she
Is able TO serve Helen by communicate
ing TO her printed Greek and Latin, let
ter by letter. she could not, even II she
had been 50 disposed. have given her
the slightest assistance In answering the
examination questions. But II was
deemed best by all concerned TO avoid
even the remOtest suggestion or posi-
bility Of assistance. a gentleman was
found-Ar. Vining Of the Perkins in
stitutlon, who had never met Helen
Keller and who was quite unknown
TO her and unable TO speak to her-who
could take the examination papers as
fast as they were presented and write
them out In BraiIle characters. the sys-
TEN Of writing in punctured points now
much used by the blind. The questions
thus transcribed by him. were put into
Helen's hands in the examination room.
in the presence OF proctor who could
not communicate with her, and she
wrote out her answers on the typewri-
ter.
Here, however, came In one of the adj
dltional points Of Helen's handicap.
There are two systems OF Braille writ
lRg-the English and the American.
There are marked differences between
them-very much such differences as
those between the two principal sys-
TENS OF shorthand writing. Helen
Keller has been accustomed to the
English system, In which nearly al
the hooks which have been put into
Braille are printed. AS the arrange
ment with Ar. Vlning was completed
but day or two before. and as It was
not known to her that he did not write
the English Brailie, It was impossible
to make any other arrangement She
had 10 puzzle out the unfamiliar meth
cd Of writing, much as a writer Of the
Pitman stenographer might use his
sense Of logic and general intelligence
by tour de force. to enable him to
read the Graham shorthand: and this
labor was added 10 the other labor OF
Helen Keller's examination. To add to
her difficulties, her Swiss watch, made
for the blind. had been forgotten at
home, and there was no one at hand.
on either Of the days Of the examina-
ton. TO give her the time. She worked
In the dark with regard to the une
which remained TO her MS she went
along from question to question.
But she passed the examination tri-
umphantly in every study. In ad-
vanced Latin she passed with credit"
In advanced Greek. which her tutor re-
garded as her "star" study. she receiv-
ed b." which is very high mark.
Yet here. the time and the Braille DIFF
fculty worked most heavily against
her. What her marking was In the 9TH
er studies, is not known: II Is only
known that she passed them.
Helen Keller is now ready for matri-
culation MS a student OF Radcliffe COL
lege. Her passing Of the examinations,
especially under such circumstances, is
In Itself a wonderful achievement. No
particle Of its severity was abated for
her because she Is deaf, dumb and
blind. and no precautions were remit
ted because she Is known to be inca
pnhle nj deceit. She sat In total dark
ness and alone, without the touch of
any friendly hand. A slip pricked with
unfamiliar characters was put before
her, and her typewriter clicked out its
! quick and true response TO the hard
questions. That was all Will any 9TH
er human being In such world Of ST.
lence and darkness. ever do as much?
The question may well be asked, will
Helen Keller now take the regular COL
lege course? Who will interpret to her
the lectures in foreign languages which
she cannot hear? No one can do this.
No lecture. even In English. can be
translated to her in the manual alpha
bet as rapidly as It is spoken. Her
usual Interpreter knows no foreign
tongue. Who will read to her all the
required matter Of the courses OF read
ing, none Of which has been put into
raised print? II is beyond mechanical
possibility to give her all this through
her fingers. The obstacles appear In
surmOuntable. But that is the prlnci-
pal reason why Helen Keller is inclined
to surmount them.
60, y,,,,,