Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-06-22
HOW THE DEAF HEAR
THEY USE THEIR EYES INSTEAD
OF THEIR EARS.
Guided by Eyesisht Are Able to Converse Flu
emily Only Few People Hear Distinctly
Success Of Southern Matron in Concealine
the Fact that She was Absolutely Deaf.

WV IS'ooiS III tlC Outttu OtattS
under % years of age have grown deaf
since their teens. A large proportion
OF these have sustained almost COM
plete loss OF aural power. How to
benefit this constantly increasing class
of sufferers is matter of far-reaching
interest and is engaging the attention
and most earnest investigation OF nu-
merous scientists. Many educators,
too, are engaged in efforts to amelio-
rate the condition of such as are called
upon to bear with this atlliction. The
Volta bureau of Washington, d. c.,
under the supervision of DIR. Alexan.
der Graham Bell, who himself con-
versed with his profoundly deaf
mother by placing his lips on one Of
her closed eyes, and the laboratory
experiments at Clark University bear
witness to the progress made in this
important subject. Aside from the al.
most totally deaf adults, growing is
the number who have one defective
ear and are forced to take u front seat
in church or public hall, while never
will be known the army who are con-
scious of gradual failing of the hearing
sense and are wondering how soon
their friends will find it out. Curious
is the authenticated fact that only
small minority of people hear we'll.
1t is much harder to bear deafness
which has come after once knowing
the pleasures possible through the
sense OF hearing. The memory of it is
prone to make hard-of.hearing adults
suspicious. They are painfully sensi-
tive to the publicity given by talking
to them in loud voice. They shrink
instinctively from the use of artificial
aids to hearing. Why conversational
tubes or ear trumpets should not be as
commonly employed as are eye glasses
and pectacles-the need is scarcely
less great-only the pride of the hard
of-hearing can explain. 1t is less than
thirty years since the first effort was
made to teach the deaf TO speak.
Such progress has been made in the
interval with deaf children that they
are now being largely taught to substi-
tute the eye for the ear. Out OF
twenty years of varied experience in
teaching children of defective speech
and hearing q clever woman evolved
some six or seven years ago u unique
method, which is working miracles for
the hard-of-hearing adult, no less than
the totally deaf.
The remarkable progress made by
those who study what may be called
the science of "epeech reading" is il
lustrated in the case of a charming
matron from the south whose story
was recently told to writer for the
New York Tribune. She was among
the guests last winter at house party
in well-known country seat on Long
Island Sound. Winsome in her
beauty, possessed of a sprightly wit
and gracious in manner, she was the
belle of the party. She was compelled
to return to her southern home before
the party broke up, and many were
the expressions of regret at her reluc.
tant departure.
"And to think, she is deaf-to.ally
deaf" sighed the hostess, as the car.
riage turned toward the station, leav-
ing the group on the verandah dis.
consulate.
"Deaf?" they repeated in chorus.
Deaf? What do you mean%
"Lucretia Throckmorton is as deaf
as a post. She has never heard word
spoken to her while in this house.
It's years since the sound OF a human
voice has reached her clever BRAIN"
Incredulity was on every face; pro-
test in every voice.
Nonsense" said one. 81 have
talked with her by the hour, and l
am sure she heard every word"
"She never failed to answer me-"
said another. "Indeed, so quick was
the response that she seemed almost
to divine my thoughts"
al made love to her as Industrious
ly as is my want" confessed q gallant
from the neighboring military post,
"and l swear not o word of it was
lost"
II am not surprised" smiled the
hostess, "that you doubt my word. I
lived q week with Mrs. Throckmorton
before / discovered her afiliction. In
all probability l would never have
suspected it had not circumstances
forced us one night to share the same
bedroom. Not until the lights were
out and there was no response to my
repeated remarks did it dawn upon me
that my companion was as deaf as a
bedpost. Next day l learned her
story and, believe me, the day OF mir
acles has not passed. She had been
steadily growing deaf since girlhood,