Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1900-07-06
A STRANGE PUPIL
Little Deaf Girl who Lived q wnd Life
tor Years.

One OF the most unique pupils OF
the deaf and dumb institution Of
Knox county, Ind, is Rhoda Hewitt,
a stout, sun-tanned girl Of botweer
13 and l6 summers When she was
brought tc the school il was learned
that She had lived a wild sort Of life
on an out-of-the-way farm, spending
much Of her time wandering around
in the woods and fields. end often
sleeping a night under the hedgorow
or in a fence corner IIermother died
when the girl was very young and
the father had not the time nor per-
haps the ability, to tell her, after she
lost her hearing at three years Of age,
of the world about her. She grew up,
one of natures own children.
When she was brought to the school
she was in great terror Sss hung
her head and threw her hands before
her face to hide from The gage Of stran-
gers. She had never in her hfe.
it was told, been to Monroe City, the
nearest town to her home, and had
never seen many other human beings
than her father
The strangers of the school were at
first looked on as enemies. She would
strike, kick or bite when they APP
preached. This savageness oftemper
lasted about three weeks. when she
began to appreciate that no one would
do her harm, but that all wanted to
be kind to her.
Rhoda was put in Miss Elizabeth
Rays class. For three weeks she cried,
hid her face and repelled all advances
with kicks or fsticuffs or threats to
use her teeth. BY degrees she came
to learn that 10 harm would be done,
and began to look up and take hui
man interest in those about her.
Her teacher and the other pupilsin
the class showed affection for her by
stroking her arm or shoulder, but il
was long time before this met with
response. To-day she is one Of the
most affectionate pupils in Miss Rays
class, and rarely passes her teacher
without touching her in an affection
ate way characteristic of the deaf.
Sometimes the affection is shown by
a rather too severe blow in the back,
and one Of the teachers duties is to
make her understand that great phys
ical force is not essential to affection.
When Rhoda was in a pugnacious
and inconsolable state of mind many
ways were tried to comfort her She
was shown a picture book. This en-
gagged her attention a little while.
She recognized the picture of COW,
and apparently thought of home, for
she began to cry, and, pointing as if
toward home, said: "Papa, papap'
This word and ''baby" she could speak
when she came to school-words she
bad learned to articulate before she
lost her hearing.
She has already learned from the
other children what it is to Tie. The
children are forbidden to say that
anyone lies. Rhoda made sign in
dicating this the other day, and was
punished by being nut in a seat sep
arate from the otker children, She
understood the purpose of the pun
ishment, for she told her teacher aft
erward that she had used the word lie,
and had been made to sit apart from
the other children,
6er conception Of a Creator is diff
cult to learn, The teacher takes many
occasions TO try to impress upon her
some notion Of God, and Rhoda has
learned to point upward, as If to an
unseen power, when she IS asked
about the Maker and Preseryer Of all.
Her development has been so fast
since she came to the school that it
is difficult to learn how farit has gene.
She seems to understand many things
that she has no way to express.
The first word she associated with
an object was "shoe." She can say
shoe in rudimcntary fashion She
reads and initiates the motions cf the
teachers lips when she wants to ex'
press a word for an object, She now
knows 1G words. When the teacher
points out the picture Of a COW on
chart, Rhoda can write the worC
"ocwn on the blackboard,-N Y