Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-09-27
TANNING A WILD GIRL
~be JOB - r-s5e More pimcait *,
cnG.c Ct Yer T'o-ni nenRr.

,oe Sco - -@1e More D;licalt BE-
cause cf Her Tosai Deafness.
One II tie most unique pupils of the
deaf and GImS institution of Knox
coungs Ind. is Rhoda Hewitt. n stout
sun ;Hun6d girl of between Is and 1G
summers. When she was brought TO
the school, it was learned that she Ind
lived q wild sort of life ON an out of
the way farm, spending much of her
time wandering around i'm the woods
and fields and often Sleeping at night
under the hedgcrOw or i'm fence cor
ner Her mother died when the girl
was very young, and the father had
not the time or perhaps the ability to
tell her. after she lost her hearing at
years OF age. of the world about her.
She grew up one Of natures own chill
dren.
When she TFas brought TO the school.
she was in great terror. She hung her
head and threw her hands before her
race to hide from the gaze of stran-
gers She had never i'm her life, IL was
told, been to Monroe City. the nearest
town TO her home, and had never seen
many other human beings than her IA
Their.
The strangers at the school were at
hrst looked on as enemies. She would
strike, Kick and bite when they ap-
preached. This savageness of temper
lasted about three weeks, when she be-
gan 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hid her face and repealed all advances
with Kicks or fisticuffs or threats to
use her teeth. BY degrees she came to
learn that no harm would be done and
began TO look up and take human in
terest in those about her.
Her teacher and the other nuniIs I'm
the class showed affection for her by
stroking her arm or shoulder, but it
was long time before this met with
response. Today she is one of tho
most aRectionate 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 physical
force is not essential to affection.
When Rhoda was in n pugnacious
and inconSolable state OF mind. many
ways were tried to comfort her. She
was shown a picture book. This en-
gagged her attention n little while. She
recognized the picture of n cow and ap-
parently thought of home, for she be-
gan to cry and. pointing as if toward
home. said Papa. papa,' This word and
baby" she could speak when she camo
TO school-words she had learned To
artculate before she lost her hearing.
She has already learned from tho
other children what it is TO lie Tho
children are forbidden to say any one
lies. Rhoda made sign indicating
TINS tic other day and was punished
Oy being put in a seat separate from
the other children. She understood the
punishment, for she told her teacher
afterward that she had used the word
lie aud had been made to sit apart
from the other children.
Her conception of n Creator ia aia,.
cult TO learn. The teacher takes many
occasions 60 try TO impress upon her
some notion of God. and Rhoda has
learned to point upward. rs II to an
unseen power. when she is asked about
the maker and preserver OF all.
Her development has been so fast
since she came to the school that Il is
difficult TO learn how far it has gone.
she seems To understand many things
that she has no way to express.
Inc hrst word she associated with
IN object was shoe" She can saw
shoe" In rudimentary fashion. She
roaus ana Initiates the motions of the
teachers lips when she wants to ex-
press word for an object. She now
mas IL words. When the teacher points
out the picture of COW on chart.
lthoda can write the word "cow'' ON
the Embellishments Sentinel