The Washington times., 1901-08-18

1
very much whether two and two make
four or five, whether two lines
| drawn from the extremities of the
base of an isosceles triangle are equal
or not l cannot see that the knowl-
edge of these facts makes life any
| sweeter or nobleri
''On the other hand. each language I
learn reveals n new world to me. If
| sit down to study my Aeneid new
| thoughts, new ideas, new aspirations.
flash out from the Latin words with
almost the same vividness and fresh
ness they did when the meaning of my
own beautiful language first dawned
upon my imprisoned SOUL
Some people will ask what is the use
of teaching mathematics to a person who
cannot possibly have any practical use
for them. But In this case the final re-
suit of the teaching seemed to be pleas
ure in the mere conquering of difficulties,
the intellectual exercise of the work; and
certainly nothing which makes a soul hap
pier in such prison as hers need be
considered nnimportant.
Others will ask whether the remarkab BILE
progress made by Miss Keller is due to
her intellect or to the methods of teach
ing employed. Both may have had some
thing to do with it; but her teachers,
while admitting the unusual quckness of
her mind seem to think that the methods
| employed had much to do with the re-
suits. IT would probably be useful to
most teachers to read and ponder over
the account of Helen Kellers- education.
One striking feature of Miss Sullivan's
| educational plan was that she never
talked down to Helen. Instead of adapt
ing all her language to the limited COM
prehension of the child, she used ordinary
| English idioms and encouraged her to
| learn their meaning as fast as possible.
She accustomed her pupil to books from
| the earliest possible period, and the re-
markable clearpess and beauty of Miss
Keller's English is probably due to this.
In little old treatise for the use of
schoolmasters. written by one DIR. Tai
bott some two hundred years ago, and
published in I'LL, the author sagely OBJ
| serves:
| Those that fancy a little Grammar
| Learning (as they call IT. will be of
great Use towards photography, are
widely mistaken If they imagine that
| the Spelling. Declining. and (what they
value most the Constituting of a few
Latin words will conduce much to the
| True Writing of English: Which in
deed might be more speedily and eff
fectually attained by the Help of some
short and plain English Grammar di-
Use of these Schools: Though Expe-
rience shows that this may be ac-
quired much sooner and better by fire.
quent Reading and Copying from Eng
lish Books
And here We have the teacher of a pu-
pill presenting perfectly abnormal difficult
ties to the acquiring of knowledge, advo-
eating practically the same thing. Helen
Keller, 1t is true, learned Latin and
Greek but for the fascination of the Ian
guage itself. not as an aid to expression
in English.
One of the most amazing things record
ed in this book is that Miss Sullivan ac-
tuaily succeeded in teaching her pupil to
speak, and to produce certain tones when
desired; and she says that there Is little
doubt that Helen could, If it were thought
fit be taught to sing simple melodies.
Almost from the first she has had a long
ing to speak, like other people, and she
has now succeeded SO Ye.l that her inn
mediate friends have dropped the sign
language as a means Of Communication.
She speaks to them, ann reads their an
swers from the lips. It . stated that she
can, by placing her finer; on the throat
Of singer, determine tI.e tone which is
produced and reproduce ii in her own
throat. ,1t5
The things here written transcend any
achievement of Laura Bridgman, who was
also deaf and blind. but who learned to
enjoy life fairly well in spite of it. Miss
Brdgman was taught to do all kinds Of
sewing, and to make fine lace; she could
read and write. and perform almost any
sort of household work, but, of course. |
no such thorough system of training was
given her as has been enjoyed by Helen
Keller. 1t has been proved at last that
the loss of one faculty or of two need
not render a person useless or unhappy.
Indeed, Helen Keller is probably far hap
pier than most people in possession OF
their natural faculties. She sees only the
bright and beautiful and kindly side OF
life: and her extraordinary mental acute
ness may be partly due to the fact that
she has few distractions, and. is able to
apply herself to intellectual work with
freshness and enthusiasm impossible to
others. Volta Bureau, Washington, D.C)
1.-THE Wheat Problem by Sir William
Crookes, f. r. S, is volume based on
remarks made in the Presidential address
to the British Association at Bristol" to-
gether with chapters on the future wheat
supply of the United States, by Mr.. c. |
Wood Davis, of Peotone. Kan, and the !
Hon. John Hyde, chief statistician in the
Department of Agriculture.
The author begins by saying that the |
actual and potential wheat-producing ca
pacity of the United States is, and will |
be. for years to come, the dominant fac
tor In the worlds bread supply. The OBJ !
tect of the work Is to prove that, under |
the present wasteful system of cultiva- |
ton, the wheat growing land of the |
world is becoming exhausted and that |
at some time, probably within one or two |
generations, there will be a scarcity of |
this article. After making an argument |
along this line, he occupies considerable
space with replies to his critics. Edward |
Atkinson and others, and the contrast
between his arguments and Mr.. Akin
between the methodical, hard
at thing and the optimistic and enthus-
iastic oratory of certain type of Ameri-
can. 1t seems little like using a steam
trip hammer TO smash a. grasshopper. but
in the end the grasshopper seems TO be
caught.
Sir William Crookes is not a Nautilus
however. He merely wishes to ensure
proper care of the wheat supply, that
may be averted and his ar
guments will be of general interest to po-
litical economists and others in this coun-
try and his own. (New York: G. z. Put
MANS Sons. s1G0)
Henry Knox, n Soldier OF the Revolu-
ton" is the latest volume in the
American Men of Energy Series
The author, Noah Brooks. is well
known as a writer of American his
tory. The first volume of this series was