The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-05-22
HELEN KELLER
SPEAKS IN PUBLIC;
Wonderful Woman Makes Most
Remarkable Address in
New York.
MOST sORRoWFuL VOICE
Girl Who is Blind and Deaf Gives q
Wonderful Demonstration of Her
Abiity-Hcarers Were At
fected by Her Delivery.

New York, May 15.-Helen Keller sat
at one corner of the lecture platform.
She wore a frock of white muslin, with
bit of blue ribbon at her throat and
another about her waist Her light
brown hat, adorned with garland OF
pink roses, was tilted coquettishly on
one side of her head.
All eyes We're on her. The distin-
guished persons on the PLATFORM, the
equally distinguished persons in the
audience, We're of little interest in COM
parison with this young woman, Wild
has passed her whole life i'll absolute
silence and darkness, and yet who has
been graduated from Radcliffe collegeI
These persons OF much Importance
there were almost as many carriages
and automobiles out at the New York
Eye and Ear Infirmary as there We're
persons tnSide-Sought the institution
oStenSibly to be present at the dedica-
ton of Aural pavilion, the gift of w. c.
Schermerhorn, but it was the fact that
Helen Keller was to speak that inter-
eSted them most.
She came to New York from her home
in Cambridge just to make an address,
They watched her with eager eyes as
she sat beside Miss Ann Sullivan, who
has been her companion for many years
and they waited for the time to come
when she should speak. In the audi
ence We're a few of her old friends, but
majority had never seen her before.
When Bishop Potter addressed her,
he seemed ratified. He had understood
that Joseph Jefferson was to make a
little speech and then read Miss Kel-
lers address. He had called upon Mr..
Jefferson, whereupon the situation was
explained. Then the bishop said, rather
abruptly:
Preparing for the Lecture.
IT believe that Miss Keller is to speak
first
Miss Sullivans right hand was in
were twitching exactly as II they were
afflicted with st. Vitas' dance. She and
Miss icllar arose at the same time and
advanced to the edge of the platform.
Miss Sullivan is q comfortably
rounded young woman. She too, was
dressed in white with a big black
hat, and she has fine, expressive black
eyes. Beside her Miss Keller looked
slender and girlish. Her hands We're
ungloved, Of course, and her arms We're
bare part way to the elbow.
The blind woman placed her left
hand against the side Of Miss Sulli-
vans throat the wrist resting on the
others strong shoulders as IL she was
caressing her. In Miss Keller's right
1lauu WAS punch OIL PINK ana Whlte
roses. MISS SuiilVen placed one arm
about Miss KelIers waist
Inc young woman who has never
heard a SOUND began TO talk. a strange
eerle, Grooming sound came from her
ups. sometimes 1t was wait and one
lnlgnt close ones eyes and imagine 1T
came from soul IN torment.
World of Sorrow in flor Eerie Voice.
She leaned forward a little, and she
nodded her head from time to time.
Her lips were smiling. the words she
spoke were cheerful, but there was a
world of sorrow In that strange, Groom
ing minor, that mon6tonous, intense
droning.
1t gripped the hearers who hung on
the words.
Miss Keller spoke a. phrase at a time