The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-08-03

ing there 10 held . competitive ex'
animation Of scholars from the various
institutions Of the. kind In the country,
and the grade Of the institution 10
there established. II Is there the Ohio
institution has established its rank.
Last week Superintendent Jones,
with a number OF the teachers and
pupils, went to Morgantown, N. c.,
where was held the examination for
the current year. The session. Of the
deaf.mnte teachers lasts for two
weeks. Great interest in the event 10
felt by the student body at the insti.
tuition, but no doubt as to the outcome
10 expressed. In the party 10 Miss
Ada Lyon, who is teacher Of deaf
blind pupils at the institution and II.
ysar-old, Leslie Oren, Q pupil.
story Of Achievement.
Can you imagine q child past hve
years Of age. totally blind. wholly
deaf and unable by word or sign to
make known its slightest wish? Can
you conceive Of the black chasm Of
uninterrupted darkness into which
such a life is cramped?
Did the lad want food or water?
Was he i'll?
None could tell. He danced and
wrung his hands in wild frenzy be-
cause the things he wanted did not
come. But he gave no sign. He ut
tered no sound.
The horror, the inexpressible grief
that he felt. were shown In the con.
tortions of the child.face. Where
should have been the sunshine of hap.
piness, there were the clouds Of NOR
bid discomfort.
How long could the human mind en-
dure under such a strain?
Yet for two and half years Leslie
Oren had been thus benighted. When
but two and one.half years old cere-
bro-spinal meningitis had robbed him
Of his sight and hearing.
And, thus ignorant Of all sound, all
methods of communication, and
wrapped in eternal darkness, the lad
entered the deaf-mute school and was
turned over to Miss Lyon for instruc.
ton.
Not by human hand will Miss Lyon
and Professor Jones ever receive
meet reward for the work they have
done for this sadly dwarfed life It
is not In the power of man to recon.
pense for such devotion, such untir.
ing zeal. Never complaining. though
the task seemed indeed beyond hu.
man achievement, they devoted every
available moment to the lads instruc.
tion.
Leslie Is now eleven years old. The
clouds on his face have given way
to the sunshine Of happiness. The
smile that God formed when he kissed
the baby lips and breathed therein
the breath of life has come back.
Yes. and those lips are learn
ing to mould words-words and sen.
tences which the lad speaks plainly
and understandingly. though their
sound is lost to his own ears.
Hears and Talks With FInssrs.
With his nimble fingers Leslie can
make his every want known. And,
with his fingers he feels the words
spelled out by others on their fingers.
He both hears and speaks with his
digits.
The boy has learned, too. to write
upon the typewriter. And he writes
well. Letters and lessons are spread
upon the crisp sheets by the clicking
machine as the boy touches the keys.
He knows much of geography, of arith.
metic and all the common branches.
In short, he Is not far behind any
other lad Of his years in schooling.
Among the other scholars who were
this year entered In the examination
are William H. Arras, 10, and Kreigh
B. Ayres, 15. Of the B intermediate
Oral; Edwin Hazel. 10, Third Grade,
and John Wondracd. Fourth Grade.
All are exceptionally bright and their
classmates and friends expect them Ia
maintain the rank OF the school at
the head Of the list
Young Ayers, who halls from Cleve1
land. has learned electrical engiue>ah