The Washington herald., 1906-11-04

The case of eleven-year-old Maud
Scott promises to rival that Of Helen
Keller in interest This child is SAID 10
be the only congenitally blind and deaf
person whose education has been under
taken.
one extraordinary part OF the story IS
tnat Up to the time she was seven years
ola. Maud Scott had lived entirely in d
cradle made for her use. Not a thing
had been done TO teach her the Inerest
beginnings Of normal existence.
she did not know that she could stand
or sit or walk. When she was taken 10
the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb
at JACKSON Miss, even prominent edu-
Gators pronounced the case hopeless.
Like Helen Keller. little Maud Scott
found teacher who was willing 20 de-
vote herself even 10 a seemingly hopeless
task. The teacher was Mrs. NJ A. Bod
kin
The first task undertaken, says the New
Orleans Times-Democrat. was to teach
her the use of her lower and upper limbs.
She was lifted from the cradle and held
in a standing posture, and after DAYS Of
patient perseverance 70 the darkness Of
Maud's mind there came its first light
She was taught that these legs and feet
were TO stand and walk on, and that the
standing posture was proper. and the
custom Of other people in the world.
Taught Use of Limbs.
It was then s.'denced to her mind that
the cradle she had occupied for seven
years was 10 be used in future only for
rest. Tutoring the little arms and hands
was the next undertaking. Il was made
clear 20 Maud that her arms and hands
were given her not merely TO be waved
in darkness from a cradle. 4 ball was
placed in the hand. Maud's fingers were
pressed about IT.
She was given the object to handle day
after day, and finally she became &C
quainted with IT, She was familiar with
the shape and size, and when IL had one
day been changed 70 one slightly different
IN proportions, the little girl noted the
difference in her facial expression.
This was the first evidence Of the work
ings Of the mind Of this benighted child.
Before this time, at intervals, Maud had
felt her lips pressed open by some oval
pointed object, and food was put into her
mouth. That was all she knew OF eating.
She had 10 idea Of the necessity OF this
process, and II certain tastes pleased her.
there was no method Of communicating
the fact, that they might be repeated. II
she might become hungry before serving
time, there was nothing 10 do but wait.
Learning to Eat.
Mrs. Bodkia acquainted Maud with the
process Of feeding herself Almost for
endless days, the pupil at table beside
the teacher, a spoon was pressed into her
hand. the fingers were closely pressed
about il, and a motion OF conveying il
from platter TO mouth was repeated
The mind finally grasped some meaning
Of all this. She came to know that when
she was seated ar table and a soopn was
placed IN her hand. there was before he-
something 10 eat She began TO know
how TO feed herself
With these things conveyed TO the mind
Of this little deaf. dumb, and blind child
the next thing Mrs. Bodkin undertook was
a means Of word communication between
tutor and pupil The BraiIle method Of
ideas through the means OF the
finger tips in the palm Of the hand was
adopted, the system that Helen Keller
had tried so effectively.
Her little fingers had 70 be pressed
into position an infinite number OF times"
said Mrs. Bodkin, before she ever came
to realize what it meant. and that she
could by different tappings Of her fingers
on my palm indicate what was in her
mind
To-day Maud knows her alphabet, and
has a vocabulary Of about 90 words,
chiefly nouns and verbs
Sentences conveyed 10 her by the teach
er in simple language are readily under
stood. She can make replies.
Ambitious to Write.
She reads her lessons in Braule and
makes copies on a typewriter. She has
not as yet been taught script. Il Is the
ambition Of this child now 10 learn writ
ing and 20 compose q letter % her mother
She is at present able 20 dictate messages.
but that does not satisfy. She wants 10
write the communication with her own
hand.
She loves to play with the other chill
dren Of the Institution. and is a favoTite
with them Mrs. BOdkin says that Maud
jumps with joy when told that she is go b
ing for a street car ride She has a gen
eral idea of the form OF the car, and will
get on her knees upon the seat and press
her face 10 the window panes as other
children do and as if she were looking
out.