The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-05-08
Training the SenSibiitieS

"The thousand soft voices Of tn,
earth have truly found their way tt
ae-the small rustic in tufts O.
grass, the silky swish Of leaves, the
buzz of insects, the hum Of bees II
blossoms I have plucked, the hutlel
OF birds wings after his bath
and the slender ripping Vibration
OF water running over pebbles
Once having been felt, thee | vc
voices rustic, buzz, hum and rip
pie in my thought forever, an undy
ing part of happy memories.
"Between my experiences and tn
experiences OF others there is no gu'i
of mute space which | may no
bridge. For I have endlessly varied
instruction contacts with all the
world, with life, with the atmosp
here whose radiant activity .enfold'
us all. The thrilling energy OF the
all-encasing air is warm and raptur'
Gus. Heatwaves and sound-wave'
play upon my face in infinite varie
and combination, until am able tt
surmise what must be the myriat
sounds that my senseless ears hav'
not heard"
The foregoing is little scrap from
an article In the February Centur,
by Helen Keller, who, as you know
has no sense of hearing or seeing
1t is hard to make ones self thin
she can not see nor hear after read
ing her remarkable writings. Sh
does see infinitely more than
great many who have eyes, an
hear much that others can not com
prehend who have ears that al
dulled by the sounds that are hars
and discordant. How many of II
hear the "rustle of grass" 9th
swish of leaves" or observe tn
coulter of the birds wings after hi
bath2" Verify, "there are none S
blind as those who WON'T sse." Th
| world is SO full of beauty and won
! derfully interesting things, an
there are voices that charm if onl
we take time to listen and observe
Did you ever sit quietly In the wood
and harken to the sounds and not,
the variety and countless numb-r
and try to trace each one back +
its source2 What world of though
it opens up and brings to view. D.
you ever, busy housewife, as you
feet carry you back and forth pas
the window, take time to see tn;
glorious sun mount up and cast hi:
splendid light upon the sky al q
clouds, making the world luminous,
and did you look moment upon Il e
scene1 Did you notice that othe r
busy housewife, the robin, with the
bits of grass In her bill aud obser, e
where she carried it and with VIII t
care she arranged it in the nest SHE
was buildingf AS Helen Keller had
to train her sensib .lities to be able to
get the Joy and beauty out of life so
must we; for we have much that
obstructs our vision and dull o, +
hearing. If we walt until We have
time for such things the best years
will be gone and our sensibilities
will be blunted by disuse and neg
ect.
II would be impossible to des-
:rible to Helen Keller the beauty of
he rainbow, the colors aad their ai-
so that she could see il
through her rsmaiAing senses. She
:an have no correct idea She can
,ave no correct idea Of color
through touch, taste, or smell.
There are visions that come through
he heart aud mind that 1t is impos-
ibls to see. They have shut their
yes to the spiritual visions and
urnsd q deaf ear to the voice that
omstimes comes to the listening |
Ieart until they have become insen-
ible to the call. II is useless to
ry to describe to them anything
bout il. They can not compre