The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-26
HELEN KELLER. g TOMORROW, IS BLIND AND
 DEAF, YET A GENIUS

It is satd that the late Herbert Spencer. when about to mount to those attitudes of thought which he alone could attain, stuffed his ears with cotton and closed his eyes in or
 der to shut out sOf his consciousness all distracting trivialities, of sound and sight Miss Helen Keller does not have to be content with such
 makeshifts. Totally blind and deaf since the age of ninetean months, she is freed from the thrall of the petty impressions and irritations that con- stantly intrude upon the mind of the
 person of normal senses. Few have the sphilosophic spirit to look upon such an affhction hs a blessing, but, then, few people Shave within them
 the spark of genius that infinite ca
 pacity for taking pains that persists in spite of all handfcaps. Miss Kel-
 Ter does not live in a. cavern of ray less. soundless gloom. She inhabits world of her own, iIlumlned by the
 light that never was on sea or land. Her eyes are sightless, her ears, use
 less; yet. her mind is alert, and her great heart of humanity. She has her peligion. It is Socialism You may deride tf:e Socialism of Eugene VI, pebe or Herr Rebel. You will not dsfide the Socialism of Miss Keller.
 / Helen Adams Keller is a Southern I4sr 27, 1Ss0.. She will celebrate her thirty-second birthday toAmorrow. The Rev. George R. Lunn, Socialist may or of, Schenectady, N. Y. recently ap- pointed Miss Keller a member of his Board of Public Welfare, which had it's inception with the. incoming of tho Socialist administration. The func- tions of the board are the recommen- dation to the Common Council of such measures as do not come with In the scope of other departments,
 The blind genius is descended on her fathers side from Alexander Spottswood, who was colonial gover- nor Of Virginia before the American Revolution, and on her mothers side she is related to the famous Adams and Everett families of New Eng land, which have given soys many statesmen and men of genius to the service of the United States. Miss keller's early education was in the hands of. Miss Anne Mansfield SulliI van. by whom she was prepared to enter RedcIiffe College in 1900. She graduated from that institution, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, in 1904. Since then she has written several books and scores of magazine articles including the wonderful Story of My yeIife.,,.- -ansautobiograpl1y such as tha world had never before read. The World Livegfin, iA the es- say on Optimism" and other xyvorks of similar character have the frank ness and originality of genius and their literary style is all but perfect.
 A dozen years ago Miss Keller wrote: Sometimes a sense of isola- tfon enfolds me like a cold mist as l st> alone. and wait at life's shut gate ? Tragic and pitiful beyond words is this confession of one, deprived of the common joys of, humanity Since then the gate has been opened and the mist has been dissipated. .OEs must have faith, or. dfe ,. If not in God, in oneself;. if not in oneself, in hYmanity. Miss Keller pins her faith to humanity, and. though biind, she sees a vision of a future when
 man shall no longer make war. on man. and when brotherhood aad com petition shall take the place of con1- petition and strife. es
 A dream2 Yes. But who, with eyes to see the squalor. and ears so hear the cry of humanity, does not envy Miss Keller her dream? I, for one, am glad that Miss, Keller thinks we are wiser, and more mercifuI, and better able to govern ourselves. than we really. are.