Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-18
Inspiration of Helen keller's Life.

on Friday evening at Lewiston VII
Gus human beings. Helen Keller Tha
is broad statement but can you re
flute il? Here is a girl WHO has over
come the great handicaps inflicted up
en- her by nature. Born hopelessl,
blind and deaf and. in those days o
course naturally expected to be jus
as hopelessly mute, yet this wonderful
living demonstration of the power o
the human mind is to lecture 1T ;
go 10 the Maine Sunshine Society. very
appropriate for Helen Keller carries
sunshine to all who are fertunat,
enough to fal! within her sphere Of in
Guence.
This youmg woman, meeting the world
with eyes that ste not, looks into thu
HEARTS and strengthens the souls oil
Humanity. Having cars that hear not,
4 she yet listens to the woes of the world
and, smiling under her own burden,
bids Gcd's people TO look up and 10
liyek unto the kingdom which is in
every human spirit.
| Considering the life and achieve
ments. of this deaf blind mute, We
wond,r at the folly and coWardice OF
! the rest OF US. Compare for one mo-
ment the battle of this girl to break
! through the bars of her bodily prison
into the outer world of humanity, and
the useless, aimless existence of many
| within our view.
All, young man of the husky frame
and surging life blood, rich in all the
| senses and ecstasies with which the
| perfect human body is blessed, why
do you complain that you haven't Il
| fair start; that you are handicapped
| by poverty and environments: that TIL.
world is against you-what would you
| do, were you under the weight OIL
either one of these afflictions? Were
you blind, you could hardly be mors
| helpless, or useless TO yourself and the
world. Were you deaf you might still
be baking about the streets whining
| at Gods sentence. Were You dumb set
4 would probably, as now, let it be
known that you must have your beer
and be one of the boys"
/ ha1 nd nj thf.pe
of tliese-well, you undoubtedly would
have bumped up in a corner to wait
| FOR death, and to humble your curses
on fate.
| How different is Helen Keller from
you-you living sample of millions just
as useless throughout the world. She
stands a beautiful. shining soul-link
between two worlds, and hands mes
sage from the better to you and to me.
The splendid optimism of this woman
should carry shame to the shiftless
blots Oh civic righteousness. which we
find i'll scores. in hundreds. in thous-
ands. among our various communities.
The lazy human derelict which you
cells numbed by alcohol. his mind
oozin.; lustful fantasies, his eompre-
lhension going little farther than to full
hi his franchise" as he is told will
bring continuance of his personal lib
erty" to indulge his appetites and pas
sions. should be kept in pens with the
lswine, which in all but his soul he re-
sembles., But he is allowed to vote
land to help make the laws of the land,
while Helen Keller. with her splendid
lGod-inspired Intellect is barred from
participation in government regulation
because she was born Of the weaker
lsex.
You say this woman has been shut
loft from evil because she has never
seen or heard the wickedness of hui
lmanity? Then remember that if SHE
lis inexorably barred by the creator
from worldly wickedness you have ne
fright to interpret liberty as license ant
Ito defy divine law because you are
lpermitted to see others doing it.
And you say that every moment o
Helen Keller's life has been guarded
hy teacher whose love and patience
lare as marvellous before this selfisl
world as are the achievements of he
pupil. That is true, too. but is it no
just as true that each of us is sur
; lrounded by love and fellowship of al
; uplifting character if we did not spur
. them and turn to wallowing in tn
, mire because our swine bodies are die
tating to our divine minds. Who i
leading us into temptation? Certainl
| it is not the man who urges you to re
strain your passions and cravings
, And IL is just as true that the goo
, fellow who urges you to come in an,
have drink is not your friend.
, 1t is useless for the man or boy, wo
man or girl, of poverty NOR
, ais, 10 say they did not know. We al
I know good from evi, even as Heie