Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-25
A Miracle of Love and
Science
The Story Of Helen Keller
How Light Was Brought
to Her Through the Dark
ness Of Affection.
By REV. CHARLES F. AKED d. D., Ii. D.

thing as writing exists, quickly
found that there was still another
problem she had to humanize
this savage little creature. She
must win both obedience and
love.
The account OF Miss Sullivan's
travels in search of Helens soul
is as thrilling as some romance
Of mountain climbing or adven-
ture amongst buried cities. The
waterway became the way of
life. Doll failed and the do,Iv
was smashed Miss Sullivan.
using the manual alphabet"
spelled into Helen's little hand
'd-o-l-l,' bending the childs fn-
gers and manipulating the tiny
hand until the teacher despsired
OF success Helen initiated,
learned the motions; and seemed
at hrst to delight in them.
Miss Sullivan put the chid,s
doll into her arms and tried 70
discover some way in which 70
get Helen's mind to connect tbe
finger signs with the doll which
she held. 1t was useless Againet
the walls which imprisoned Hell
ems soul Miss Sullivan's ren+1a
assaults were vain. The child
dashed the doll to pieces in
rage.
From the days before darkness
descended upon her Helen had
brought up sounds sometime
IKE 'wab-wah," her best imita-
t'oh OF water" Deep. deep
down in the recesses of her being
were instructive Iinkines of tbis
sound with running water And
now leaving the fragments ~
doIly upon the floor. teacher and
child walked through the gar
zen TO the well Someone was
drawing water Miss Sullivan
placed Helen's hand urdar +ba
spout, and as the cool stream
gushed upon it spelt into her 9th
er hand ''w-a-t-e-r" There va
thrill Of thought. an electric
vibration, as 1t were. within tho
soul lurking in the darkness She
connected waiter" with this
cool tonic thing rushing upon
her. She thought! The mvs-
terry Of language stood revealed.
she was seven years old and
IN that instant the woman was
born. Refinement. deIicscv in
teIiectual and spiritual culture
tenderness and philanthropy and
human love We're all potentially
present in her soul that day as
the water flowed Miss Keller is
now one Of the worlds great
women. Scholars are honored h,
her friendship Men and women
whose names are written on tho
bead roll OF the immortals count
her their equal She is nearly a
years old, but - years ago she
was born of water and of the
spirit,
The remainder Of her story be
longs TO the romance OF educa-
ton. Under pressure OF neces-
sity Miss Sullivan learned in or
der to teach Incredibly rapid
progress was made. Still using
the manual alphabet" spelling
words into the child's hands, Miss
Sullivan taught Helen innumera
Bile things From words to ac
tons, from actions to ideas. the
transit was swift. In few DAYS
Helen could put the doll on the
bed and then spell out Doll IL
on the bed" After this. abstrac-
tons could be understood. Writ
ing was learned. Then lip-read
ing. Later came speech. But
this again is romance,
English, French, German, Lat
in, Greek-Miss Keller learned
them. She passed the entrance
examination for Radcliffe. She
took her B A. degree with dis
tinction. She has written books.
She delivers lectures She is A
stylist Her English is fault
lessly clear, dignihed and fluent.
Mark Twain said that the two
most interesting characters OF
the ninetee1th century are Napo-
leon and Helen Keller. And
Helen wrote a lovely thing about
Mark Twain. She believed 1T
true when she wrote it. The de
testable biography Of Mark
Twain. which ought to have been
burned by the common hangman
before ever it saw printers ink,
was not then written. Miss KeI-
Ter said
81 love Mark Twain-vho
does not The gods. too, loved
him and put into his heart all
manner Of wisdom then. fearing
Fnst La should .r,...,,, 81. $500!