The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-01-22
MISS KELLER'S
Spiritual Liberator

mysterious force which she could
not understand. In her first confes.
sion of this, written to a friend after
she had been with Helen for only
few weeks, she said:
Something within me tells me that
shall succeed beyond my dreams,
Were 1t not for some circumstances
that make such an idea highly i'm.
probable, even absurd, should think
Helen's education would surpass in
interest and wonder Doctor Howe's
achievement. | know that she has
remarkable powers and believe that
l shall be able to develop and mold
them, | cannot tell how | know these
things. | had no idea a short time
ago how to go to work: l was feeling
about In the dark; but somehow I
know now, and I know that I know
l cannot explain 1t but when difYi-
culties arise, am not perpexed or
doubtful. know how to meet them;
| seem to divine Helen's peculiar
needs. 1t is wonderful.
However divine the impulse, the
goal toward which it pointed was to
be reached only through n remark.
able exercise of human qualities that
are mainly the fruitage of willing and
working.
In this lies the superior magnitude
Of the incentive furnished by Miss
Sullivan's career as compared to Miss
Keller's. The later's phenomenal pro.
gress must be attributed chiefly to an
exceptional circumtance rightly guag-
ed by one who says, To Have another
Helen Keller there must be another
Miss Sullivan. The formers success
is the result-aside from a sympathy
in some measure as innate as to be
beyond cultivation-of such general
ly cultlvable human attributes as
intelligence, wisdom and sagacity
coupled with perseverance and un.
/ bending will.
That a large measure of maternal
solicitude and enthusiasm was needed
from the start must be obvious to any
one acquainted with the barest facts
of that barren beginning. 1t required
something more than mere determin
alton to brook the crisis of the frs
family breakfast after the new teach
er's arrival, when Helen's outburst O
passion at being denied her own wa
was so terrible as to drive from tn
room every one except Miss Sullivan
who after locking the doors, under
took a two hour siege which reduce
had to a state Of exhaustion, but CAV
the poor little prisoner her first CLEAR
of the law of obedience.
II took a measure of common sens
prophetic of the present day Monies
sori brand to figure out policy S
wise as the one thus expressed b
Miss Sullivan two months later:
| am beginning to suspect all elal
crate and special systems of educ,
ton. They seem to me to be built u
on the supposition that every chill
is kind of idiot, who must be taugf
TO think. Whereas, II the child is LEI
to himself, he will think more an
better, If less lowly. Let him go an
come freely, let him touch real thint
and combine his impressions for hin
self, instead of sitting indoors at
little round table while a teacher su
gests that he build stone wall wit
out of strips of colored paper. Sue
teaching fills the\mind with artifici
: associations that must be got rid
before the child can develop indepe
dent ideas out OF actual experiences
She was being taught while teac
ing, as always is the case. Also 81
was being so harassed and handica
ped by the child's inequalities; h,
progress with Helen was so punctu
ted by the defeats and failures tn,
If she had done nothing more tha
stick to her post that first year 81
would be worthy of praise.
But when one considers how W
Iingly she sacrificed every form
personal freedom commonly he
dear in order to see if there mig
be a way out for those deprived
[sight and hearing, and an avenue
escape for others shackled by SUI
deficiencies as are born of the pitif
lack, and how her ceaseless effor
have been rewarded not only by SUI
a concrete result as the Helen Ke
err of this day but the discovery
a way to surmount hitherto inst
mouptable barriers, she became
: marvel as we'll as a hero.
1t is indeed a far cry from Z
deaf, dumb and blind little girl of