Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-25
ByREV. CHARLES F. AkED, d. d., L. d.

a 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 Helen's 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 dolly
was smashed. Miss Sullivan.
using the manual alphabet"
spelled into Helen's little hand
"d-o-l-l" bending the. child's fin
gers and manipulating the tiny
hand until the teacher despaired
OF success. Helen initiated:
learned the motions: and seemed
at first to delight in them.
Miss Sullivan put the child's
coll into her arms and tried TO
discover some way in which to
get Helen's mind to connect the
finger signs with the doll which
she held. 1t was useless. Against
the walls which imprisoned Hell
ems soul Miss Sulivan's gentle
assaults were vain. The chile
dashed the doll to pieces in A
rage.
From the days before darkness
descended upon her Helen had
brought up sounds something
like 'wah- wah," her best imita To-
ton of water" Deep. deem
down in the recesses of her being
were instructive linkings of this
sound with running water. And
now, leaving the fragments OF
dolly upon the floor. teacher and
enid walked through the gar
den to the well. Someone wa.
drawing water Miss Sullivan
placed Helen's hand under the
spout, and as the cool stream
sushed upon it spelt into her 9th
er hand "w-a-t-e-r." There was
thrill of thought, an electric
vibration, as it were. within the
soul lurking in the darkness. She
connected "w-a-t-e-r" with this
cool, tonic thing rushing upon
her She thought! The mys-
terry Of language stood revealed.
She was seven years old. and
in that instant the woman was
born, Refinement deGcacy. in
tellectual and spiritual culture.
tenderness and philanthropy and
human love were 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 by
her friendship. Men and women
whose names are written on the
bead-roll Of the immortals count
her their equal She is nearly 81
years old, but q 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 a few days
Helen could put the doll on the
bed and then spell out Doll is
on the bed" After this abstrac-
tions 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, dignifed and fluent.
Mark Twain said that the two
most interesting characters OF
the nineteenth century are Napo-
leon and Helen. Keller. And
Helen wrote lovely thing about
Mark Twain She believed it
true when she wrote it. The de-
testabIe biogra ply Of Mark
Twain, which ought to have been
burned by the common hangman
before ever it saw printers ink.
was not then written Miss KEEL
Ter said
II love Mark Twain-who
does not? The gods, too, loved
him and put into his heart all
manner Of wisdom; then. fearing
Iest he shonld necome 4 nnnsl-