Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-08-07

But when Inquiries were made it developed the
surprising fact that not one OF these children
could hear the playing Of the piano; that they
were indeed totally deaf and depended upon the
slight assistance given them by their teacher to
go through the different maneuvers with the
same precision that would mark the movements
of hearing children.
Probably this fact alone would have caused the
visitor sufficient wonder, but he would have been
considerably more astonished little later If he
had CHANGED to run across group of the same
children laughing and chatting together as mer-
rily and naturally as If they had never known
what 1t was TO be denied the blessed privilege
of perfect hearing. Surely the age OF miracles
must have arrived when the dumb can be made
to speak and the deaf to hear with their eyes!
But the women who have brought about these
seemingly impossible things do not regard them
either miraculous or especially wonderful.
They think 1t is the most natural thing in the
world that little deaf children should be taught
to speak and to read the speech Of others. They
tell you, moreover, that the only way in which
such children should be instructed is by the
modern oral system. and that the ancient method
of signs and finger spelling Is quite as much a
relic of barbarism as the practise of running a
ring through the nose to beautify ones fear
lures.
This may sound almost unbelievable to those
whose only idea of deaf person is who is
totally devoid OF the power of speech and who
must depend upon the sign language to commu-
nicate his thoughts to others. Fifty years ago a
person would have been looked upon dream
err or worse, If he had insisted that children born
deaf could be and should be taught to speak.
Even today the general impression prevails that
a person who becomes deaf In infancy must nee
essarily also be dumb during the whole of his
life and, strangely enough. this lack Of power to
express ones self In spoken language is ascrfbed
to some defect In the organs of speech. Both of
these conclusions are entirely wrong. It has
been demonstrated beyond all doubt that prac-
tically every deaf child has perfect organs of
speech at birth, and that it is very rare occur
renee when deaf person remains mute for any
other reason save the lack OF training which
hearing child receives through It's ears.
If you should go to the Parker Practise school
any fine morning you would probably see on the
broad lawn In front of the school various groups
OF children at play under the watchful eyes Of
their teachers. But it is not likely that your at
tention would be attracted to any particular
group because Of anything unusual In their man
ner OF addressing their teacher or one mother;
all are romping, laughing and shouting In the
fitness of their childish delight Yet the chances
ara that some Of these children have never in all
their. years heard the sound of voice.
Entering the school you might go from room
to room and not discover for quite a while that
there was anything different in the manner OF
instructing the pupils in one from those In an
other IN some Of them, however, you would
find the same little tots. who cannot hear, that
sou passed on the lawn. II their eyes happened