The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-20
HELEN KELLER GIVES GOSPEL
 OF HAPPINESS
Noted Blind Student Thrills Auditors With Her Opti- Tnistic Utterances.
: aacher and Constant Com
 panion Tells of How She
 Overcame Giant Obstacles

the mem befS Of the contemporary club last evening by Helen Keller, the blind and deaf girl whose fight for an education, and the literary talent which the training, subsequently,, has brought out, has made her famous throughout the world. It was the first meeting of the season and was held at ''The Oalzs,'' the home of MT. and Mrs. Jonathan Godfrey at BroOk1awn park.
 Miss Kel1er's topic was ~FIappiness. '
 You may be successful, but this is not happiness. You may achieve something, but that is not happiness. Life is only happiness when it is a life of brotherhood and service.' She said that though millions of people are killing leach other in Europe at the present time, God will come to Europe again after the war.
 @.nhere is no darknesA so deep,'' she concluded, "but the sunlight of day can find it's heart
 Mrs. John Macy, who has been Miss Ke11er's teacher and constant compan- ion since she was eight years old, made a preliminary address describ- ing the training of her pupil She told of the early steps, of getting her to realize that things have names, of teaching her to read and illustrated the quick and original mind of child by many anecdotes.
 The girl, however, she said, was not satisfied when she was able to read, talk through her fingers and her edu- cation had otherwise progressed, for she had noticed that other people talked to each other through their mouths and she wanted to do like wise. Mrs. Macy knew that deaf chi1- dren were taught to talk, but that 1t was principally through watching the lips of other people that they were able to do so. She thought it impos- sib1e> to teach a child that was both
 
 consistently to be taught, however, that she decided to take her to the Horace Mann school where under Miss Sarah Fuller she was taught the vow els and their position. After the sew enth lesson when going home, she said to Mrs. Macy, 1T am not dumb now.''
 ''It has taken Helen Keller more than for people to want to listen to her, '' said Mrs. Macy. Day after day for years, she sat with her fingers in my mouth, getting the positions of my tongue as formed my words. Her voice still lacks natural infection but you should bear in mind when you hear her speak, that she has not heard the sound of her own voice nor of any human voice since she was a baby of two years"
 It. has been said that Helen Keller s acquiring speech was the greatest in OIN1oua4 aGQQ4SIIlOn III tQS nIStOTy O1 education.
 She herself wanted to go to college and succeeded in the face of great opposition both within and without the college. However, her will pre- vailed, opposition was swept aside and she was allowed to take her entrance examinations to. Radcliffe, which she passed without condition. In college she took the regular courses in Greek, Latin, French, German, History, Phil osophy and Mathematics. Everything that she wanted in her studies, all words from dictionaries and general reading had to be spelled into her hand by her faithful teacher. During the lectures, Mrs. Macy sat beside her and spelled into her hand what the professor was saying.
 t'Sometimes,' said Mrs. Macy3 "the task we had undertaken seemed too great for human achievement"
 ''It was while she was in college that Miss Keller wrote tfThe Story of My Life,,'N not for publication but as a daily theme for her English course. The Ladies Home Journal consented to print the story.
 .tProbabIy,' continued Mrs. Macy, mo other undergraduate sophomore ever received $3,0oO for her regular English work"
 .'But the work was so ardous, that we do not look back upon our college life with much pleasure as we neces- social part which is so important to the student. The day that Helen re- cefved her degree of Bachellor of Arts was a very great one to us."
 She now keeps in touch with the world very much as anyone does. There are a number of magazines pub Iished for the blind in Germany, France and this country and she takes these and is kept in touch with every thing that is going. on and is we'll versed on the war. She has a large of TOO volumes.
 She has been very fortunate in her friends, among whom are included many of the leading men and women of the country of today and workers in every field. These write to her, telling her of whatever interests them.
 She is woman of exceptionally broad sympathies, a good mind which is direct. logical and very Independent. So far as her heart and mind are she is free. The burden that remains is that of the small, everyday things. She must wait for someone else to take her where she wants to go. if she has a letter which she is particularly anxious to have read to her she must wait until some one else has the time to give to her. She uses a typewriter and must wait for someone to read over her copy before she sends it to the publisher. she has had only blank pages to show for the work of hours wf1 en the ribbon onethe typewriter ran out and she could not tell. She, however, possesses a wonderful pa tience and courage and will cheerfully go back to work to write all that has
 
 eff it were not for this patience and this courage" her teacher de- clared, you would never have heard of Helen Keller
 When Miss Keller was led to her they gave a demonstration of the lip reading also of the spelling into the hand which is much more rapid. By Ehe lip reasing Miss Keller can con- verse with anyone who speaks dis tinetly,
 4 In order te accustona the audience