Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-07


The Easter season is here. with its
full significance to all, but to Kathryne
May Frick, the little deaf, dumb and
blind ward of the State it comes with
double significance, not only that of
life, but also light: Light, because it
suggests to her the thoughts and ideas
brought to her mind through the me-
dunn of the sign language and lip read
ing, from the big world outside, which
she will never see.
When Kathryne May Frick entered
Mt. Airy School, an institution for the
deaf, in June, 1909, at the age of 9
years she was absolutely speechless,
uttering only inarticulate sounds. To-
day, at the age of 16, she can converse
most fiuently in the sign language and
lip reading and speak in an ineligible
manner with some hesitation, how
ever, but remarkable articulation.
This little girls progress has been so
marked during her seven years of
study at Mt. Airy School, that it has
been said that she bids fair to become
a rival of Helen Keller, who has sur
mounted the same three-fold handicap
in such a miraculous way and with
whom Miss Frick is personally ac-
quainted.
Miss Frick is quite conversant with
current events. The first question she
asked her father when he met her at
the station the other day upon her re-
turn home to spend the Easter vaca-
tion~was, Are you going to WARP"
And the other evening when he return
ed from work she asked, HAS the
United States declared war with Ger
many YETI" Her father in the sign
language which he always employs
when converSing with her. reads to
her the various recent news relative
to the war by spelling the words in
her hand. The other day when read
ing her an article on Miss Rankin,
the woman congressman voting, Kath-
ryne with her usual radiance replied,
Il have read all about her." Miss
F'rick last evening told of the deaf
boys and men of England who have
formed company of their own.
When theyheard of the war, so eager
and enthused were they that against
the Kings dictates that deaf men
could not go they organized their own
company.
Is Excellent Student
Miss Frick is an excellent student
and it is due to the patient efforts of
her teacher Miss Mabel p. Whitman,
of Lynn, Mass, that she is developing
so marvelously in her work. Kathryne
studies language, arithmetic, geog-
raphy, history, physiology, speech and
lip reading. The fact that she studies
SO we'll is evinced by her average for
the month of March which was 92.S
per cent. When asked which study
she liked the best she replied Ian
| guage.". When her father asked her
why, she said: Because 1 have been
taught most people do not use good
| language, want to speak correctly,
and to do that I must study Ian
guage."
She possesses an extensive knowl-
edge of the classics. During the visit
asked her father if he had any of
Shakespeare's works? Replying in
| the negative, she said, audibly and in
an understanding manner "I will use
the money l get from my work at
school to buy some"
Miss Frick expects to win a prize for
excellence in crocheting as she always
has done in former days. Her father
asked her which of Shakespeare's
works she liked best. She replied.
Hamlet" When asked, why" she
said, Because have heard it is a
very nice story" Her father brought
her typewriter to her and told her TO
write quotation she had learned
from Shakespeare. she wrote: Good
name in man and woman is the i'm
mediate jewels of their souls'-
Othello. When asked how it was ex
planned, Miss Frick said at first it was
hard for her to explain herself, but
recollecting her thoughts, said: Miss
Whitman had told her, it was like peo-
pie who live as they ought to, their
thoughts are the Jewels of their
souls" After a while she added: "T
like stories. 1 learned from the
teacher that most fairy stories were
written by the Germans. / think thew
are clever" Miss Frick has written
stories herself which have been pub
llshed' and 1t is her aim to some day
write and probably lecture.
DR.. and Mrs. Charles S. Rebuck and
son, Laurence Rebuck, are snendine
Easter In Atlantic City