Year: 1859

The Springfield correspondent of the St Louis Republican writes:

 Speaking of the deaf and dumb asylum reminds me that at the time of the legisla tive visit to Jacksonville number of com positions by deaf mutes were placed in my hands for inspection at some future time One of these compositions Is so touching and beautiful that l cannot resist giving Ii to your readers-,iust as l received 1t, pure | from its authors hands, and without sin gle alteration. It was written by Mary c Head, of Alton, girl of some dozer years of age, who has been deaf and duml from her fifth year. She has been in the asylum only about two years.

 "THE ANcHoRET-When l was a girl not five years old, l was as happy and gay as lamb, and loved to listen to the melo- dies of the world, and join my mates II singing at Sunday school. But when l ar rived at the age of five, sickness overlook me and bound my ears in letters. It was great loss and could not be tranquiliz ed at the deprivation of my hearing for a great while. 1 often mourned over my sad fate A few days after. the loss of my hearing, spoke few words to my mother hoping to hear her sweet but mourntul voice; but, oh, my ears refused to receive that voice again. Since that time 1 have never heard that sweet word " Mother spoke in my ears. 1 strove to hear il again, but all in vain. 1 struggled in agony to unbind fettered ears, supposing

  that something was lodged in them, but it was no use; even the physicians s aid failed, and no relief came My life became bur then to me, and the fate 1 bore was so heavy that l felt as if were shut up in a dreary cell, doomed for life. Oh, how vainly l listened to catch the merry laugh ter and cheerful voice of my youthful bro ther and sister, but still an uncontrolled tone kept whispering in my ears, which seemed to rush with violence through the guarded cell. The world is full of harmo- nious sounds; but they are not able to reach my unresponsive ears. My soul still sits in its silent chamber, unconscious of the melodies of the birds and evening winds, and the beautiful soliloquy of the lonely flute.

 s' Oh, don't it seem cruel for God to de- prive me of my hearing, which might be of so great benefit to me? Shall not these fettered ears ever be unclaimed? Often have sat and wept over the pleasant by gone years of childhood, and felt as if were in a strange land, secluded from the society of my friends. l felt all alone in the world, and wondered why God had thus forsaken me- But it is all right for God to make me so, and I am now con- strained to humble myself to Him, and wait patiently until my life ends on earth. Oh, then l will go to more glorious world, where l shall be loosed from my dreary cell, and sing happily with the an gels.

 "When saw my friends singing in the choir, l envied them, and wished to sing with them, but could not. My compa- nions deserted me, and l was alone, and thought 1 was the only mute in the world. But now l am happy to learn many things which console me in my grief and tell me that there is home in heaven, where hap piness never ends, and where the first glad sounds that greet my ears will be the songs of angels and the voices of loved ones gone before .MOLLlE.

 There, now, kind reader, are you sorry l imposed the composition of a deaf mute upon you? If you are annoyed by 1t, l shall pity you; God help all such. D.