Library Collections: Document: Full Text


Tenth Annual Report Of The Trustees Of The Perkins Institution And Massachusetts Asylum For The Blind

Creator: Samuel Gridley Howe (author)
Date: 1842
Source: Perkins School for the Blind

Previous Page   Next Page   All Pages 


27  

After a visit to a barn, she asked many questions, as, "Can cow push horse with horns? do horse and cow sleep in barn? do horse sit up late?" Told her that horses did not sit up. She laughed, and said, "Do horses stand up late?"

28  

One day her lesson was upon the materials of which knives are made; being told that the handles were of horn, she became very much interested in learning all about horns, their dimensions, use, &c., &c. "Why do cows have horns?" said she; answer, To keep bad cows off when they trouble them. "Do bad cows know to go away when good cow pushes them?" After sitting some time in thought, she asked, "Why do cows have two horns? to push two cows?" moving her hands in the direction in which she supposed the cows would go when pushed.

29  

Her curiosity is insatiable, and by the cheerful toil and patient labor with which she gleans her scanty harvest of knowledge, she reproves those who having eyes see not, and having ears hear not.

30  

She one day found a blank notice printed in raised letters, running thus: -- "Sir, there will be a meeting of trustees, &c. Yrs., respectfully," &c. She ran eagerly to her teacher, saying, "What is SIR, what is TRUSTEEES, what is RESPECTFULLY, what is YRS? The journal says, "I defined sir and yours; she received my explanation of sir without comment; and when I told her yrs. meant yours, she remarked, "Like thine." I could not decide how to explain respectfully, but told her she must wait till after dinner. After more thought, I decided it was not best for me to attempt it, and said, I would teach her when she was tall, or she might ask the doctor. (3) She seemed very sad, and said, 'I will ask doctor, for I must know.'"


(3) This teacher had but recently commenced with her.

31  

When I had been absent from home a month, she was told I should be back in a month more; she said, "Doctor will not come for four weeks ; four weeks and four weeks make eight weeks; he is going to make many schools." She then asked, "Will there be deaf boys and girls too in the schools?" "Will doctor be very tired; does he stay to take care of many little blind girls?"

32  

Laura is interested in conversation of a general nature; talking of vacation, she made an unusually long sentence, -- "I must go to Hanover to see my mother; but no, I shall be very weak to go so far; I will go to Halifax if I can go with you. If doctor is gone, I think I will go with Jennette; (4) if doctor is at home, I cannot go, because he does not like to be left alone; and if J-- is gone, he cannot mend his clothes and fix all things alone. "


(4) My sister.

33  

I commend this sentence, involving as it does, assertion, negation, time, condition, number, &c., to the attention of those who doubt whether Laura can have a correct notion of language; and especially to the director of a Western State School for the Deaf Mutes, who took pains in a public lecture to say, that it was impossible for her to conceive the force of the word IF in a complicated sentence. He considers much of what is told about her as savoring of "humbug," and says of it, to use his own tasteful phrase, "Tell this to the marines; the sailors won't believe it."

34  

Let him read the above sentence, and if he still thinks Laura talks like a parrot, let him come and see her, and watch her beaming and changing countenance as the sentences fall from her fingers, (5) and he will be as glad to retract his uncharitable sentiment, as I shall be to forget the discourteous form in which he uttered it.


(5) It may be remarked here generally, that her teachers are not responsible for the correctness of all the words she uses, since recently she has begun to learn some general conversation.

35  

If this dear child's life should be spared, not only will she be able to comprehend sentences such as he has selected, but to do what is more important, -- she will furnish argument stronger than cold philosophy can bring to refute materialism, and to assert the native power of the human soul which can struggle up against such obstacles, and from such utter darkness, until it sports joyously in the light of knowledge.

36  

She has kept a little diary during the last year, and writes down an account of what she has done, learned, or said, during the day. She writes a legible hand, and some of her remarks are very interesting. She is fond of writing letters; and the following, which is entirely of her own composition, will give an idea of her style: --

37  

"Dear Mrs. Morton, -- I was glad to have letter from you. You were very good to write to me. I want you to write to me soon. Miss Rogers sends her love to you very much. I send love and kiss to you. I am well now. Miss Rogers and Swift are very well. Oliver can talk fast than me do. Laurena is very much better now; she will have standing stool to walk in if she can learn good. Dr. Howe went away and came again. Miss Pilly is sick in her head bad. I do not forget to think of you many times. I walk in street all day to make me well and strong. Miss J-- sends her love to you. I told Caroline to come and see you; she would come with me soon in vacation to see you long. All girls and dolls are well. I will write to you again soon. I want to see you very much. I came to Halifax to see you with Miss J. and Swift. I was very glad to know in new words. I do read in books. Miss Rogers teach me about it. Oliver knows all things good. J-- bought new two handkerchiefs for me, and she was good. Good bye. LAURA BRIDGMAN."

Previous Page   Next Page

Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17    All Pages