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TUSCUMBIA, ALA., Oct. 29, 1890.

MY DEAR MR. BROWN: -- I was very glad to get your letter, and I thank you for writing to me. I was delighted to hear that the little blind children were going to have a nice school like other boys and girls. It will make them so happy to learn about all the beautiful things which our dear heavenly Father has given us to enjoy. Then their minds will be filled with beautiful light, and their hearts will be filled with love and gentle thoughts. I ask my dear heavenly Father every day to bless the little new school, and to send the dear little deaf and blind child a teacher like mine. I wish he lived near me, so that I could teach him some myself. Please give the dear little fellow my love. Teacher sends her kind regards, and hopes God will bless your good work. Now good-bye, dear friend. I hope that I shall see you again some time.

Lovingly, your little friend, HELEN A. KELLER.

Tommy's case now took hold of Helen's mind, and stirred her soul to its profoundest depths. It became an object of constant thought, and exercised all her faculties and energies. As soon as she returned to school after the summer vacation, she began to talk about him, and was very eager to have him brought to Boston, and placed under instruction. Her pleading in his behalf was ceaseless and resistless. When she was told that a great deal of money would be required to hire a competent teacher, "we will raise it" was her prompt reply. She commenced at once to solicit contributions from her friends, and at the same time to practise strict economy by denying herself the pleasure of drinking soda-water, of which she is exceedingly fond, in order to save her pennies for the benefit of her little brother in affliction.

While Helen was working assiduously for Tommy's deliverance, applications came to us from different sources in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, urging his admission to the kindergarten for the blind, which our correspondents averred was the only place in the United States for such a child. Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, whose opinion was asked as to what should be done with the unfortunate boy, advised his friends to send him to Boston, if they could prevail upon us to take care of him. The attention of several members of our board of trustees was called to the matter, and they all gave their cordial consent to Tommy's reception at the school. One of them, Mr. William Endicott, Jr., said to me: "Do not hesitate to have the little fellow brought to the kindergarten. There will be no difficulty in raising a sufficient sum of money to pay his expenses. I shall be glad to contribute some of it myself." Then he added: "Luckily, the number of these hapless children is very small; and, as there is nowhere in the country a place open to them, why do you not arrange to take care of all of them?" Contrast these sentiments with the proposal of one of the managers of the Allegheny general hospital, -- to send poor Tommy to the almshouse; or with the contemptible suggestion made by a member of the Pittsburgh society for prevention of cruelty to animals at one of its meetings, -- that a part of the money given by the lovers of dogs for the little boy's benefit should be paid to the hospital for the mischief which he did during his stay there, -- and then you will feel that it is a privilege to belong to Boston, and breath in the atmosphere of its benevolence.

Before Tommy's admission to the kindergarten an unexpected incident invested his case with a halo of romance, and rendered his cause very popular. Last winter Helen's faithful dog Lioness, with which she was presented by her generous friend, Mr. William Wade, and which proved to be a trusty companion and an affectionate playmate, was ruthlessly shot and brutally killed, while running harmlessly at large in a public square, by a policeman in Sheffield, Ala. The beautiful spirit of the child was shown in connection with this dastardly deed. Though distressed beyond measure at her loss, she did not allow her grief to affect her charitable disposition, and all that she would say about the semi-barbarian murderers of her pet was this: "I am sure they never could have done it, if they had only known what a dear good dog Lioness was!"

These words, conveyed to Mr. Wade, and published by him in the Forest and Stream of New York, touched deeply the hearts of many of the readers of that periodical. As a consequence, a shower of offers came from England, Canada and this country to provide another canine friend for the child. Mr. George O. Goodhue of Danville, Quebec, started a subscription list, with a view of raising sufficient funds for the purchase of a new mastiff. Mr. George R. Krehl of London, editor of the Stock Keeper, asked the privilege of making up whatever balance might be needed to complete the requisite amount, or of defraying the whole of the cost in case Mr. Goodhue's project should fail. Mr. J. Otis Fellows of Hornellsville, N. Y., proposed to present Helen with Eriant, an elder sister of Lioness; and, while he was making inquiries as to where the animal should be sent, Mr. Wade insisted upon paying its price, and his wish prevailed.