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"Hugged in the clinging billow's clasp,
From seaweed fringe to mountain heather,
The British oak with rooted grasp
Her slender handful holds together,
With cliffs of white and bowers of green,
And ocean narrowing to caress her,
And hills and threaded streams between,
Our little mother isle, God bless her!"

You will be glad to hear that Tommy has a kind lady to teach him, and that he is a pretty, active little fellow. He loves to climb much better than to spell, but that is because he does not know yet what a wonderful thing language is. He cannot imagine how very, very happy he will be when he can tell us his thoughts, and we can tell him how we have loved him so long.

Tomorrow April will hide her tears and blushes beneath the flowers of lovely May. I wonder if the May-days in England are as beautiful as they are here.

Now I must say good-bye. Please think of me always as your loving little sister, HELEN KELLER.

Although Helen's correspondence was steadily increasing and taxing her strength to the utmost, she did not omit to write to Dr. Brown of Pittsburgh, telling him how comfortably Tommy was situated at the kindergarten, and how great would be his happiness when his mind should be released from its confinement.

SOUTH BOSTON, May 26, 1891.

MY DEAR MR. BROWN: -- I have been meaning to write to you ever since our dear little Tommy came to Boston, but I have had a great many letters to write, thanking kind friends who have sent me money to help educate the poor little child. I cannot begin to tell you how delighted I was when Mr. Anagnos said Tommy's little life should be made happy. And now the dear little helpless creature is as happy as he can be, in the lovely child's garden, which Mr. Anagnos and the good people of Boston have made for little sightless plantlets. He has a sweet, gentle teacher, and more kind and interested friends than he can count for many months. We are all waiting eagerly for the happy day when language will make a little human being of him. Oh, what a joyful day it will be! Then his mind will open like a beautiful flower, and his heart will be filled with gratitude and love for the kind friends who have helped bring light and music into his soul. Teacher sends her kind regards. Lovingly, your friend,

HELEN KELLER.

While Helen and her teacher were still in charge of little Tommy, the ladies' visiting committee held at the kindergarten a reception, which proved to be one of the events of the season, and which was attended by a very large number of people representing the intelligence, the benevolence and the wealth of Boston. Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes and the Rev. Phillips Brooks were present, by special invitation. The latter complied readily with Helen's urgent request that he should serve as her interpreter, and made in behalf of her little protégé a brief but most eloquent appeal, which was substantially as follows: --

The history of little Tommy is a short one, but very touching. There came from the west some word of this boy, who was deaf, dumb and blind. Helen has undertaken as her special purpose to provide for his education. Some months ago her pet dog, which she prized very highly, wandered away from home and was killed; and when people began to raise money by subscription to buy another mastiff for her, she generously proposed to have all the contributions turned over to Mr. Anagnos for the benefit of Tommy. The total sum thus far obtained from various sources is about three hundred dollars. This amount will pay the child's expenses only for a part of the year. More is needed; and it is hoped that the balance will soon be made up. Helen is asking her friends to help her in this work, and surely the appeal of one such child in behalf of another cannot go unanswered.

Bishop Brooks' eloquent address had a most favorable effect upon the audience. Several contributions were made there and then, and the number of the subscribers was growing day by day. Nevertheless, Helen could not rest until her dream of Tommy's welfare was fully realized. He became the chief theme of her correspondence and the main topic of her conversation. Her efforts in his behalf were truly strenuous. Of the numerous stirring appeals which she wrote for his benefit, here is one addressed to little boys and girls, a fac-simile of which was published through the kindness of her friend, Mr. George O. Goodhue, in the Daily Witness of Montreal.

SOUTH BOSTON, MASS.

DEAR LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS: -- You will be surprised to receive a letter from a little girl whom you have never seen, but I think she will not seem quite such a stranger when you know that she loves you and would be delighted to give each of you a loving kiss; and my heart tells me we should be very happy together, for do we not love the same things: playful young kittens, great dogs, gentle horses, roguish donkeys, pretty singing birds, the beautiful springtime, and everything good and lovely that dear Mother Nature has given us to enjoy? and, with so many pleasant things to talk about, how could we help being happy?