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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

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"July 13th. Lucy did unusually well in her lesson this morning. She spelled three words correctly and succeeded better in finding the letters separately. When I asked her for k, she found it without hesitation and also e. She has learned the places of most of her types, and can put them away very quickly."

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"For several days I have been trying to teach Lucy to call for what she wants at table -- commenced with cake and have tried three successive evenings, but without entire success until tonight: the first time she wanted it, she only passed her plate as usual, but upon my touching her hand she spelled it alone; the second time she touched my hand, and waited till she perceived I was attending to her, and then, without any sign front me, pointed to her plate and spelled CAKE!"

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This was indeed a most gratifying triumph; and should I describe the joy with which in common with her teachers I hailed it, many would deem me extravagant: they might say -- "what! do you think it a great thing, that this girl should be removed far from her home, that she should submit to restraint and contradiction, that five months of tedious labor should be bestowed upon the attempt to teach her so simple a thing as to ask for a piece of cake, by using the letters c - a - k - e, and instead of using a natural sign, or of feeling around tile table until she found it?" Such, I fear, were the reflections of her parents, for at this very time they concluded to take her home. But I am sure I was right: and happy indeed should I be, if all the hours of my life could be devoted to so useful a task, as were those in which I was trying to forge the first link in the chain of communication with a human being, so thrown without the pale of humanity as was poor Lucy Reed.

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I am not without hope that her parents will conclude to forego for a season the natural desire of having their unfortunate child near them, in consideration of her future life.

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They may be assured, that although she may not have all the luxuries and delicacies, by which alone they can manifest their love for her, yet she will be receiving that food which nourisheth the soul, and which may be a source of enjoyment to her long after they are in their graves.

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I could relate many circumstances respecting Lucy, which would interest the psychologist, and from which the educator, comparing her case with Laura, would not fail to draw valuable inferences respecting the importance of early training; but this would swell my Report to a volume: they shall not be lost however; and I will now close with one or two extracts from the journals which show the state of her affections.

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"June 18. Lucy's mother came to see her. She was sitting in Lurena's room, very busily occupied in working upon her twine bag. I went in, took her hand, and motioned to her to come with me into the parlor; she came; her mother rose, went to her, put her arms around her neck and kissed her; Lucy touched her hand, and then her cap, and dress, as if she was trying to find out who it was: -- presently she recognized her; her face grew red, then pale again. She sat down upon the sofa. Her mother gave her several articles that she brought from home, which Lucy had seen before. Lucy recollected them and seemed pleased, but she did not give way to such strong expressions of joy as I had thought she would. She seemed gratified however, particularly with the eatables she brought her. She did not cling to her mother, but frequently left her to go to her chest to deposite some of the good things. I thought that she several times made signs to her mother as if she would talk with her fingers; and after tea, when her twine bag was brought to her, she seemed pleased, and wanted her mother to see her work upon it. Her mother seemed evidently pleased that Lucy had been able to learn so much, but was surprised and grieved, she said, to find her looking so thin and pale. She says, however, that she has known her to go with scarcely any nourishment, except tea and coffee, for eighteen days."

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"June 20. This morning, at half past five, Mrs. Reed left Lucy for home. Lucy noticed that she had packed her trunk, and had on her cloak and bonnet; she went to her drawer, took from it three little phials, and motioned to her mother to give them to her two little brothers and one sister. But Mrs. Reed declined taking them, she went to Lucy, shook her hand, kissed her, and told her by signs that she was going away. Lucy then left her, went into her own room, took from her drawers some of the eatables her mother gave her, and sat down composedly to eat them. After breakfast she took me to the room her mother occupied, and told me by signs she was gone, but did not express any sorrow. After dinner, however, I heard her voice, and found her crying a little. I went to her, and brought her to Laura, and said, Lucy is sorry because her mother has gone home, she replied, "I will make her glad;" and immediately took her to her drawers, and to walk, and tried in every possible way to amuse her; and I think she succeeded better than any one else would have done, for before night she was as cheerful, and happy in appearance as Laura herself."

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