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

Creator: Samuel Gridley Howe (author)
Date: 1843
Source: Perkins School for the Blind

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If she is told the name of a person, as Mr. Green, or Mr. Brown, it excites a smile, or an expression of surprise. So where she meets a name, as Ox-ford, or Ply-mouth, she discovers a sense of the ludicrous in the unwonted use of the term ox, mouth, &c.

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She continues as formerly to form words analogically: for instance, having learned the word restless, she said one day when she felt weak, "I am very strongless." Being told this was not right, she said, "why you say restless when I do not sit still." Then, thinking probably of adjectives formed from nouns by adding ful, she said, "I am very weakful."

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Her insatiable curiosity often leads her to discourse about things, the full comprehension of which is far above her reach; and it is difficult to confine her mind to one point. If you are talking to her about lead, for instance, she will want to know about lead pencils, what would be the effect of eating it, about shot; then about birds, why killed, &c. &c. Talking about Houses she asked "where did men live before wood was made, and without floors? " Answer, in caves and caverns; "how many years did men live in caves? " No precise answer could be given, and she continued by asking "where did they live before caverns?"

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This ignorance of many things which are familiar to other children, causes her sometimes to appear childish in conversation. For instance, walking in the streets, she felt the ground tremble as a fire-company rushed by, and being told that some one's house was on fire, and men were running to help him put it out, she asked, "how do they blow?" -- thinking they blew it out as one does a lighted candle; and on an attempt being made to explain that the fire was quenched by water, she asked, why do not man put it out himself?"

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At other times her home questions manifest shrewdness, and show that she will not be put off with the ample affirmation of others. Her teacher talking with her one day about her doll, told her it could not feel; that flesh and skin had feeling, but not kid and wax. "But," said she, "why cannot man made flesh doll? " Where would he get his flesh was the anwer -sic-, "Take from cow," said she. Immediately afterwards, talking of horses, she said, "did you ever pat your father's horse on face? " Yes! "Was he happy? " Yes! "Did he smile?" No! "Then how did you know he was happy?"

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But I might fill a volume, (and perhaps I may, some day, for it would be useful to children at least,) were I to dwell upon the interesting particulars of the intellectual instruction of this child. I proceed, therefore, to some considerations more immediately connected with her moral nature.

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It is a remarkable and most gratifying fact, that she adopts and follows with greater readiness and facility any regulation founded upon what may be called natural minor morals, than one based upon mere arbitrary, social conventionalism. She does not forget or violate any rule of conduct in which the feelings or rights of others are concerned; indeed, she hardly seems to need them; but she is apt to forget such a rule as that one should not rise from the table until others have done eating. (3) Being once told, two years ago, that it was disagreeable to others to have her blow her nose at table, she has never violated the request since, but invariably gets up, and leaves the room for that purpose; while such a rule as that of using a fork instead of a knife, or of shaking hands with a person, would have to be repeated many times over.


(3) It may continually occur to the reader, that she has no means of perceiving things which I refer to, as passing in her presence; but her sensibility is so great that hardly any thing can occur in a room without her getting some idea of it. At table she always contrives to find out how many people there are; she knows when they have done eating; she can even perceive the slightest jar made by drumming on the table with the fingers or a fork. These things are so familiar that one forgets to explain them.

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As to cleanliness, modesty, sobriety, &c., she needs no instruction; she is always clean in person, and neat in dress; and the slightest exposure will call the blush to her cheek. She eats heartily, and often, but never over much, and drinks but very moderately the simplest beverage. She sometimes seems to be so full of animal spirits that it is difficult for her to sit with quiet or decorum; and if the weather be bad, and she cannot work off her excitement by exercise, she becomes nervous, or, as we call it to her, rude. In her teacher's journal, I find the following "Laura had a nervous day, and lost part of her lesson. Talking about some things she had done its the morning, she said, "What made me very rude? " I told her I did not know; she said, "I think I did not feel good in heart;" asked her why? she replied, "because I broke a door knob this morning;" I asked her if she felt good now; she replied, "I cannot feel good until I learn to be good."

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She seems to be one of those who have the law graven upon their hearts; who do not see the right intellectually, but perceive it intuitively; who do good not so much from principle as from instinct; and who, if made to swerve a moment from the right by any temptation, soon recover themselves by their native elasticity. For the preservation of the purity of her soul, in her dark and silent pilgrimage through time, God has implanted within her that native of modesty, thoughtfulness, and conscientiousness, which precept may strengthen, but could never have bestowed; and, as at midnight and in the storm, the faithful needle points unerring to the Pole, and guides the mariner over the trackless ocean, so will this principle guide her to happiness and to Heaven. May no tempter shake liar native faith in this, her guide; may no disturbing force cause it to swerve from its true direction!

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