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Whenever she visits a place for the first time she receives new ideas and adds to her store of general information. In the steam cars, railway stations, hotels and shops, she is constantly asking: "What do you see? -- What are people doing? -- How many people are there?"

So eagerly does she ask these questions, so quickly does she catch an idea, and so tenaciously remember what has been told her, that description and explanation never become irksome to me. Indeed, there is much to learn in these every-day occurrences, and they assume a new interest for us when we note the pleasure and gratification they afford her.

While visiting relatives in Memphis, Tenn., she was taken to see one of the large steamboats on the Mississippi River. After going over the boat, she said, "it is like a very large house." At the cotton exchange in the same city, she was introduced to a great many gentlemen, all of whom were very attentive to their little visitor. She seemed puzzled when she discovered maps and blackboards there, and asked, "do men go to school?" Before leaving the exchange she wrote on the blackboard the names of all the gentlemen present.

The following letter was written during this visit: --

Memphis, Tenn. Jan. 31st 1888.

Dear Mother, -- I am happy to write to you this morning. We came to Memphis in steam car to see grandmother and uncle Fred and uncle Cranworth and aunt Nannie. James and aunt and teacher and I rode in hack. Saturday I went to see little Helen Graves, I found a box of candy in Mr. Grave's pocket. Katie and Lillie and Maud and Virginia and Tiny and Charles and Arthur and Adolph came to play with me. We did have fun. We did jump and run and play frog, and I did carry Allen on pack-saddle. I do love Allen. He did hug and kiss me. Thornton spelled boy and girl on fingers.

I will hug you and take you in my arms. Tomorrow will be February. Mr. Anagnos will come soon.

Dr. Thornton came to see us. I do cough. I am better. Teacher did curl my hair beautiful. We will come home soon. Memphis is a large city, it is in Tennessee. I did get your letter. I am sorry father did dirty nice coat. I will feed little chickens when I come home.

Doctor has come to see Louise. I do not like to write long letter with pencil, I am tired. I will put letter in office for you. Give father and Mildred kisses.

Good bye

Helen Keller.

In a letter written to Mr. Anagnos nearly a month later, she also mentions the same visit, and many incidents connected with it, the remembrance of which gave her a great deal of pleasure.

Tuscumbia, Ala. Feb. 24th 1888.

My dear Mr. Anagnos, -- I am glad to write you a letter in Braille. This morning Lucien Thompson sent me a beautiful bouquet of violets and crocuses and jonquils. Sunday Adeline Moses brought me a lovely doll. It came from New York. Her name is Adeline Keller. She can shut her eyes and bend her arms and sit down and stand up straight. She has on a pretty red dress. She is Nancy's sister and I am their mother. Allie is their cousin. Nancy was a bad child when I went to Memphis she cried loud, I whipped her with a stick.

Mildred does feed little chickens with crumbs. I love to play with little sister.

Teacher and I went to Memphis to see aunt Nannie and grandmother. Louise is aunt Nannie's child. Teacher bought me a lovely new dress and gloves and stockings and collars and grandmother made me warm flannels, and aunt Nannie made me aprons. Lady made me a pretty cap. I went to see Robert and Mr. Graves and Mrs. Graves and little Natalie, and Mr. Farris and Mr. Mayo and Mary and everyone. I do love Robert and teacher. She does not want me to write more today. I feel tired.

I found box of candy in Mr. Grave's pocket. Father took us to see steam boat it is like house. Boat was on very large river. Yates plowed yard today to plant grass. Mule pulled plow. Mother will make garden of vegetables. Father will plant melons and peas and beans.

Cousin Bell will come to see us Saturday. Mother will make ice-cream for dinner, we will have ice-cream and cake for dinner. Lucien Thompson is sick. I am sorry for him.

Teacher and I went to walk in the yard, and I learned about how flowers and trees grow. Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Sheffield is north and Tuscumbia is south. We will go to Boston in June. I will have fun with little blind girls.

Good bye

Helen Keller.

Last May she was taken by her uncle to the medical convention at Cincinnati, in order that he might ascertain the opinion of specialists as to the possibility of restoring either her sight or hearing. While there she met hundreds of physicians and their families, and her happy, playful disposition and remarkable acquirements won many warm friends. When I recently asked her whom she saw in Cincinnati, she unhesitatingly spelled more than a hundred names; and she also remembered the states and cities in which many of these gentlemen reside.

In the latter part of May, Mrs. Keller, Helen and I started for Boston. For nearly a year she had been anticipating this trip, and when at last the time for it came her joy was unbounded. A letter written to "Uncle Morrie" shows something of the pleasure she experienced in anticipating this visit.