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Her progress is also shown in her greater command of language, in her knowledge of the force of the different parts of speech, and by her increased breadth of apprehension. One evening a young lady who was attending the Boston High School told Helen that she was studying Latin. Helen turned to me and asked, "what is Latin?" I explained to her that it was a language spoken a long time ago, and, by way of illustration, I told her that a table in Latin was mensa. She immediately asked, "what is girl? boy? father? mother? " and in a few minutes she had learned seven or eight Latin words. The next morning she asked, "where is my pater?" When we went out for a walk, and I told her about a little boy whom I saw, she remarked, "I would like to see little puer." She learned some French, German and Greek words with the same facility.

Previous to last March, when her regular lessons ceased, she had made considerable progress in arithmetic. She could add, subtract and multiply numbers as high as one hundred, and had learned the multiplication tables. She could do quickly such examples as these: What is a half, a third, a fourth, a fifth of any given number? What do three eights and four fives equal? If one apple costs two cents, what will three dozen cost? If twelve oranges cost forty-eight cents, what will one cost? She learned also to represent the numbers on the type-slate used by the blind. At first it was difficult for her to understand that the types represented so many apples and oranges; but after a few days she overcame this obstacle, and then she was incessantly puzzling her brain with examples, both in school and out of it. Even when she was in bed, her thoughts still dwelt upon numbers, until she became so excited that she could not sleep. Then we banished the type-slate and discontinued the lessons in arithmetic, fearing that her health, and perhaps her mental faculties, might become seriously injured.

She began the study of geography during the past year, and has acquired a notion of the points of the compass and of boundaries. She will bound a room, a house, a garden, without difficulty, and she has worked a little with the maps. She had learned, at different times, the names of a few of the states in connection with other subjects, and she now learned at a single lesson the names of all the states of the Union, and their correct spelling.

She can sew a little, as well as knit, and she has learned the crochet stitch. Her beadwork and clay modelling have been previously mentioned. Very little time has been given to any of these occupations, yet she seems to find enjoyment in all of them; but, as I have already plainly indicated, her attention thus far has been chiefly devoted to the acquisition of language, and her progress in this direction has been most gratifying.

In this connection I will mention one point, which is perhaps worthy of note, and to which I have not hitherto alluded, -- that is, her tendency to abbreviate words and sentences in conversation. Although in all my intercourse with her I have made it my rule to form complete sentences and to require her to do the same, yet she is continually leaving out not only important words but whole phrases. If I have something in my hand, she will ask "what?" -- meaning, "what is it?" or "what have you?" If I say, "I am going upstairs," she will ask, "to?" -- meaning, "what are you going to do?" If I am going to walk, she will say "with?" -- expecting me to tell her with whom I am going. But when we remember by what a slow method she is compelled to ask these simple questions, does it seem strange that she sometimes disregards words, which are not absolutely necessary for gaining the desired information? I have no doubt, however, that she will overcome this tendency, and will then exprleess herself as clearly and fully in conversation as she now does in composition.

Like other children, she is constantly seeking some-thing new. She examines every object within her reach, and ascertains the size, shape, density and use of whatever she touches. When we think what a variety of information can be obtained through the sense of touch, concerning temperature, weight, form, size, muscular exertion, pressure, and many other properties more or less marked, it does not seem surprising, that Helen should be able to perceive qualities not appreciable to those who have sight and hearing, and whose visual and auditory impressions claim that attention, which Helen concentrates upon the sense of feeling.

Her judgment of distances, and of the relation of places to each other, is less accurate than that of blind persons in general. I have often known her to make the circuit of a room several times, in searching for some article that she had only a moment before laid upon a chair or table.

I have tried to improve every opportunity for showing Helen beautiful objects. When we go out for a walk, I seek to turn her attention away from any petty annoyances. In fact, I never allow her to talk of such matters during the time for recreation. It is best for children -- and especially those who are situated as Helen is -- to think more often of others than of themselves, to cultivate an interest in all that concerns their fellow-creatures, and to be able to appreciate and love whatever is good and beautiful. I have given her a little to observe at a time, and have insisted that she should observe that little well. In this way she learns to combine correct ideas, proper sentiments and noble impulses into logical and durable associations; and, as association makes a unit of the physical, intellectual and moral existences, and establishes a natural bond between the various parts, which constitute the mental state, great care has been taken in the formation of those associations over which we have some control.