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"There's language in her eye, her cheek, her lip,
Nay, her foot speaks; her wanton spirits look out
At every joint and motive of her body."

At my urgent request, Helen, accompanied by her mother and her teacher, came to the north in the last week of May, and spent several months with us as our guest. I need scarcely say that her arrival in Boston was hailed with great delight. Her stay here, although very short, was of inestimable benefit to her in more ways than one. She visited many places of interest, and was received everywhere with a cordiality that could hardly be surpassed. She made numerous warm friends, who are strongly attached to her. She met with many persons who could converse with her by means of the manual alphabet, and thus came into contact with minds variously constituted. We gladly allowed her to use freely our library of embossed books, our collection of stuffed animals, sea-shells, models of flowers and plants, and the rest of our apparatus for instructing the blind through the sense of touch. I do not doubt that she derived from them much pleasure and not a little profit.

But, whether Helen stays at home or makes visits in other parts of the country, her education is always under the immediate direction and exclusive control of her teacher. No one interferes with Miss Sullivan's plans, or shares in her tasks. She has been allowed entire freedom in the choice of means and methods for carrying on her great work; and, as we can judge by the results, she has made a most judicious and discreet use of this privilege. What the little pupil -?- thus far accomplished is widely known, and -?- attainments command general -?- those, who are familiar with -?- particulars of the grand achievement, know that the credit for it is largely due to the intelligence, wisdom, sagacity, unremitting perseverance and unbending will of the instructress, who rescued the child from the depths of ever during night and stillness, and watched over the different phases of her mental and moral development with maternal solicitude and enthusiastic devotion.

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As Miss Sullivan alone can speak with authority of the course pursued in the education of Helen in all its details, and of the various phenomena relating to such a unique case, I urged her to take up the thread of her narrative where she left it last year, and bring it down to the present date. In compliance with my request, she prepared the following account, which, as a specimen of simple, clear, pithy and cogent statement, is a model in its way. Here is her story.

IN the sketch of HELEN KELLER, which I wrote a year ago, I gave a brief account of her progress from March 2, 1887, to October of the same year. I shall now continue the account as late as Oct. 1, 1888.

During the past year Helen has enjoyed excellent health. She has grown in stature and increased in strength. She is tall for her age (eight years), well formed and vigorous. Her eyes and ears have been examined by skilful specialists, and it is their opinion that she cannot have the slightest perception of either light or sound. The remaining senses have visibly improved.

It is impossible to tell exactly to what extent the senses of smell and taste aid her in gaining information respecting physical qualities; but, according to eminent authority, these senses do exert a great influence on the mental and moral development. Dugald Stewart says: "Some of the most significant words relating to the human mind are borrowed from the sense of smell; and the conspicuous place, which its sensations occupy in the poetical language of all nations, shows how easily and naturally they ally themselves with the refined operations of the fancy and the moral emotions of the heart." Helen certainly derives great pleasure from the exercise of these senses. On entering a green-house her countenance becomes radiant, and she will tell the names of the flowers, with which she is familiar, by the sense of smell alone. Her recollections of the sensations of smell are very vivid. She enjoys in anticipation the scent of a rose or violet; and, if promised a bouquet of these flowers, a peculiarly happy expression will light up her face, indicating that in imagination she perceives their fragrance, and that it is pleasant to her. It frequently happens that the perfume of a flower or the flavor of a fruit recalls to her mind some happy event in home life, or a delightful birthday party. She seems to have the same fondness for eating that other children have at her age.

In regard to the sense of touch, it has sensibly increased in power during the year, and has gained in acuteness and delicacy. Indeed, her whole body is so finely organized, that she seems to use it as a medium for bringing herself into closer relations with her fellow-creatures. She is able not only to distinguish with great accuracy the different modulations of the air and the vibrations of the floor made by various sounds and motions, and to recognize her friends and acquaintances the instant she touches their hands or clothing, but she also perceives the state of mind of those around her. It is impossible for any one with whom she is conversing to be particularly happy or sad, and withhold the knowledge of this fact from the child.