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This task, I think, has never before been accomplished in so short a time. During these few weeks she was in a constant state of mental excitement, which finally affected her health seriously. In less than a month she was able to converse intelligibly in oral language. The child's own ecstasy of delight when she was first able to utter her thoughts and her joys in living and distinct speech, was shared by all who witnessed the achievement of this last and most remarkable of her undertakings. Her success was more complete and inspiring than even those had dreamed or expected who knew best her marvellous intelligence and great mental capacity.

She prefers to speak rather than to spell with her fingers, and is very much pleased when told by strangers that they understand her readily. She is now learning to read by touching our lips what we say to her, and is almost as quick at catching the meaning of words and phrases as we utter them, as she is at forming them for herself. She can even read in this way words in foreign languages with which she is not acquainted. She understands the necessity of close observation, and carefully notes the slightest vibrations resulting from articulation. Every day she makes fresh progress in the art of speaking.

Helen's attainments are so extraordinary that, judged by common standards, they appear incredible, and some of them have been characterized as myths. Intelligent people, and especially the teachers of the deaf-mutes, are disposed to question the veracity of what is said or written about them, and to consider these statements as fictitious. Dr. Job H. Williams, principal of the institution for the deaf-mutes at Hartford, Conn., was one of the doubters. He honestly believed that the reports concerning Helen's progress in language were "grossly exaggerated," and that her attempt at learning to talk was "the most absurd thing in the world;" but at the same time he was very desirous of ascertaining the exact facts in her case by careful investigation. At length his wishes were gratified. He had two long personal interviews with her, during which he conversed freely with her by means of his own fingers and by listening to her vocal utterances, and the result of these friendly meetings proved as disastrous to his skepticism as was the outcome of the encounter at Sedan to Napoleon's forces. He came, saw, heard, and became a captive under the sway of Helen's genius.

"Venit, vidit, audivit, victus est."

On his return to Hartford Dr. Williams gave a full account of his observations in the following article, which was published in the Courant of that city, Feb. 20, 1891: --

It was my privilege a few days ago to call on Helen Keller, the deaf and blind girl who has attracted so much attention among philanthropic and scientific people for the past three or four years. Much has been written of this marvellous child, -- much that, judged by all ordinary standards of attainment of deaf-mutes, or even by the attainments of the occasional brilliant exceptions, seemed almost incredible. I must confess that before I saw her for the first time, a little more than a year ago, I could not believe that the reports concerning her progress in language were not grossly exaggerated; but after seeing her and talking to her myself through the manual alphabet, I was prepared to believe almost anything regarding her progress in that direction. I never knew of a child deaf at so early an age as was Helen (sight and hearing were both lost at the age of nineteen months through disease) who made such rapid progress in the knowledge of the English language. It was simply phenomenal.

But the greatest wonder was yet to come. Soon we heard that Helen was trying to learn to talk. That seemed the most absurd thing in the world. To think of teaching speech to a child totally deaf and blind was preposterous; yet that seemingly impossible thing has been done. The age of miracles is not yet past.

Last Monday morning I sat down beside her and carried on a running conversation concerning a great variety of subjects for nearly half an hour, and during all that time her part of the conversation, which was animated and sprightly, and full of fun, was conducted entirely by speech, and speech so distinct that I failed to understand very little of what she said. She seemed never at a loss for language to express an idea, nor even to hesitate in giving it orally. It was an intelligible speech in a pleasant voice, and it was wonderful. In the course of our conversation Helen informed me that she could play on the piano, and when I asked her to play she sat down and played an air of a little song with her right hand, playing the same part with her left hand an octave below. It would hardly pass for first-class music, the time not being very accurate, but it was music. Then at my request she sang for me a line of the song she had just played, and the singing was more accurate in time, though less so in tune, than the playing.