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Moreover, Helen's inquisitiveness was so great during these years, that it would have interfered with her progress in the acquisition of language, if a consideration of the questions which were constantly occurring to her had been deferred until the completion of a lesson. In all probability she would have forgotten the question, and a good opportunity to explain something of real interest to her would have been lost. Therefore it has always seemed best to me to teach anything whenever my pupil needed to know it, whether it had any bearing on the projected lesson or not; her inquiries have often led us far away from the subject under immediate consideration.

There was another reason for deferring the commencement of regular instruction. For more than two years Helen's mind was in a state of perpetual excitement. From the moment when it flashed upon her consciousness, like a revelation, that all objects have names, she became like one inspired, and I instinctively felt that she would accomplish more if allowed to follow her own natural impulses.

Here is a letter which shows how her mind grasps every new suggestion.

SOUTH BOSTON, Jan. 10, 1890.

MY DEAR MR. HALE: -- The beautiful shells have come, and I thank you for them. I shall keep them always, and it will make me very happy to think you found them on that faraway island, from which Columbus sailed to discover our dear country. When I am eleven years old it will have been four hundred years since he started with the three small ships to cross the great strange ocean. He was very brave. The little girls were delighted to see the lovely shells. I told them all I knew about them. Are you very glad that you could make so many people happy? I am! I should be very happy to come and teach you the Braille some time, if you have time to learn it, but I am afraid you are too busy. A few days ago I received a little box of violets from Lady Meath. The flowers were wilted, but the kind thought which made Lady Meath send them was as sweet and as fresh as newly pulled violets. With loving greetings to the little cousins and Mrs. Hale, and a sweet kiss for yourself,

From your little friend,

HELEN A. KELLER.

Another letter, written at an early date, will afford some idea of the way in which knowledge came to her.

TUSCUMBIA, ALA., Dec. 11, 1888.

MY DEAR MRS. HOPKINS: -- I have just fed my dear little white pigeon. My brother Simpson gave it to me last Sunday. I named it Annie, for my teacher. My puppy has had his supper and gone to bed. My rabbits are sleeping, too; and very soon I shall go to bed. Teacher is writing letters to her friends. Mother and father and their friends have gone to see a huge furnace. The furnace is to make iron. The iron ore is found in the ground; but it cannot be used until it has been brought to the furnace and melted, and all the dirt taken out, and just the pure iron left. Then it is all ready to be manufactured into engines, stoves, kettles and many other things.

Coal is found in the ground, too. Many years ago, before people came to live on the earth, great trees and tall grasses and huge ferns and all the beautiful flowers covered the earth. When the leaves and the trees fell, the water and the soil covered them; and then more trees grew and fell also, and were buried under water and soil. After they had all been pressed together for many thousands of years, the wood grew very hard, like rock, and then it was already for people to burn. Can you see leaves and ferns and bark on the coal? Men go down into the ground and dig out the coal, and steam-cars take it to the large cities, and sell it to people to burn, to make them warm and happy when it is cold out of doors.

Are you very lonely and sad now? I hope you will come to see me soon, and stay a long time.

With much love, from your little friend,

HELEN A. KELLER.

Since the above-mentioned date (October, 1889) Helen has pursued a regular course of study, including arithmetic, geography, zoölogy, botany and reading. This course has been continued throughout the intervening time with satisfactory results.

She has made considerable progress in the study of arithmetic. She readily explains the processes of multiplication, addition, subtraction and division, and seems to understand the operations perfectly. She has nearly finished Colburn's mental arithmetic, her last work being in improper fractions. She has also done some good work in written arithmetic. Her natural aptness for perceiving the relation of numbers is so acute, and her mind works so rapidly, that it often happens when I give her an example that she will give me the correct answer before I have time to write out the question. She pays little attention to the language used in stating a problem, and seldom stops to ask the meaning of unknown words or phrases until she is ready to explain her work. Her self-reliance is developed in a marked degree. She prefers rather to rely upon her own powers than be helped over any difficulties. Once, when a question puzzled her very much, I suggested that we take a walk and then perhaps she would understand it. She shook her head decidedly, and said: "My enemies would think I was running away. I must stay and conquer them now," and she did.