Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1875 — A Visit to Laura Bridgman. [ARTICLE]

A Visit to Laura Bridgman.

Amanda B. Harris gives in the Christian Union the folloM T ing account of a visit made by her to Laura Bridgman, who was born blind, deaf and dumb, and has been so wonderfully educated at the institution for the blind at South Boston: A. few weeks since I visited Laura Bridgman in her home near the Institution for the Blind at South Boston. If anyone supposes that by reason of her deprivation she is queer or awkward in person or manners, he is altogether in error. There is nothing at all singular in her appearance. When I entered the parlor a member of the family with whom she lives was playing on the piano, and close beside her, on a low seat, there was a very slight, very erect, quiet, self-possessed looking girl who seemed to be listening to the music, M'liile her hands were busy over some crocheting or similar w T ork. She. would have been taken for a guest who was nimbly fashioning some pretty article while being entertained with music. The expression of her face was bright and interested; and one watching her satisfied look would have been slow to belief that she did not hear. The green shade over her eyes indicated that she was one of the blind. She had on a brown dress, a blue ribbon at the neck, a gold ring and chain, and a watch or locket in her belt —a neat-ly-attired, genteel, lady-like person, looking about thirty-five, though her age is really not far from forty-four, Mith soft, brown hair, smooth and fine, a m ell-shaped head, fair complexion and handsome features. That was Laura. Dr. lIoM-e spoke of 1 her as “comely and refined in form and attitude, graceful in motion, and positively handsome in features;” and of her “expressive face,” which, indeed, in sensibility and intelligence, is above instead of below the average. As soon as the information was conveyed to her that she had a visitor from her native State who knew" people in the toMn M-here her nearest kindred live, she came swiftly across the room, leaving her M ork on the center-tsble as she passed it, and grasped my hand, laughing M itli the eagerness of a child. Then she sat doM r n face to face Mith the lady Mho has charge of her and commenced an animated conversation by the manual alphabet, easily understood by one who has practiced it; but the sleight-of-hand by M hich the fingers ofthe friendly hostess, manipulating on Laura’s slender MTists, communicated with that living consciousness shut in there within one perfect sense except the taste and touch was something mysterious, inscrutable to my duller sense. Yet that the communication M*as definite, quick, incisive, so to speak, was manifest enough, for Laura’s face beamed, and she was all alert. Partly by the letters and partly by signs she said a great deal to me, She “ ought to be at home to be company for mother,” she said; and once or twice she fashioned the word “mam-ma” very distinctly with her lips. .With regard to this vocal expression Dr. Howe says: “ She has attained such facility for talking in the manual alphabet that I regret that I did not try also to teach her to speak by vocal organs or regular sp&ech. She asked if I knew a member of her family now dead, and said: “ That was a long year after Carl died.” She seemed brimming over with things to tell me, and wanted me to ‘know about her teaching some of the blind girls to sew, which is part of her daily employment in the school nearby, ana Mhich she’ takes great pride in, threading the needles and making her pnpils pick out their work if it is not done nicely. She is

a good seamstress herself, does fancy work, and can run a sewing-machine. ’ Next she caught hold of my hand and led me up twa nights-of stairs to her room to show me her things ; but the first movement atas to take me to the window, where she patted on the glass and signified that I should see what a pleasant prospect there was from it. And there she, who had never seen or heard, waited by my side in great content while f looked and listened;; the sky was blue,; with white clouds floating over it, and birds were singing; it was a perfect April day, but she could get no consciousness of it except in the softness of the air. Yet her face was radiant, and she stood there as though she both saw and heard. I wish 1 could bring before all those who are discontented with their lot, repining because God lias withheld something from them or taken something away, the cheerful face of this girl who has sojittle, but who accepts it as if she had all; who has never seen a human countenance or heard a human voice, who in the infinite glory aud beauty of this outward world has no part, shut in by herself in that silent, dark, unchanging, awful loneliness. The next act was to show me how springy her bed was; then she deliberately took off my shawl, as if she meant business, and showed me all the pretty things and conveniences she had m her room, opening every box and drawer and displaying the c'ontents ; her jet chain she laid against her neck, her bows and collars and embroidered handkerchiefs were Taken up one by one, then deftly replaced in their proper receptacles; her writing materials, sewing implements, little statuettes, trinkets, large Bible —I liad to see them all, and then her wardrobe, and it was with the greatest delight she ran her fingers over the “shirrs” of the flounce of her best winter dress and the cuirass basque, as if 'to say that her things were in the latest fashion. Finally she took out a sheet of paper, pressed it down on her French writing-board, examined the point of her pencil, and wrote her autograph, “ God is love and truth. L. N. Bridgman;” and then from her needle-case and spool-box produced a cambric needle and fine cotton, and showed me how she threaded a needle, which was done by holding the eye against the tip of her tongue, the exquisite nicety of touch in her tongue guiding her to pass the thread through. It was done in an instant, though it seemed impossible to do it at all, and then she presented me the threaded needle triumphantly, having secured it by slipping a knot. After descending to the parlor she told me liow kind it was in Dr. Howe to fit her up such a pretty room, and then Imust go into the school-room, whither she led me by the hand, and introduced me to several of her friends among the pupils, and when I took my departure she would have the teacher go with me to the door to tell me which car to take. The last report of Dr. Howe gives some particulars relating to the way" in which he brought this very interesting girlfinto communication with Tier fellow-creatures, making her “ one of the human family,” patiently, laboriously, lovingly going over a tedious process month after month and year after year, until she became what she is. She has a home during the cold weather at the institution; she earns a little money by making bead-baskets, etc., and has the interest of $2,000, which was bequeathed to her by two friends—mother and daughter; “hut still she barely receives enough for necessary articles of dress,” he adds, gently suggesting the needs of “ this dear child” for whom he has done so much.