Page 230 - The Story of My Lif

Last October I heard of an unusually bright little girl in Texas.

Her name is Ruby Rice, and she is thirteen years old, I think.

She has never been taught; but they say she can sew and likes to help others in
this sort of work. Her sense of smell is wonderful. Why, when she enters a store,
she will go straight to the showcases, and she can also distinguish her own
things. Her parents are very anxious indeed to find a teacher for her. They have
also written to Mr. Hitz about her.

I also know a child at the Institution for the Deaf in Mississippi. Her name is
Maud Scott, and she is six years old.

Miss Watkins, the lady who has charge of her wrote me a most interesting letter.
She said that Maud was born deaf and lost her sight when she was only three
months old, and that when she went to the Institution a few weeks ago, she was
quite helpless. She could not even walk and had very little use of her hands.
When they tried to teach her to string beads, her little hands fell to her side.
Evidently her sense of touch has not been developed, and as yet she can walk

only when she holds some one’s hand; but she seems to be an exceedingly bright
child. Miss Watkins adds that she is very pretty. I have written to her that when
Maud learns to read, I shall have many stories to send her. The dear, sweet little
girl, it makes my heart ache to think how utterly she is cut off from all that is
good and desirable in life. But Miss Watkins seems to be just the kind of teacher
she needs.

I was in New York not long ago and I saw Miss Rhoades, who told me that she
had seen Katie McGirr. She said the poor young girl talked and acted exactly
like a little child. Katie played with Miss Rhoades’s rings and took them away,
saying with a merry laugh, “You shall not have them again!” She could only
understand Miss Rhoades when she talked about the simplest things. The latter
wished to send her some books; but she could not find anything simple enough
for her! She said Katie was very sweet indeed, but sadly in need of proper
instruction. I was much surprised to hear all this; for I judged from your letters
that Katie was a very precocious girl….