Page 255 - The Story of My Lif

baby who has not learned to prattle; indeed, is in a much worse state, for the

brain has grown in years without natural nourishment.

After Laura’s education had progressed for two months with the use only of
raised letters, Dr. Howe sent one of his teachers to learn the manual alphabet
from a deaf-mute. She taught it to Laura, and from that time on the manual
alphabet was the means of communicating with her.

After the first year or two Dr. Howe did not teach Laura Bridgman himself, but
gave her over to other teachers, who under his direction carried on the work of
teaching her language.

Too much cannot be said in praise of Dr. Howe’s work. As an investigator he
kept always the scientist’s attitude. He never forgot to keep his records of Laura
Bridgman in the fashion of one who works in a laboratory. The result is, his
records of her are systematic and careful. From a scientific standpoint it is
unfortunate that it was impossible to keep such a complete record of Helen
Keller’s development. This in itself is a great comment on the difference
between Laura Bridgman and Helen Keller. Laura always remained an object of

curious study. Helen Keller became so rapidly a distinctive personality that she
kept her teacher in a breathless race to meet the needs of her pupil, with no time
or strength to make a scientific study.

In some ways this is unfortunate. Miss Sullivan knew at the beginning that Helen

Keller would be more interesting and successful than Laura Bridgman, and she
expresses in one of her letters the need of keeping notes. But neither
temperament nor training allowed her to make her pupil the object of any
experiment or observation which did not help in the child’s development. As
soon as a thing was done, a definite goal passed, the teacher did not always look
back and describe the way she had come. The explanation of the fact was
unimportant compared to the fact itself and the need of hurrying on. There are
two other reasons why Miss Sullivan’s records are incomplete. It has always