Page 331 - The Story of My Lif

Greek parents were very particular with their children, and they used to let them

listen to wise words, and I think they understood some of them.” I have found it
best not to tell her that she cannot understand, because she is almost certain to
become excited.

Not long ago I tried to show her how to build a tower with her blocks. As the
design was somewhat complicated, the slightest jar made the structure fall. After

a time I became discouraged, and told her I was afraid she could not make it
stand, but that I would build it for her; but she did not approve of this plan. She
was determined to build the tower herself; and for nearly three hours she worked
away, patiently gathering up the blocks whenever they fell, and beginning over
again, until at last her perseverance was crowned with success. The tower stood
complete in every part.

Until October, 1889, I had not deemed it best to confine Helen to any regular and
systematic course of study. For the first two years of her intellectual life she was
like a child in a strange country, where everything was new and perplexing; and,
until she gained a knowledge of language, it was not possible to give her a
definite course of instruction.

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.

Since October, 1889, her work has been more regular and has included
arithmetic, geography, zoology, botany and reading.