The Story of My Life: With her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert MacyKeller, Helen
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The Story of My Life: With her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert Macy
Keller, Helen
Deafblind women -- United States -- Biography; Keller, Helen, 1880-1968
Helen didn't come up to my room after supper, and I didn't see her again
until breakfast-time. She was at her place when I came down. She had put
the napkin under her chin, instead of pinning it at the back, as was her
custom. She called my attention to the new arrangement, and when I did
not object she seemed pleased and patted herself. When she left the
dining-room, she took my hand and patted it. I wondered if she was
trying to "make up." I thought I would try the effect of a little
belated discipline. I went back to the dining-room and got a napkin.
When Helen came upstairs for her lesson, I arranged the objects on the
table as usual, except that the cake, which I always give her in bits
as a reward when she spells a word quickly and correctly, was not there.
She noticed this at once and made the sign for it. I showed her the
napkin and pinned it round her neck, then tore it off and threw it on
the floor and shook my head. I repeated this performance several times.
I think she understood perfectly well; for she slapped her hand two or
three times and shook her head. We began the lesson as usual. I gave
her an object, and she spelled the name (she knows twelve now). After
spelling half the words, she stopped suddenly, as if a thought had
flashed into her mind, and felt for the napkin. She pinned it round her
neck and made the sign for cake (it didn't occur to her to spell the
word, you see). I took this for a promise that if I gave her some cake
she would be a good girl. I gave her a larger piece than usual, and she
chuckled and patted herself.
April 3, 1887.
We almost live in the garden, where everything is growing and blooming
and glowing. After breakfast we go out and watch the men at work. Helen
loves to dig and play in the dirt like any other child. This morning she
planted her doll and showed me that she expected her to grow as tall
as I. You must see that she is very bright, but you have no idea how
cunning she is.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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