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
General
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
She was much pleased with the letter, and after she had asked all the
questions she could think of, she took it to her mother, who was sewing
in the hall, and read it to her. It was amusing to see her hold it
before her eyes and spell the sentences out on her fingers, just as I
had done. Afterward she tried to read it to Belle (the dog) and Mildred.
Mrs. Keller and I watched the nursery comedy from the door. Belle was
sleepy, and Mildred inattentive. Helen looked very serious, and, once
or twice, when Mildred tried to take the letter, she put her hand away
impatiently. Finally Belle got up, shook herself, and was about to
walk away, when Helen caught her by the neck and forced her to lie down
again. In the meantime Mildred had got the letter and crept away with
it. Helen felt on the floor for it, but not finding it there, she
evidently suspected Mildred; for she made the little sound which is her
"baby call." Then she got up and stood very still, as if listening with
her feet for Mildred's "thump, thump." When she had located the sound,
she went quickly toward the little culprit and found her chewing the
precious letter! This was too much for Helen. She snatched the letter
and slapped the little hands soundly. Mrs. Keller took the baby in her
arms, and when we had succeeded in pacifying her, I asked Helen, "What
did you do to baby?" She looked troubled, and hesitated a moment before
answering. Then she said: "Wrong girl did eat letter. Helen did slap
very wrong girl." I told her that Mildred was very small, and didn't
know that it was wrong to put the letter in her mouth.
"I did tell baby, no, no, much (many) times," was Helen's reply.
I said, "Mildred doesn't understand your fingers, and we must be very
gentle with her."
She shook her head.
"Baby--not think. Helen will give baby pretty letter," and with that she
ran upstairs and brought down a neatly folded sheet of braille, on which
she had written some words, and gave it to Mildred, saying, "Baby can
eat all words."
September 18, 1887.
I do not wonder you were surprised to hear that I was going to write
something for the report. I do not know myself how it happened, except
that I got tired of saying "no," and Captain Keller urged me to do
it. He agreed with Mr. Anagnos that it was my duty to give others
the benefit of my experience. Besides, they said Helen's wonderful
deliverance might be a boon to other afflicted children.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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