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
Do you realize that this is the last letter I shall write to you for
a long, long time? The next word that you receive from me will be in a
yellow envelope, and it will tell you when we shall reach Boston. I
am too happy to write letters; but I must tell you about our visit to
Cincinnati.
We spent a delightful week with the "doctors." Dr. Keller met us in
Memphis. Almost every one on the train was a physician, and Dr. Keller
seemed to know them all. When we reached Cincinnati, we found the place
full of doctors. There were several prominent Boston physicians among
them. We stayed at the Burnet House. Everybody was delighted with Helen.
All the learned men marveled at her intelligence and gaiety. There
is something about her that attracts people. I think it is her joyous
interest in everything and everybody.
Wherever she went she was the centre of interest. She was delighted
with the orchestra at the hotel, and whenever the music began she danced
round the room, hugging and kissing every one she happened to touch. Her
happiness impressed all; nobody seemed to pity her. One gentleman said
to Dr. Keller, "I have lived long and seen many happy faces; but I have
never seen such a radiant face as this child's before to-night." Another
said, "Damn me! but I'd give everything I own in the world to have
that little girl always near me." But I haven't time to write all the
pleasant things people said--they would make a very large book, and
the kind things they did for us would fill another volume. Dr. Keller
distributed the extracts from the report that Mr. Anagnos sent me, and
he could have disposed of a thousand if he had had them. Do you remember
Dr. Garcelon, who was Governor of Maine several years ago? He took us to
drive one afternoon, and wanted to give Helen a doll; but she said: "I
do not like too many children. Nancy is sick, and Adeline is cross, and
Ida is very bad." We laughed until we cried, she was so serious about
it. "What would you like, then?" asked the Doctor. "Some beautiful
gloves to talk with," she answered. The Doctor was puzzled. He had never
heard of "talking-gloves"; but I explained that she had seen a glove
on which the alphabet was printed, and evidently thought they could be
bought. I told him he could buy some gloves if he wished, and that I
would have the alphabet stamped on them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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