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
It must have been evident to those who watched the rapid unfolding of
Helen's faculties that it would not be possible to keep her inquisitive
spirit for any length of time from reaching out toward the unfathomable
mysteries of life. But great care has been taken not to lead her
thoughts prematurely to the consideration of subjects which perplex
and confuse all minds. Children ask profound questions, but they often
receive shallow answers, or, to speak more correctly, they are quieted
by such answers.
"Where did I come from?" and "Where shall I go when I die?" were
questions Helen asked when she was eight years old. But the explanations
which she was able to understand at that time did not satisfy, although
they forced her to remain silent, until her mind should begin to put
forth its higher powers, and generalize from innumerable impressions
and ideas which streamed in upon it from books and from her daily
experiences. Her mind sought for the cause of things.
As her observation of phenomena became more extensive and her vocabulary
richer and more subtle, enabling her to express her own conceptions and
ideas clearly, and also to comprehend the thoughts and experiences of
others, she became acquainted with the limit of human creative power,
and perceived that some power, not human, must have created the earth,
the sun, and the thousand natural objects with which she was perfectly
familiar.
Finally she one day demanded a name for the power, the existence of
which she had already conceived in her own mind.
Through Charles Kingsley's "Greek Heroes" she had become familiar with
the beautiful stories of the Greek gods and goddesses, and she must
have met with the words GOD, HEAVEN, SOUL, and a great many similar
expressions in books.
She never asked the meaning of such words, nor made any comment when
they occurred; and until February, 1889, no one had ever spoken to her
of God. At that time, a dear relative who was also an earnest Christian,
tried to tell her about God but, as this lady did not use words suited
to the comprehension of the child, they made little impression upon
Helen's mind. When I subsequently talked with her she said: "I have
something very funny to tell you. A. says God made me and every one out
of sand; but it must be a joke. I am made of flesh and blood and bone,
am I not?" Here she examined her arm with evident satisfaction, laughing
heartily to herself. After a moment she went on: "A. says God is
everywhere, and that He is all love; but I do not think a person can
be made out of love. Love is only something in our hearts. Then A. said
another very comical thing. She says He (meaning God) is my dear father.
It made me laugh quite hard, for I know my father is Arthur Keller."
I explained to her that she was not yet able to understand what had been
told her, and so easily led her to see that it would be better not to
talk about such things until she was wiser.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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