Annual Report of the Trustees of the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind to the Corporation (1885) (14782022502)

Identifier: annualreportoftr5357perk (find matches)
Title: Annual Report of the Trustees of the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind to the Corporation
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: Perkins Institute for the Blind
Subjects:
Publisher: Wright & Potter
Contributing Library: American Printing House for the Blind, Inc., M. C. Migel Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation



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d was shut up bywhat appeared to be an impenetrable wall. Herdeprivations were simply appalling. She was leftwith the meagre equipment of touch as her solemeans with which to find her way into the worldof thought, speech and light. Benevolent per-sons, amazed at the immensity of her calamity,asked, Who will free this imprisoned soul?Who will bridge the chasm which separates thisisolated spirit from her kind? In the midst ofgeneral silence the illustrious founder of this insti-tution answered, I will try; and hastened toHanovei, New Hampshire, to ascertain the factsin the case and induce the parents of the little girlto send her to Boston and place her under hiscare. Dr. Howe was by constitution a champion offreedom, by impulse a philanthropist, and bygenius and purpose a reformer. Like manyanother gallant worker in the world he had thesoldier spirit with the savior intent — and the loveof adventure as well. He was the very man to goout as an apostle of liberation. He entered upon 73
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DK. HOWE TEACllINd LALliA IJKIlXiMAN. the task of piercing a trackless forest and purvey-ing mental pabulum to the starving mind of Laurawith) undaunted courage and indomitable will.He had no precedent to follow, no indices to beguided by. But he was determined to succeed. 74 In his estimate, obstacles of whatever magnitudewere only things to be overcome, and nothingmore. He was confident that his little pupil pos-sessed the desire and capacity for acquiring a com-plete arbitrary language, and resolved to enableher to do so. Perseverance, skill, sagacity, inge-nuity, and in fact all the resources of his fertilebrain and the forces of his unbending will werebrought to bear upon this point. Finally, afternumberless trials and heroic efforts for weeks andmonths, the first and most important step wastaken. Laura was made to understand that allthings have names which can be expressed bycomplex signs or letters embossed on paper orformed by the fingers. Thus a grand victory waswon. The meanannualreportoftr5357perk