She was a very shy child, and would not speak any words after she became deaf, so she soon forgot how to do so, and when her education was begun, she was nearly like a child born deaf.
For a time she was peevish and discontented; her mind was dark. But so soon as she began to understand, it was as if light shone into her mind, and she became cheerful and happy like her companions.
At first she did not seem very clever. But after two years she began to improve fast, and soon was one of the best pupils in the Inst.i.tution.
She was very amiable and affectionate, and a great favourite with her companions.
When she grew up she became an a.s.sistant in the school, she taught one of the junior cla.s.ses in the early part of the day, and instructed the girls in sewing in the evenings. For some years she was thus usefully employed. But her brother wished her to go and live with him, and keep house for him at Bannockburn, and she consented and left the Inst.i.tution.
After a time Helen wished to return to the Inst.i.tution. So she wrote a letter to a friend and asked her to find out if she would be allowed to become a teacher again. But the Superintendent of the Inst.i.tution was ill, and no answer was sent to her letter. Then Helen thought she would go herself to the Inst.i.tution and see if they would employ her. It was winter. She set out from Stirling in a steamer on the last day of the year 1845, and arrived at Granton Pier at night. It was dark. A gentleman offered to conduct her up the pier, but he did not know the way. He should have turned to go towards the town, but he led her straight on. They came to the edge of the pier, and in an instant both were plunged into the sea. They were soon picked up, and carried to the hotel. Helen soon seemed quite well, and she was sent on to the Inst.i.tution. She felt so happy at being again among her old friends that she did not soon go to bed. She thought herself much better than she was. She caught a very bad cold. In a few days inflammation of the lungs came on. Her sufferings were very great, but, she bore them patiently; and on Sabbath morning, the 18th of January, 1846, her spirit took its flight to her Saviour"s bosom.
Her pastor, who visited her on her death-bed, was much pleased to see how fully she trusted in Jesus. He said of her after she died "I think of her as one of the spirits of the just made perfect."
[Ill.u.s.tration]
A CAT a.s.sISTING A DEAF AND DUMB WOMAN.
The chill wind was moaning, the rain falling drearily, and day darkening rapidly, when a lady might have been seen walking along quickly through Eccles Street. She was thinking of home, with its bright warm fire, and how soon she could get in out of the cold and wet.
Suddenly she stopped, as a feeble cry arrested her footsteps, and looking round, she perceived a cat crouched against some steps. The storm was beating on the poor harmless creature, and night coming on.
The lady did not turn away and hurry on, as some selfish people would have done, but pitied and called the poor cat. It looked so forlorn, and gave a frightened glance in her face. Gaining courage from what it saw there, it trusted her, and jumped up, curled its tail over its back, and trotted contentedly after her. The lady went on. When she looked back now and then, there was p.u.s.s.y trotting steadily behind.
Presently the lady knocked at a hall door, and when it was opened they pa.s.sed into a bright room, and p.u.s.s.y sat down to dry before a warm fire, where two other cats, sleek and well fed, kept her company. Well, our puss, whose name was "Gipsy," very soon was lapping a saucer of warm milk. After that she looked at the fire, and winked her eyes until she fell asleep.
Sarah Darby, who is deaf and dumb, was at that time living in this house. p.u.s.s.y became very fond of Sarah, and liked to sit in her lap because she was kind to it. Now Sarah did not think a cat could help her, but she knew that G.o.d commands us to be kind to helpless creatures, and He always rewards us when we obey Him.
You will wonder how a cat could help anyone, so I will tell you.
Sometimes Sarah was alone in the house, and when a knock came to the hall door there was no one to tell her but puss, and puss did so. How?
She jumped down off Sarah"s lap, and looked up in her face every time a knock came, and after the door had been opened got on her lap again, and waited for the next one. So this is how the cat helped the deaf and dumb woman.
THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY.
At a meeting in aid of the deaf and dumb held in Dundee, at which Lord Panmure presided, a number of deaf and dumb children were present and put through an examination. The question was put on the blackboard, "Who is the greatest living statesman of Great Britain?" One of the boys instantly wrote, "The Earl of Shaftesbury." The chairman patted the boy on the head, and asked, "Why do you think the Earl of Shaftesbury is the greatest living statesman?" The boy answered, "Because he cares a great deal for the like of us deaf mutes."
DEAF AND DUMB LADY"S IDEA OF MUSIC.
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A lady who graduated from the Inst.i.tution at New York some years ago, was questioned as to the capacity of the deaf to enjoy music; she wrote: "I think all deaf persons have an idea more or less vague of musical sounds. It comes to all who cannot hear through the sense of touch. The vibrations of the chords of a piano, when strongly played, are sufficient to produce real enjoyment by means of feeling to one who can touch the case merely. The soft, tremulous notes, even convey an impression through the nerves, similar, I fancy, to that which others obtain through the ear. But the real music for us comes through the eye.
The rippling of waves, the tremulous vibration of leaf and blossom and twig, all these sights make for us a harmony perhaps as perfect as the most finished orchestra."
HALF A SCORE DEAF MUTES.
On Tuesday evening last the Stamford Corn Exchange was crowded with people eager to see half a score little deaf mutes from the Inst.i.tution at Derby. The children--six boys and four girls--caused considerable amus.e.m.e.nt, and also pain to think they should be so afflicted. The youngsters can draw, read, and write in a way that is surprising, and some of the faces were marked by unusual brightness and intelligence.--_Stamford Mercury_, Sep. 18th, 1884.
A DUMB DOG.
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A deaf and dumb lady living in a German city, had, as a companion, a younger woman, who was also deaf and dumb. They lived in a small set of rooms opening on the public corridor of the house. Somebody gave the elder lady a dog as a present. For some time, whenever anybody rang the bell at the door, the dog barked to call the attention of his mistress.
The dog soon discovered, however, that neither the bell nor the barking made any impression on the women, and he took to the practice of merely pulling one of them by the dress with his teeth, in order to explain that some one was at the door. Gradually the dog ceased to bark altogether, and for more than seven years before his death he remained as mute as his two companions.
"CLEANSING FROM SIN."
Matthew Jones, a poor deaf and dumb boy, once wrote the meaning of Jesus Christ"s blood washing away sin. Being asked if he was afraid G.o.d would punish him for his sins, he wrote this answer, "No, for when G.o.d sees my name down in His book, and all the things I have done wrong, and all that I have left undone, there will be a long account; but He won"t be able to read it, because Jesus Christ"s bleeding hand will have blotted all the account out, and He would see nothing on that page but the Saviour"s blood, for I have asked Him to wash all my sins away."
THE BIBLE AND THE DEAF AND DUMB.
The following is taken from the British and Foreign Bible Society"s Report for 1885, being an extract from one of their agents in Belgium named Gazan:--"For the last fourteen years Gazan has been in the habit of getting shaved by a barber who also keeps a drinking saloon. Though not a member of a temperance society Gazan is an abstainer, and is none the less welcome, and he occasionally is able to sell to persons who frequent the place. One day last year when the barber"s shop was full, a man was there who had often prevented people buying, and when Gazan left began to say all the harm he could of him. This he heard from the barber"s wife, who expressed great annoyance at it. Some time after a young man, deaf and dumb, called upon Gazan and gave him to understand he wanted a Bible. With the aid of a pencil they carried on a conversation, in the course of which Gazan showed him several pa.s.sages marked in the Bible. This was on a Sunday morning, and in the afternoon the deaf and dumb young man came back to attend the service, for which Gazan lends his room; and he continued to come Sunday after Sunday, when by signs and giving him pa.s.sages to read he was interested in the service. He was introduced to the deaf and dumb evangelist in Brussels, and having found work as a printer, is living there now, lodging at the house of M. Crispells, who holds the service at Louvain. On Christmas Day he went to Louvain to see Gazan, and showed him a number of texts which had been pointed out to him during his former visits, and showed remarkable familiarity with the Scriptures. This deaf and dumb young man is no other than the son of the man above referred to, who had spoken against him in the barber"s shop. The conversion of his son has had a remarkable effect upon him; he is now quite a changed man, and does all he can to a.s.sist Gazan and to induce people to buy his books."
CORK TEMPERANCE EXHIBITION.
The following were won by deaf mutes:--Both certificate and prize, E.
Morgan, for painted alb.u.m; A. Corkey, doll"s dress; B. Henderson, same; J. Giveen, st.i.tching; J. O"Sullivan, knitting; G. Seabury, laundry work.
Also, prizes were won by J. Armstrong, handwriting; L. Corkey, texts in Bible alb.u.m; E. Phibbs, doll"s suit; E. Gray, knitting. A Bible alb.u.m made by deaf mutes at Cork was much admired. Each page has a picture with a great many texts written round it.
GOOD INFLUENCE.
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A few years since an aged man, who had long been a sincere and devoted christian, was placed in the same ward in the Infirmary of N----with a deaf and dumb youth. The former received and enjoyed the visits of the chaplain, whilst the latter was considered inaccessible to instruction.