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.When she came to retell the story in a fuller form, the echo wasstill in her mind of the phrases she had written nine years before.Yet she had not seen her sketch in theYouth's Companion since she wrote it, except two passages which Miss Sullivan read to her to remind her ofthings she should say in this autobiography, and to show her, when her phrasing troubled her, how muchbetter she did as a little girl.From the early sketch I take a few passages which seem to me, without making very much allowance fordifference in time, almost as good as anything she has written since: Part I.in that volume.184I discovered the true way to walk when I was a year old, and during the radiant summer days that followed Iwas never still a minute.Then when my father came in the evening, I would run to the gate to meet him, and he would take me up inhis strong arms and put back the tangled curls from my face and kiss me many times, saying, "What has myLittle Woman been doing to-day?"But the brightest summer has winter behind it.In the cold, dreary month of February, when I was nineteenmonths old, I had a serious illness.I still have confused memories of that illness.My mother sat beside mylittle bed and tried to soothe my feverish moans while in her troubled heart she prayed, "Father in Heaven,spare my baby's life!" But the fever grew and flamed in my eyes, and for several days my kind physicianthought I would die.But early one morning the fever left me as mysteriously and unexpectedly as it had come, and I fell into aquiet sleep.Then my parents knew I would live, and they were very happy.They did not know for some timeafter my recovery that the cruel fever had taken my sight and hearing; taken all the light and music andgladness out of my little life.But I was too young to realize what had happened.When I awoke and found that all was dark and still, Isuppose I thought it was night, and I must have wondered why day was so long coming.Gradually, however, Igot used to the silence and darkness that surrounded me, and forgot that it had ever been day.I forgot everything that had been except my mother's tender love.Soon even my childish voice was stilled,because I had ceased to hear any sound.But all was not lost! After all, sight and hearing are but two of the beautiful blessings which God had givenme.The most precious, the most wonderful of His gifts was still mine.My mind remained clear and active,"though fled fore'er the light."As soon as my strength returned, I began to take an interest in what the people around me were doing.I wouldcling to my mother's dress as she went about her household duties, and my little hands felt every object andobserved every motion, and in this way I learned a great many things.When I was a little older I felt the need of some means of communication with those around me, and I beganto make simple signs which my parents and friends readily understood; but it often happened that I was unableto express my thoughts intelligibly, and at such times I would give way to my angry feelings utterly.Teacher had been with me nearly two weeks, and I had learned eighteen or twenty words, before that thoughtflashed into my mind, as the sun breaks upon the sleeping world; and in that moment of illumination thesecret of language was revealed to me, and I caught a glimpse of the beautiful country I was about to explore.Teacher had been trying all the morning to make me understand that the mug and the milk in the mug haddifferent names; but I was very dull, and kept spelling MILK for mug, and mug for milk until teacher musthave lost all hope of making me see my mistake.At last she got up, gave me the mug, and led me out of thedoor to the pump-house.Some one was pumping water, and as the cool fresh stream burst forth, teacher mademe put my mug under the spout and spelled "w-a-t-e-r," Water!That word startled my soul, and it awoke, full of the spirit of the morning, full of joyous, exultant song.Untilthat day my mind had been like a darkened chamber, waiting for words to enter and light the lamp, which isthought.I learned a great many words that day.I do not remember what they all were; but I do know that MOTHER, Part I.in that volume.185FATHER, SISTER and TEACHER were among them.It would have been difficult to find a happier littlechild than I was that night as I lay in my crib and thought over the joy the day had brought me, and for thefirst time longed for a new day to come.The next morning I awoke with joy in my heart.Everything I touched seemed to quiver with life.It wasbecause I saw everything with the new, strange, beautiful sight which had been given me.I was never angryafter that because I understood what my friends said to me, and I was very busy learning many wonderfulthings.I was never still during the first glad days of my freedom.I was continually spelling and acting out thewords as I spelled them.I would run, skip, jump and swing, no matter where I happened to be.Everythingwas budding and blossoming.The honeysuckle hung in long garlands, deliciously fragrant, and the roses hadnever been so beautiful before [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.When she came to retell the story in a fuller form, the echo wasstill in her mind of the phrases she had written nine years before.Yet she had not seen her sketch in theYouth's Companion since she wrote it, except two passages which Miss Sullivan read to her to remind her ofthings she should say in this autobiography, and to show her, when her phrasing troubled her, how muchbetter she did as a little girl.From the early sketch I take a few passages which seem to me, without making very much allowance fordifference in time, almost as good as anything she has written since: Part I.in that volume.184I discovered the true way to walk when I was a year old, and during the radiant summer days that followed Iwas never still a minute.Then when my father came in the evening, I would run to the gate to meet him, and he would take me up inhis strong arms and put back the tangled curls from my face and kiss me many times, saying, "What has myLittle Woman been doing to-day?"But the brightest summer has winter behind it.In the cold, dreary month of February, when I was nineteenmonths old, I had a serious illness.I still have confused memories of that illness.My mother sat beside mylittle bed and tried to soothe my feverish moans while in her troubled heart she prayed, "Father in Heaven,spare my baby's life!" But the fever grew and flamed in my eyes, and for several days my kind physicianthought I would die.But early one morning the fever left me as mysteriously and unexpectedly as it had come, and I fell into aquiet sleep.Then my parents knew I would live, and they were very happy.They did not know for some timeafter my recovery that the cruel fever had taken my sight and hearing; taken all the light and music andgladness out of my little life.But I was too young to realize what had happened.When I awoke and found that all was dark and still, Isuppose I thought it was night, and I must have wondered why day was so long coming.Gradually, however, Igot used to the silence and darkness that surrounded me, and forgot that it had ever been day.I forgot everything that had been except my mother's tender love.Soon even my childish voice was stilled,because I had ceased to hear any sound.But all was not lost! After all, sight and hearing are but two of the beautiful blessings which God had givenme.The most precious, the most wonderful of His gifts was still mine.My mind remained clear and active,"though fled fore'er the light."As soon as my strength returned, I began to take an interest in what the people around me were doing.I wouldcling to my mother's dress as she went about her household duties, and my little hands felt every object andobserved every motion, and in this way I learned a great many things.When I was a little older I felt the need of some means of communication with those around me, and I beganto make simple signs which my parents and friends readily understood; but it often happened that I was unableto express my thoughts intelligibly, and at such times I would give way to my angry feelings utterly.Teacher had been with me nearly two weeks, and I had learned eighteen or twenty words, before that thoughtflashed into my mind, as the sun breaks upon the sleeping world; and in that moment of illumination thesecret of language was revealed to me, and I caught a glimpse of the beautiful country I was about to explore.Teacher had been trying all the morning to make me understand that the mug and the milk in the mug haddifferent names; but I was very dull, and kept spelling MILK for mug, and mug for milk until teacher musthave lost all hope of making me see my mistake.At last she got up, gave me the mug, and led me out of thedoor to the pump-house.Some one was pumping water, and as the cool fresh stream burst forth, teacher mademe put my mug under the spout and spelled "w-a-t-e-r," Water!That word startled my soul, and it awoke, full of the spirit of the morning, full of joyous, exultant song.Untilthat day my mind had been like a darkened chamber, waiting for words to enter and light the lamp, which isthought.I learned a great many words that day.I do not remember what they all were; but I do know that MOTHER, Part I.in that volume.185FATHER, SISTER and TEACHER were among them.It would have been difficult to find a happier littlechild than I was that night as I lay in my crib and thought over the joy the day had brought me, and for thefirst time longed for a new day to come.The next morning I awoke with joy in my heart.Everything I touched seemed to quiver with life.It wasbecause I saw everything with the new, strange, beautiful sight which had been given me.I was never angryafter that because I understood what my friends said to me, and I was very busy learning many wonderfulthings.I was never still during the first glad days of my freedom.I was continually spelling and acting out thewords as I spelled them.I would run, skip, jump and swing, no matter where I happened to be.Everythingwas budding and blossoming.The honeysuckle hung in long garlands, deliciously fragrant, and the roses hadnever been so beautiful before [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]