The Writings of Laura Bridgman, Part I [pp. 355-373]

1886.] The Writings of Laura Bridgman. 355
conversational side-dishes and pieces de resis- brother. Mrs. Cary, I know, was planning
lanre, day after day for so long, it was a pos- what sort of a wedding to give her pretty pro itive relief to me to talk for an hour or two tegee, and Mrs. Nichol began to consider
with this vivacious little black-eyed maiden, whether she should wear lavender satin or
and never hear his name nor any of his deeds white crape.
nor words. So with little fear of failure, I went gaily
At last I believed I was to be a happy man. to my fate. Virginie blushed and looked the
Virginie evidently enjoyed and appreciated least in the world guilty: then she said air my society. May, bless her dear heart, re- ily: "Why, I can't marry you, because signed me to her friend without a single not a soul knows it yet, and don't you tell for
pang of wounded feeling. Virginie had only the world-I'm engaged to Fred Cary."
a guardian to consult, not an autocratic Hielen Lake.
THE WRITINGS OF I,AURA BRIDGMAN.-I.
LAURA BRIDGMAN's name is a household she was taken sick with scarlet fever, and
word; her education forty years ago was fol- only after weeks of disease, and after two
lowed with the most eager and general in- full years and more of feebleness, was her
terest, and her case has become a classic in general health fairly reestablished. The dispsychological literature. To preface a short ease left her with hearing totally destroyed,
study of her writings with an account of her and with sight so nearly in the same condilife and of the method of her education, may tion, that, though she continued for several
seem, to say the least, unnecessary. Still, years to distinguish light and darkness, and
current information is often inaccurate, and perhaps even to notice certain striking colthe psychological value of what she wrote de- ors, she was found completely sightless, when,
pends so completely upon her condition be- at about eight years of age, she was examfore and after instruction, that a very brief ined by Dr. S. G. Howe. Her senses of
review of the facts is here presented. taste and smell were blunted, and touch
Laura Bridgman was born December 2ist, alone of the five remained intact. By the
I 829, into the family of a moral and respect- use of this sense alone, or, we should say
a b l e farmer of Hanover, New Hampshire. more truly, this undifferentiated complex of
y e as of std in th Perin Inttt. Sh pls si:n wit ths abu her. Betee