Anecdotes & Incidents Of The Deaf And Dumb Part 14

There is an increasing desire on the part of the various Governments of the world to give information likely to be useful to the instructors of the deaf and dumb, but it has been proved beyond doubt that the Census returns in many cases are not altogether reliable, the numbers being considerably understated. The following Table by Hartman, compiled from the various census returns, shows the per centage to the population:--

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.

-----------------------+---------+------------+---------+------------- Date of Total No. of Deaf Mutes Statis- Population. Deaf among 10,000 tics. Mutes. Inhabitants.

-----------------------+---------+------------+---------+------------- 1 Germany 1877 39,862,133 38,489 9.66 2 France 1872 36,102,921 22,610 6.26 3 Great Britain and Ireland 1871 31,631,212 18,152 5.70 4 Italy 1871 26,413,132 19,385 7.34 5 Austria 1869 20,394,980 19,701 9.66 6 Hungary 1870 15,417,327 20,699 13.43 7 Spain 1860 15,658,531 10,905 6.96 8 Belgium 1858 4,529,560 1,989 4.39 9 Netherlands 1869 3,575,080 1,119 3.35 10 Sweden 1870 4,168,525 4,266 10.23 11 Norway 1865 1,701,756 1,569 9.22 12 Switzerland 1870 2,669,147 6,544 24.52 13 Denmark 1870 1,864,496 1,156 6.20 -----------------------+---------+------------+---------+-------------

NON EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.

-----------------------+---------+------------+---------+------------- 1 United States of America 1870 38,558,371 16,205 4.20 2 Argentine Republic 1870 1,743,199 6,626 38.07 3 British Colonies in N. America 1871 583,535 470 8.05 4 In the West Indies 1871 905,730 690 7.62 5 In Africa 1871 330,460 529 16.01 6 In Australia 1871 305,730 56 1.83 -----------------------+---------+------------+---------+-------------

In Prussia (1875) the Census showed a population of 24,604,351, the number of the deaf and dumb being 24,315, or 9.9 to 10,000 of the population. In India there are, it is said, over 200,000 deaf mutes. The total number in the world is supposed to be over 700,000.

KING GEORGE IV. & THE DEAF & DUMB BOY.

When King George IV. visited Ireland a deaf and dumb boy determined to send a letter to His Majesty. The following extracts taken from this characteristic letter will be interesting:

"Wednesday, 4th July, 1821.

"My dear George,--I hope I will see you when you come here to see the deaf and dumb boys and girls; I am very sorry that you never did come here to see them.

"I will be very glad to see you, if you will come here often to see me. Did you ever see the deaf and dumb in London? You must write a letter to me soon. Would you like to see me at Claremont? I could not go to London, because there is too much money to pay to the captain of a s.h.i.+p for me.

"Do you know Grammar, Geography, Bible, Arithmetic, Astronomy, and Dictionary? I know them very little. I am very delighted that I am improving much. Perhaps I will be an a.s.sistant of the Deaf and Dumb School. Where were you born? Would you like to correspond with me? I would be very fond of you. You ought to write a long letter to me soon. What profession are you of? I never saw you; I am very, very anxious to see you indeed, and would like to see the King of England very much.

"Will you send us some deaf and dumb children, and give us money to pay for educating them.

"I am, your affectionate friend, "THOMAS COLLINS."

The answer was as follows:--

"To Thomas Collins, Deaf and Dumb Inst.i.tution, Claremont, Glasnevin, near Dublin.

"Sir Benjamin Bloomfield is commanded by the King to present to Thomas Collins ten pounds for being a good boy."

"Phoenix Park, 3rd Sep., 1821."

With these ten pounds the boy was afterwards apprenticed to a printer.

POOR SAM TRANTER.

The lot of the _uneducated_ deaf and dumb in this world is a pitiable one, and their isolation is keenly felt. Often have we seen some of this portion of suffering humanity unable to plead for themselves, or tell their tale of woe or hards.h.i.+p. Such was the condition of poor Sam Tranter. Though Sam was never in a Deaf and Dumb Inst.i.tution, his skill and plans for worldly prospects were extraordinary. In his boyhood he was left friendless and uncared for, but persuaded a shoemaker to give him work, at which poor Sam was fairly successful; owing, however, to the man's ill treatment he had to leave, and, to save himself from starving, went in the workhouse. After a brief stay he again went forth to try his hand as a s...o...b..ack, and after various attempts to s.h.i.+ft for himself, he began to master difficulties by wonderful energy and perseverance, and there is no doubt had the poor fellow been properly taught in a Deaf and Dumb Inst.i.tution, he would have risen in life.

After a time Sam commenced selling c.o.c.kles, mussels, and oysters.

From a small beginning he increased, and in course of time he took a shop, and employed five women, at which he said he had made as much as 20 some weeks. Owing, however, to his lack of education, the poor fellow was continually robbed, and eventually got into trouble through debt, and was worried with summonses; hence his failure as a c.o.c.kle and oyster merchant. He then took a stall, and afterwards a shop for the sale of gingerbread, &c.; this was also doomed to failure. He then tried street-hawking with a barrow, to keep himself from the workhouse; but this also failed, and his barrow was seized for debt.

Poor Sam was again penniless, friendless, and homeless, which compelled him once more to seek refuge in the Union, where he afterwards died after great suffering, at the age of 60 years. His remains were followed to the grave by a few deaf and dumb friends. Poor Sam might have said with David "Whilst I would do good evil is present with me."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FAITH COMETH BY HEARING.

A deaf and dumb Lady said that the first time she went to church after she was impressed with the truths of christianity, she saw over the pulpit the words "Faith cometh by hearing," which caused her great unhappiness; for, she thought, that as she had no hearing she could never have faith. Shortly after, however, she saw this text in the Bible, and observed that it was followed by "and hearing by the Word of G.o.d," which gave her so much delight, as shewing her a way in which it was possible for faith to come even to her, that she clasped the Bible to her heart.

Ma.s.sIEU.

One of the best educated and most distinguished deaf mutes was Ma.s.sieu, who gave the following remarkable replies to questions put to him by various friends:--

"What is hearing?" "Hearing," said he, "is auricular sight." Another party asked him whether he made any distinction between a conqueror and a hero? "Arms and soldiers made a conqueror; courage of heart a hero.

Julius Caesar was the hero of the Romans; Napoleon the hero of Europe,"

was the answer he wrote on the blackboard, without hesitation.

In reply to the following questions, he instantly wrote answers. "What is hope?" "Hope is the blossom of happiness." "What is happiness?"

"Happiness is pleasure that ceaseth not; and misfortune is grief that endeth not." "What is the difference between hope and desire?" "Desire is a tree in leaf; hope is a tree in flower; and enjoyment is a tree in fruit." Another pupil standing by wrote, in reply to the same question, "Desire is the inclination of the heart; hope is a confidence of the mind." A stranger asked Ma.s.sieu, "What difference do you think there is between G.o.d and nature?" His reply was "G.o.d is the first maker, the Creator of all things. The first beings all came out of His divine breast; He has said to the first beings, ye shall make the second; to the second ye shall make the third beings; His wills are laws; His laws are nature."

"What is time?" "A line that has two ends, a path that begins in the cradle and ends in the tomb." "What is eternity?" "A day without yesterday or to-morrow, a line that has no end." "What is G.o.d?" "The necessary being, the sun of eternity, the mechanist of nature, the eye of justice, the watch-maker of the universe, the soul of the world." The deceptive and acute question, "Does G.o.d reason?" was put to him, it is said, by Sir James Macintosh, Ma.s.sieu at once wrote, "Man reasons because he doubts; he deliberates, he decides; G.o.d is omniscient; He knows all things; He never doubts; He therefore never reasons."

Lucien Buonaparte once asked Ma.s.sieu, "What is laziness or idleness?"

"It is a disgust from useful occupation; a disinclination to do anything; from which result indigence, want of cleanliness and misery, disease of body and the contempt of others." In writing this answer the gestures and looks of Ma.s.sieu were in perfect accordance with the ideas that might be supposed to exist with him and the words he was writing.

When he had finished the last word he turned round, and then his whole person, with his countenance and his eyes, exhibited one of the justest pantomimic representations of laziness which it is possible to conceive.

After he had a moment dwelt upon this personification, which his fancy suggested to him, he made an expressive transition to the looks and manners of a person filled with that dread and abhorrence which the idea of laziness should ever inspire.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

GRACE ANNABLE.

Grace Annable was deaf, dumb, and blind, and although her form and features were well proportioned, she was a great sufferer from const.i.tutional weakness; yet her temper was mild and affectionate.

Strange to say, Grace was a capital nurse, and was much attached to several very young children, some being mere babies; in order to ascertain whether they were crying, she would pa.s.s her hand most carefully over the mouth and eyes, and soothe their little distresses with all the care and success of a talkative nurse. Grace was fond of fruit, and would beat the pears and apples from the trees, and could select the best with as much judgment as if she had been possessed with the sense of sight.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

She frequently went in a field to gather wild flowers, to which she was directed by the pleasantness of their odour. Her sense of smelling was remarkably exquisite, and appeared to be an additional guide to her fingers. Grace would feel and admire ornaments, etc., and would never break or injure the most brittle things even in a strange room.

A gentleman once made several experiments with her in order to test for himself her reported abilities, and expressed great surprise that one thus afflicted should be able to accomplish so much. Grace has, after a patient life, pa.s.sed away into that land where deafness and dumbness is for ever unknown.