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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



should have been opposed so strongly ? Yet the 

 same prejudice against the value of the system 

 — taking the twofold form, either of utter dis- 

 belief in the power of the deaf to speak, because 

 they are called "deaf and dumb," or, ou the 

 other hand, the deep-rooted idea that speech, 

 when thus given, is not better than that of the 

 parrot or the magpie — is widespread, as the fol- 

 lowing will show. 



A gentleman in America had a child who lost 

 hearing in her fifth year ; he took her to the best 

 institutions that he knew of in his own country. 

 These were on the " French " system. He was 

 there told he had better take her back, and briDg 

 her again when she was twelve. " What ! " said 

 he, " must she be seven years without any educa- 

 tion? And what is to become of her speech? 

 She has already lost some of her words." " Oh, 

 that will soon be gone, and in a few months she 

 will be as dumb as she is deaf." The parents were 

 greatly hurt at this, and resolved that her speech 

 should never be lost — a resolve which they suc- 

 ceeded in carrying out, by means of studying the 

 " German " system. Finding the great benefit 

 their child received from this method of teaching, 

 the father endeavored to get a school established 

 on this principle. For this purpose he applied 

 for State aid — which is, I believe, freely afforded 

 for the education of the deaf in every civilized 

 country but our own. His application was re- 

 fused. Twice his proposition was defeated in 

 Congress ; and it was not until he had publicly 

 exhibited the system in the person of his own 

 child, that the measure was passed. The opposi- 

 tion was led by a member of Congress, who him- 

 self had a toto-congenital deaf-and-dumb child. 



When I was in America the school was large 

 and flourishing, one of the warmest supporters 

 and most active members of its committee being 

 the very Congressman who had so long and suc- 

 cessfully opposed its foundation. He told me him- 

 self that he felt he could never do enough to 

 further the "German" system, in order to make 

 amends for having kept its benefits from his na- 

 tive State so long. 



Now we will go to a very different part of the 

 world, and give you an instance of the prejudice 

 which did exist against this system in Switzerland. 

 For this purpose I will quote from the able re- 

 port of Mr. A. A. Kinsey, made of a school at 

 Riehen. He is the gentleman who has qualified 

 himself, by residence and practical instruction in 

 the best " German " schools in Germany, to pre- 

 side over the proposed training-college for teach- 

 ers of this system in England: 



" In a little village called Riehen, about four 

 English miles from Bale, in Switzerland, is to be 

 found a most excellent school for the education 

 of the deaf. I cannot refrain from advising any 

 one reading or listening to the following story, if 

 at some future time he happen to find him- 

 self at Bale, to drive over to Riehen and visit 

 the ' Deaf and Dumb Institution ' there. I prom- 

 ise hitn that he will be most cordially received, 

 and, what is far more to the purpose, greatly as- 

 tonished at what can be done with children stone- 

 deaf from birth. 



" This school has been in existence now thir- 

 ty-six years, and is prosperous, but at the com- 

 mencement of its career such could not be said 

 of it; in fact, Mr. Wilhelm D. Arnold, the ad- 

 mirable head of this school, could with but the 

 greatest difficulty and economy make both ends 

 meet. Persons accustomed to support charita- 

 ble institutions pooh-poohed it — looked upon it 

 as the idea of a visionary — a waste of money, 

 which might with greater advantage be used 

 elsewhere. Foremost among such persons was 

 a rich merchant of Bale, named Merian. This 

 gentleman had occasion very often to visit Mr. 

 Arnold at Riehen on business not connected 

 with the school. On each of these visits, at the 

 conclusion of the work in hand, Mr. Arnold 

 would endeavor to interest his wealthy friend in 

 the school, but always without success. He 

 sighed to think how easily this rich man could 

 place them out of all their pecuniary troubles, 

 could he be but once convinced of the genuine- 

 ness of the education. But how to do it was 

 the question. He had talked, argued, quoted in 

 favor of his school ; had invited Mr. Merian to 

 see and hear for himself. But, no ; Mr. Merian 

 had no time to waste in such an absurd manner; 

 he was a strict man of business, and, the moment 

 his business with Mr. Arnold was at an end, he 

 would step into his carriage and be driven back 

 to Bale. One day Mr. Merian, being, let us sup- 

 pose, in a very good humor, or Mr. Arnold's en- 

 treaties to him to visit the school-rooms being 

 more than usually strong, he consented just to 

 give five minutes of his valuable time to an ex- 

 amination of the children. Crossing from the 

 dwelling house to the school, he grumbled out, 

 ' You know it's all nonsense, Arnold ! You know 

 very well, as well as I do, that these children 

 just talk like so many trained parrots. I don't 

 deny they do talk — never did ; but I simply re- 

 peat, they talk like pavrots ; and it's a downright 

 waste of time teaching them to do so.' 'Well 

 well,' said Arnold, ' you come and judge for 



