DEAF, BUT NOT DUMB. 



ISO 



yourself.' Mr. Merian continued : ' I never could 

 understand how a man like you, so thoroughly 

 conscientious and honest in all other respects, 

 should be mixed up with such humbug, such 

 charlatanry, as this.' ' Pray don't use hard 

 words,' said Arnold, 'until you have satisfied 

 yourself by proof that they are deserved.' Both 

 gentlemen then entered one of the class-rooms 

 together. All the children present rose, and 

 greeted them with a 'good-day.' Mr. Merian 

 broke out at once, ' There ! I knew it ; 1 told you 

 what it would be : " Good-day ! " " Good night ! " 

 Pretty poll ! " ' A boy came up to him with a 

 chair, saying, ' Will you be pleased to sit down, 

 sir?' Mr. Merian sat down, but without thank- 

 ing the boy for his politeness. What was the 

 use of thanking one who couldn't understand ? 

 — a parrot, in fact — but said, 'Oh, yes, it's all 

 very clever, Arnold ; the boy has been well- 

 trained in his lesson, but you can't blind me.' 

 Mr. Arnold said to the class, ' This is Mr. Merian, 

 of Bale.' Several children repeated the name, 

 and bowed to him. This gentleman, however, 

 broke out again, ' There ! there ! I can't stop 

 any longer ; it is nothing more than what I ex- 

 pected.' ' Well, one moment, if you must go,' 

 said Mr. Arnold, ' while I ask the children one 

 or two questions.' Turning to the class, he said, 

 ' Did you see Mr. Merian come this morning ? ' 

 ' Yes, we did,' answered several. ' Did he arrive 

 on foot ? ' ' No.' ' How, then ? ' 'He came in 

 his carriage.' Mr. Merian sat up in his chair, 

 and paid somewhat more attention. ' Has Mr. 

 Merian's carriage one, or two horses ? ' ' Two 

 horses.' Mr. Merian said, hastily, ' Now, Arnold, 

 you are deceiving me ; you are telling them all 

 this in some secret way.' ' Oh, no,' said Mr. 

 Arnold, ' I never make use of signs, or the finger- 

 alphabet ; and if I did, I am truly happy to say 

 my pupils wouldn't understand me. Besides, 

 see, my hands are behind my back.' He went 

 on : ' What color are the horses ? ' ' One is 

 brown, with a white face, and the other is gray.' 

 Mr. Merian jumped up, saying, ' This is very 

 curious ! * — looking from Mr. Arnold to the boy 

 who had last spoken, and appearing puzzled — 

 ' this is really very curious ! One might easily 

 be deceived into fancying that the child was 

 really thinking.' Mr. Arnold, without answer- 

 ing, went on, ' Why does Mr. Merian ride in his 

 own carriage, instead of walking, or going by 

 cart, as we do ? ' ' Because Mr. Merian is a very 

 rich man, and can afford to ride in his carriage.' 

 'Why, Arnold, the child is thinking, I declare !' 

 cried out the gentleman. ' Of course he is ' 



replied Mr. Arnold, quietly ; ' they all think, and 

 express their ideas as you and I do. True, not 

 in such finished language, because, at present, 

 their vocabulary, like that of all children, is 

 limited ; but I hope, by the time they are con- 

 firmed, they will be able to express themselves 

 in as perfect language as, if not more so, than do 

 their parents and relatives.' ' Well, put some 

 more questions,' said Mr. Merian. This was 

 done, and, after half an hour, he said : ' Arnold, 

 why didn't you tell me about this before ? Why 

 did you leave me under such an erroneous 

 impression ? ' ' My good friend,' answered Mr. 

 Arnold, ' if I have told you once, I have told 

 you a hundred times.' ' Yes, but you should 

 have explained the matter properly to me, so 

 that I could have understood it. But, there ! I 

 will come and see your school again to-morrow. 

 I feel quite interested in the poor little things, 

 since I find they can talk rationally.' He did 

 so, and during the next month he was to be 

 found for several hours, twice a week, listening 

 to the pupils. The first time he put some ques- 

 tions vocally to one of the children, and re- 

 ceived an answer, his delight was boundless. He 

 felt almost that he was the wonderful instructor 

 of the child ; that he had placed the little deaf 

 boy before him far above the reach of his sad 

 affliction, and had given him the power to see 

 that which others hear ; that he himself had re- 

 stored to the poor boy the Divine gift of human 

 speech, temporarily lost, which, but for the un- 

 tiring aid and skill of his teachers, would have 

 been lost, indeed, forever. 



"From that moment Mr. Merian made a reso- 

 lution, and his resolution was good. He gave 

 32,000 florins for the purpose of educating six 

 pupils annually; and lent his most willing assist- 

 ance and influence to the method of instruction 

 he had so long, through unreasoning prejudice, 

 condemned and despised." 



A similar noble instance is recorded in Amer- 

 ica, where a Mr. Clarke most liberally endowed 

 the institution at Northampton, Mass., named 

 after him ; though in that country such support 

 is the less wanted, on account of the State aid 

 which is afforded to institutions for the deaf. 

 Let us hope to find in this far richer country 

 some such munificent benefactors. 



Briefly to recapitulate some of the conclu- 

 sions to which our investigations led us, we find 

 that the " French " system schools, to a limited 

 extent, will always be wanted for those who 

 cannot be educated on the " German " system, 

 viz., the weak in intellect, and the very few 



