274 LAURA BEIDGMAN. 



*'What a situation was hers! The darkness and 

 silence of the tomb were around her ; no mother's smile 

 gladdened her heart, or ' called forth an answering 

 smile;' no father's voice taught her to imitate his 

 sounds. To her, brothers and sisters were but forms 

 of matter, which resisted her touch, but which differed 

 not from the furniture of the house, save in warmth 

 and in the power of locomotion, and in these respects 

 not even from the dog or cat." 



Her mind, however, was unaffected, and the sense 

 of touch remained. *' As soon as she was able to walk, 

 Laura began to explore the room, and then the house ; 

 she became familiar with the form, density, weight, 

 and heat of every article she could lay her hands on. 



"She followed her mother, felt her hands and arms, 

 as she was occupied about the house, and her disposi- 

 tion to imitate led her to repeat everything herself. 

 She even learnt to sew a little, and to knit. Her 

 affectioiis, too, began to expand, and seemed to be 

 lavished upon the members of her family with peculiar 

 force. 



'•'The means of communication with her, however^ 

 were very limited. She could only be told to go to 

 a place by being pushed, or to come to one by a sign 

 of drawing her. Patting*^ her gently on the head 

 signified aj)probation ; on the back, the contrary." 



The power of communication was thus most limited, 

 and her character began to suffer, when fortunately Dr. 

 Howe heard of her, and in October, 1837, received her 

 into the institution. 



"Eor a while she was much bewildered, till she became 

 acquainted with her new locality, and somewhat familiar 

 with the inmates ; the attempt was made to give her 



