GENERAL MEETING. 67 
Having advanced thus far in the comprehension of his meaning, 
do you think that the child will take the trouble to go through this 
same pantomime the next time he wishes to tell you about your 
cow? No. He may commence such a pantomime, but before he 
gets half through you understand what he means, and he never 
completes it. A process of abbreviation commences, until finally a 
touch on the bridge of his nose alone becomes the name of your 
black cow “ Bessie,” and the simple holding of his hands above his 
head conveys to your mind the idea of a cow in general. 
By a natural process of abbreviation the child arrives at a sim- 
ple gesture or sign for every object or thing in which he is inter- 
ested. 
But there are many thoughts he desires to express which are ab- 
stract in their nature. How, for instance, can he indicate by any 
sign the color of an object? Suppose, by way of illustration, that 
he desired to communicate to you the idea that he had seen in the 
road a cow that was perfectly white? 
I shall try to depict the conversation between yourself and your 
deaf boy as it might actually have occurred. 
THE Boy. The boy points to the road, touches his teeth, and holds 
his hands above his head. 
You gather from this a vague idea of some connection between 
that road, the boy's teeth, and a cow. 
Here is a problem: What did he mean? It is pretty clear that 
he had seen a cow in the road, but what connection had his teeth 
with that? Perhaps the cow’s teeth were peculiar. You think you 
had better get him to explain, so— 
THE FATHER. You touch your teeth with an interrogative and 
puzzled look. 
Tue Boy. The boy responds by showing you his shirt sleeve and 
pointing to the road. ; 
Can he mean that there was any connection between his shirt 
sleeve and the cow. To clear this point— 
THE FATHER. You touch his shirt sleeve and raise your hands 
above your head with a look of interrogation. 
Tur Boy. The boy nods vigorously, raises his hands above his 
head, and makes his sign for “snow,” followed by other signs for 
objects that are white. 
After he has presented a sufficient number of such signs, you per- 
ceive that the one thing common to them all was their color—they 
