HELEN KELLER SEES NELLIE 53 



sent for me to come and show one to her. When any one 

 except myself had put hands upon Nellie, she had growled 

 and scolded and showed temper. I took her from the cage. 

 When the little blind girl first put her hands on Nellie, the 

 shy little monkey did not like it. I stroked the child's 

 hair and cheeks with my own hand and then with Nellie's. 

 She looked up at me and uttered one of those soft, flute- 

 like sounds. Then she began to pull at the cheeks and 

 ears of the child. Within a few minutes they were like 

 old friends and playmates, and for nearly an hour they 

 afforded each other great pleasure. At the end of that 

 time they separated with reluctance. The little simian 

 acted as if conscious of the sad affliction of the child, but 

 seemed at perfect ease with her. She would decline the 

 tenderest approach of others. She looked at the child's 

 eyes, and then at me, as if to indicate that she was aware 

 that the child was blind. The little girl appeared not to 

 be aware that monkeys could bite. It was a beautiful and 

 touching scene, and one in which the lamp of instinct shed 

 its feeble light on all around. Helen has now grown into 

 womanhood. I recently paid her a visit, and she assured 

 me that she still pleasantly remembered this dear little 

 monkey friend. 



One day Nellie escaped from her cage and climbed upon 

 a shelf occupied by some bird cages. As she climbed over 

 the light wicker cages, some of them, with their little yel- 

 low occupants, fell to the floor. I tried to induce Nellie 

 to return to me ; but the falling cages, the cry of the birds, 

 the screeching of the parrots, and the vociferous chatter of 

 other monkeys frightened poor Nellie almost out of her 



