130 ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATIONS 



Mr Parker, accordingly, took the trouble of getting an alpha- 

 bet cut in wood ; the letters of which were in relief ', and in sepa- 

 rate pieces, each about an inch long. He provided, also, two other 

 alphabets, one of pasteboard, and the other of metal, with the 

 letters of the same size, and detached, as in the former. These 

 alphabets I transmitted to Miss Mitchell on the 2d of June ; 

 informing her, at same time, of the purpose for which they 

 were intended; and expressing my anxiety, that she would lose 

 no time in giving the plan proposed a fair trial. Particular di- 

 rections for the use of the alphabets were drawn up by Mr 

 Parker ; and I took the liberty of adding only a few general 

 hints ; being well aware how unnecessary it was to go into 

 the minutice, when addressing so judicious a preceptor. 



The outline of the plan was simply this : The name of any 

 familiar object being chosen, such as egg, bread, sugar, arm, Sec, 

 the letters forming the word were to be put together by Miss 

 Mitchell, exactly as they are arranged in print. Mitchell 

 was then to be made to touch, first the object, and then this 

 word, in immediate succession, as often as possible ; so as to 

 form a close association in his mind, between the thing and its 

 tangible name. It was left entirely to Miss Mitchell's judg- 

 ment, to employ such means as she deemed best, for securing 

 her brother's perseverance in the task for such a length of time, 

 as might enable him to perceive its object : And in the event 

 of this primary and fundamental step being gained, the experi- 

 ment was to be prosecuted, according to similar principles. 



The following is a copy of a letter which I received from 

 Miss Mitchell, dated Nairn, the 30th June. 

 , " I have been from home during these last ten days, which 

 has prevented my sooner acknowledging the receipt of your 



favour 



