249 
“Eoehampton. 10 th October, 1866. 
“ Dear Mr. Reddie, — 
I return, with, many thanks, the paper on the language of gesticulation, 
which you kindly lent me to read. 
u The argument derived from that language, on the question as to the 
origin of speech, is apparently that, because there is a natural language of 
signs sufficient for all ordinary necessities, therefore it is not reasonable to 
suppose that savages would set to work to invent such a complicated and 
arbitrary structure as human speech ; and it is sought to strengthen the 
argument . by showing that deaf people, although able to speak, have no 
great inclination to do so. 
“ I confess that I cannot see the value to the argument of these latter 
considerations. If we push the argument to its conclusion, viz., that speech 
and language must have been the gift of God, then that conclusion itself 
reduces the value of the premises on which it is sought to found it. 
Speech being concluded to be the gift of God, and there being a natural 
healthy pleasure in the exercise of all the faculties God has given us, any 
repugnance to use the faculty of speech must arise from ill of some kind or 
other. If so, the whole point is foreign to the argument. 
That is what I think ; nevertheless the facts of my experience are 
very much at the service of any one who thinks he can make anv use 
of them. 
“ When I was four years old, I had two attacks of scarlet fever in 
quick succession. The doctors gave up all hope of saving my life, but I 
recovered, with the loss of my hearing. Before my illness I had been 
taught to read, and I understood spoken language as well as any child of 
four years old. I learnt the finger alphabet for myself when recovering from 
my illness, and I was able at once to understand what my brothers or sisters 
told me by means of it. There was not in my case that difficulty which 
arises with those born deaf and dumb, or who lose their hearing before 
their education has at all begun, viz., the absence of any language, other 
than the very imperfect one of gesture, wherewith to work. I had acquired 
sufficient knowledge of language to understand the force of a sentence, 
and to be able to put my words together in grammatical order. That one 
small fact made a world-wide difference to me. 
Although quite ' deaf, I never did otherwise than speak to my brothers and 
sisters ; and to this day I never have said a sentence to any of them by 
signs or by spelling on my fingers. 
“ At Slx y ears old 1 was sent to a school for the deaf and dumb, and 
there I remained till fifteen. At this school once or twice a week there 
was a speaking lesson ; but the main teaching was carried on by sffins, and 
out of school nothing else was used. Therefore I may say, speaking 
generally, I was dumb while at school, and my speaking ability of course 
fell oft from want of practice. Yet, when at home for the holidays, I inva- 
riably naturally spoke. After leaving school, (and I may observe in passing 
that it is an entire mistake to send any one who has merely lost hearing 
