tive in a neighbouring town, she was seized with the typhus fever, which, in the course of the first week of her illness, entirely deprived her of the senses of sight and hearing. Previous to this sickness, she had been healthy, enjoyed the perfect use of all the senses, was possessed of common intellectual, as well as physical powers, had a quick temper, but was on the whole a promising child. She was active in her habits, had been sent to school, and could read and spell words of two syllables. She had begun to be somewhat useful to her mother in her household affairs, and had learned to do plain sewing, so that she had assisted in making a little garment or two for herself. Her mother had taught her "to say her prayers," but she had learned, probably from intercourse with a profane person, to use some very exceptionable words.

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The sickness which rendered her so desolate, was exceedingly severe, and after accomplishing its fearful work upon her senses, left her system so completely prostrate, that it was long doubtful whether she would ever be restored to comfortable general health. She retained, however, for a considerable time the faculty of speech, and shortly after she became blind, she said to her attendant, Why don't you light a lamp? it will never be day." She used also to say her prayers after she became deaf and blind, to utter the names of her friends, to ask for what she wanted, to spell little words to herself, and at times when disappointed, or vexed by her wishes not being complied with, by the difficulty of making herself understood, or by the unkind treatment of a male member of the family, to which she was occasionally subject, she would use profane expressions, such as she had no doubt heard from this unhappy person. Her childish spirit doubtless at this period, wandered about its prison-house in restlessness, anxiety, and sometimes in agony; seeking deliverance, striving for communion with kindred minds, and using all the faculties and senses which remained at its command, to make known its condition, and supply itself with occupation and amusement. In making these efforts, the poor child very naturally used such language as she had been familiar with; often, probably, with very imperfect ideas of its meaning: for,

of that tender age, especially such as have enjoyed but indifferent instruction, we cannot suppose that this poor child had distinct ideas of the God she addressed in prayer, and whose name she used in other ways, or, of the full meaning of any other than the simplest language.

As her strength increased and she became able to stand, and with the aid of others to walk about the house, her means of enjoyment increased also. She had much pleasure in examining by the senses of feeling and smell the various objects around her. She soon became familiar with every article of her own apparel, and indeed with every thing belonging to the family; and while her parents lived in the same house with another family, has often been known to carry back to their owner such utensils or other articles as had been borrowed or lent, often to the amusement, and sometimes to the inconvenience of both parties. She early evinced great love of order, never allowing any thing to be out of place, if she could prevent it. She also, as she grew older, seemed desirous of occupying herself in the care of her brothers and sisters, of whom she had several, all younger than herself: would sometimes wash their faces and hands, would undress and put them to bed, occasionally exercise some discipline among them, would rock the infant in the cradle, and feel its eyes, to ascertain if it were sleeping, and if she found it crying, would sometimes give it sugar. Whether she had learned by experience that her mother, on whose labour the family were principally dependent for support, was generally busy, and that she might aid her by these efforts among the younger children, or whether she made them merely for her own amusement, it is difficult to determine: probably both motives influenced her.

After her complete recovery, and during all the time of her growing up, she was favoured with perhaps more uniform health than is common; which has continued to the present time. She was generally obedient to her mother, or the woman, whoever she might be, that had the care of her; and was ready to comply with the wishes of any one in whom she had confidence; but was cautious in regard to strangers, and particularly fearful of men, shrinking from

them, and appearing disturbed, if aware of their presence.

Julia was not unusually fond of sleep in her childhood and youth, but evinced at times a disposition to change night into day, evidently preferring to rest while others were busy around her, and to be active while they were still. As darkness and light were the same to her, it is not wonderful that she should choose the most quiet portion of the twenty-four hours, in which to accomplish her own purposes either of business or pleasure; for being solitary in almost all her enjoyments, she was particularly displeased with interruptions in their pursuit.

Her mother naturally granted her every indulgence in her power; still, as her means were limited, her supplies, though sufficient for comfort, were not abundant. Hence poor Julia learned to attach a high value to whatever she thought her own, was unwearied in the care of it, and resented the interference of others. In regard, however, to the making of her clothing and to those things about which she needed assistance, she was perfectly compliant with the wishes of others. Her notions respecting the right of property seem to have been perfectly correct. She would never take the property of others without leave; and if her own was taken, or disturbed in her view improperly, she showed her displeasure, and seemed greatly afflicted. She evinced no fear of sickness, but was very kind when members of the family were sick; would show by her manner that she felt sorry for them, would smooth down the bed-clothes, put her hands gently upon their faces, and sometimes spread the little table and bring it to the bed-side with a cup or two upon it to contain drinks. This was, of course, done in imitation of what she had experienced from others, or had known done by them.

Julia's very unhappy situation rendered her an object of curiosity to the benevolent, by whom she was constantly visited, and by whose benefactions she was in a great measure supported. Still, though pieces of money and other things of value were often put into her hands by strangers, it is remarkable that she never seemed disposed, in the first instance, to consider them as gifts; but would uniformly return them, unless assured by signs she could not misunderstand, that they were for her to keep. Her apparent destitution of covetousness

and actual delicacy of feeling on this, subject, have often attracted admiration. Her peculiar circumstances had, from the beginning, called forth the compassionate regard and the requisite pecuniary assistance from charitable ladies and others, in whose neighbourhood she lived. She had at times been sent to a little school for children, where she had learned to knit; she had been enabled to retain her ability to sew by proper care on the part of her friends: and on the whole, as she advanced in age, had an increasing amount of resources for comfort and happiness, during her dark and silent journey of life. Still it was evidently desirable that a home for life should be provided for her, where all her wants might be timely supplied, and her means of happiness, if possible, increased. With this view, the Directors of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum received her under their care, when she was eighteen years of age. She has now been about twelve years an inmate, and the kind intentions of her benefactors have been fully realized. Here she soon conformed to the rules of the institution, and has been most exemplary in the observance of such as applied to her case. For instance, she has been an example of punctuality in her attention to such little duties as were assigned her, has been orderly in her habits, and has learned to be very neat; has regarded the rights of others, and has attended, in the best way she could, to her own. Much of this is owing, indeed, to the judicious treatment of those who received her here, and led her to the formation of good habits; and habit, in her case at least, is second nature. has retained these good habits, and finds her happiness in their observance.

She

It was an object of much interest with the principal and instructors of the Asylum, on her admission, to try the effect of some experiments in teaching her language. They indulged the hope that ultimately they might devise some plan to communicate even some abstract ideas, and especially, moral and religious truth. Accordingly by means of an alphabet carved on wood, and resembling that used in schools for the blind, she was taught to understand and to form in her own way, the letters composing a few simple words. For example, she was furnished with a cushion, and a supply of pins; the teacher then placed in her hand the thing whose name he proposed

to teach her, directing her hand to the carved letters, composing its name; then, by sticking the pins upon the cushion, he formed the respective letters and the word. This she was encouraged to do, until, when the thing was presented to her, or its sign made in her hand, for instance, a key, or the deaf-mute's sign for a key, she would, without assistance, form the letters, k, e, y. In this way, several short and easy words were taught; but the experiment soon became uninteresting to her; it was of course very tedious and laborious to her teacher, and as there seemed no probability of any important result for her benefit, it was abandoned.

Much greater success has attended the attempt to teach her the language of the Asylum; or rather, such of the conversational signs of the deaf and dumb, as are necessary to convey ideas on common subjects; indeed, with the exception of abstract ideas, on all the affairs of common life. For instance, the principal of the institution wore spectacles, and was the only person of the house who did so. He had long been distinguished among the deaf and dumb, by the sign for spectacles made with one or both hands upon the eyes. After feeling his spectacles herself, and having the sign made for them a few times by others, she readily learned to understand and use this sign as appropriate to Mr. Gallaudet alone. In a similar manner, the signs or names distinguishing other individuals

were

taught; as also those for the objects around her, which it was most important for her to know. A person by taking her hands in his own, and making signs with them, or by permitting her to feel his hands and arms when in the act of signing, could readily communicate with her, on the very simple subjects with which she was most conversant. This is still the method of talking with her, and imperfect as it may seem to a stranger, is yet sufficient, in the hands of one at all skilful in the use of signs, greatly to promote her happiness. It restores her in an important degree to society. She is sent for an article of dress, for her scissors, thimble, or any thing of her own, with entire ease, and with as much certainty that she understands what is wanted, and will procure it, as could be had in the case of almost any other person. If one whom she knows is sick, she is informed of it; or if a death occurs, she makes the signs for weeping,

for being sorry, and perhaps for burying, and is desirous of going to see the corpse. If permitted, she examines the graveclothes, feels the face and hands of the dead body with great delicacy and carefulness, makes the sign for being dead, says the friends are sorry, &c. Still we do not know what her ideas of death are. She cannot fail to know that a great change has passed upon the body, and that soon after it is carried away; but farther than this, all is probably mysterious. Several deaths have occurred in the Asylum since her residence here, all of which have been deeply interesting to Julia. From the first she undoubtedly obtained her original ideas, whatever they were, of so great a change; for when, after a careful and earnest examination, she satisfied herself that the body was incapable of motion, and had ceased to breathe, she seemed filled with horror. In succeeding instances she has been less deeply affected, though the impression in each has been agitating and distressing in a considerable degree. She is disposed to make signs about the event, while it is recent, to herself sometimes, and to others, whenever it is alluded to.

On the Sabbath, Julia dresses herself in her best clothing, and taking her rocking-chair, begins the observance of the day, by abstaining from all her customary employments. She never fails to know when the Sabbath returns, nor to keep it throughout, . negatively at least, in the strictest manner. This, so far as we know, is simply the result of habit, and in imitation of the example of those around her. She probably recollects nothing of what she may have been taught, previous to her misfortune, in regard to the nature of the Sabbath; nor, indeed, is it probable that she was, at that early age, ever instructed on the subject, except by the examples of her friends. She shows a certain regard for the Sabbath in another way. When permitted to visit her mother, and spend some days with her, she can never be persuaded to remain longer than till the afternoon of Saturday; but gets her bonnet and insists upon returning soon after dinner. What her reason is we cannot discover, unless, perhaps, a desire to enjoy the quiet and the rest of this day in her own rocking-chair and chamber, where she is sure of not being disturbed.

Julia rises in summer at about four,

and in winter, at about five o'clock in | the morning. She retires at about nine o'clock in the evening throughout the year, and is in general perfectly quiet at night. She sleeps in a large chamber, in which most of the other female pupils also sleep; but never gives them the least inconvenience. She is uniformly the first up in the morning, washes, dresses herself without assistance, always stands before a looking-glass, when she is combing and dressing her hair, generally makes her bed before breakfast, and always in the best manner; and then goes down to the sitting room, and waits patiently for her breakfast; after which, she has for years washed and wiped the tea-spoons, used on the pupils' tables, amounting to a hundred and twenty or thirty, and this she also does after tea. During term time, they are collected for her, from the various tables, but in vacation she gathers them herself; and it is amusing to notice her on the first morning of the vacation, setting off on her journey of collection around the hall, without any thing being said to her on the subject. When washed and wiped, she puts them in the proper place, and also her towels, which she is careful to have changed as often as the most scrupulous neatness requires. If tea-spoons from the steward's table become mixed with the others, she instantly detects and separates them, though a casual observer would hardly notice the difference. After leaving the breakfast-room, if she has any unfinished work on hand, sewing, knitting, or mending, she goes about it without direction from the matron; otherwise, she waits till some employment is assigned her. She commonly sews or knits five or six hours in a day, but if making any thing for herself, she doubles her diligence, working with great perseverance till it is accomplished.

On days when the clothes from the weekly wash are ironed, she goes early to the ironing room, puts her flat-irons to the fire, unless it has been done by another, selects her own clothes from the mass, belonging perhaps to one hundred and thirty or forty persons, and never fails to get every article. Her manner is, to examine each article by feeling, but to decide upon it by the sense of smell ; and in regard to her own things she never errs. As it respects those of others, her power of discrimination is very remarkable: for instance,

she will, if desired, select and separate the stockings of the boys from those of the girls; she will get every article belonging to a particular individual; and it is the matron's opinion, that she could in this way distinguish the respective articles of every female pupil of the institution. It should be recollected that these articles are clean from the wash; and yet, such is the acuteness of her smell, that she can discriminate with almost unerring accuracy. She irons slowly, but very well, and sometimes for the family, as well as for herself. At one time she chose to wash the smaller articles of her apparel, such as capes, handkerchiefs, and white stockings, and never failed to get them clean, changing the water often, and using soap in abundance; at present she allows this to be done for her.

Julia performs the entire work of knitting a stocking without assistance; shapes it properly, narrowing, widening, &c. She is apt, however, to err in making her own too small; whether from a desire to exhibit a very trim foot and ancle, or for other reasons, does not appear. She has been known on examining the knitting work of a little girl, to discover its defects with surprising readiness, and after condemning them in strong terms, to pull out the needles, unravel the work, till she had removed all its imperfect parts, and then, taking up the stitches, return the fabric to its owner to be finished.

She makes her own clothes; so far, at least, as the sewing is concerned, except that she has some assistance about the waist and sleeves. Her clothes are cut out by another; still she is very competent to the chief management of the business of making them, and even cuts out, and makes entirely, some of the simpler articles. She is desirous of having her dresses fashionable; or rather like those of others, and especially of the younger girls around her, which she examines as they make their appearance from time to time; and when her own are about to be made, she mentions whose she would have them like.

She is slow and careful in all her movements, and especially about her sewing; still she has often made a sheet in a day, and one instance is recollected, in which she made at least half a dozen of towels in the same time. She threads her needle by means of her fingers and tongue, but the precise manner of doing