edy she had come so far to seek; and for eleven weeks she carried her husband dayly from their lodging down to the baths, and back again. The spectacle of a woman thus devotedly nursing her husband, and the report that she had in this manner carried him from the Palatinate, surrounded her with a halo of interest in the eyes of the inhabitants, many of whom paid her visits; and a few of the richer or more generous sent her presents, which she faithfully applied to help her husband's recovery. By slow degrees, he began to amend. In the course of a few weeks, he was so far improved that he could be fed with pap and other spoon-nourishment; the necessary diet being kindly supplied by the Princess of Furstenburg and another sympathizing lady, both of whom frequented the baths at the time. The next step in his improvement was the acquisition of sufficient strength to stand without support; but every attempt to walk without assistance, even with the aid of crutches, proved futile, as the want of muscular power in his hands prevented him closing them, so as to hold anything. His body, however, continued to appear little more than a skeleton; and when in the bath, he floated on the water, as the old chronicler relates, like a piece of cork.

The expenses of their long journey, medical fees, medicines, and their living at the baths, soon exhausted what little money Catharina had scraped together from the bounty of friends, or saved from the plunder of their property, and she was at length compelled to leave Baden. Allured by the fame of a Jewish doctor at Stanz, a town seventy miles distant, she bent her steps thither. On reaching the town, this physician having his attention drawn to her, became interested in her case, and promised her relief for her husband. The prescription he gave her, and the manner in which it was acted upon, afford a striking illustration of the progress of the medical art in the seventeenth century, and the superstition which attached to it among the people. The doctor directed her to take a calf, and, having cut its throat, to preserve the middle blood. This, mixed with vinegar and salt to a consistency, she was to use as a liniment, and rub her husband's limbs with it dayly *for four weeks. He also gave her a small bag, containing a slip of paper inscribed with Hebrew characters, which the patient VOL. XI.-3

was to wear for a time round his neck. The good woman, fearing that the use of the first of these remedies might prove hurtful in some way to her faith as a Christian, resolved not to try it; but she carefully suspended the amulet from her husband's neck, and kept it there. Though, as the old record says, "she in her simplicity rejected the most natural remedy to take the improbable one," yet, probably from the influence of former means, her husband in fourteen days had made some progress in his recovery.

From Stanz, Catharina continued her journey onward to Rupperschwyll. In order to reach this town, she had to climb two high mountains, named respectively the Sattel and Etzel mountains; and while passing the latter of these, an accident of an extremely dangerous character befell her. It was a long day's journey; and in order to reach Rupperschwyll before nightfall, she started with her burden at five o'clock in the morning, and traveled almost the whole day without rest or refreshment. As she was descending the opposite side, she was seized with a fainting fit at one of the steepest parts of the road, and falling, she rolled a considerable distance down the slope, with her husband sometimes uppermost and sometimes below her. She contrived at length to steady herself by grasping some, bushes; and in this position she remained, till a good Samaritan, who was passing, came to her assistance, after having invoked the Holy Mother and Saint Anna. He first relieved Catharina from the danger of choking, by cutting the bands that fastened her husband's arms round her neck, and he then removed the patient to a more secure spot at a little distance, where he laid him in an easy posture to wait till his wife should be able to resume the journey. After a brief rest, she again took up her burden, and late at night arrived at the long, narrow bridge, known to tourists who have visited the charming scenery of the neighborhood; and reeling as she was from fatigue and exhaustion, she passed along its whole length-full two miles-without accident, though undefended by parapet or rail.

From Rupperschwyll, the journey was continued through Herisau, the capital of Appenzell, to Constance, where medical advice and a curiously compounded bath effected no further improvement in Herr

THE BLIND DEAF MUTES.

of Humane Institutions, do not need to be informed of the numerous and trying privations which are necessarily incurred, either by the loss of hearing and speech or sight. The sources of enjoyment from which the blind are cut off are, indeed, numerous; but though their eyes are closed, the sweet sounds of music may delight their ears and thrill through their hearts. They can enjoy the society of friends, and in the pleasure of animated conversation, and the rapid acquisition of knowledge, almost forget their infirmity. The deaf mute, though deprived of the privilege of hearing the "concord of sweet sounds," may still solace himself with the beauties of nature and art. Earth and its beauty, the heavens and their glory and grandeur are not hid from his gaze. He can look upon the countenance of friends, and his well-trained eye will read their thoughts, almost before they utter them.

But there are those on whom is laid the burden of a triple infirmity, to whom sight, hearing, and speech are all denied, on whose darkened vision no day ever dawns, and to whose ear never comes the voice of love, or the notes of melody.

It is difficult to conceive of an isolation so complete. So large a portion of our thoughts, our pleasures, and our emotions are connected with vision, hearing, and speech that the idea of existence without these faculties seems impossible. Yet

it is a well-ascertained fact that there are in our world nearly or quite two thousand persons who are entirely deprived of these avenues of communication with the world around them. In Sweden the last census reports nearly one hundred of these unfortunates.

To instruct those, who are so entirely shut out from intercourse with their fellows, would seem to be a task too utterly hopeless for even the most enthusiastic philanthropist to undertake; yet the attempt has not only been made, but it has proved successful in a number of instances. One of the first cases which attracted public attention was that of James Mitchell, of Nairn, Scotland, described by Spurzheim in 1825. Very little effort had been made to instruct him, yet he evidently possessed intel

ingenuity. Thus, he indicated riding on horseback by raising his foot and bringing the fingers together under the sole, in imitation of a stirrup; he expressed his de sire for food by approaching and touching his mother or sister, and carrying his hand to his mouth; he described a shoemaker by imitating the motions of the shoemaker in drawing out his thread.

Mitchell was very amiable in his disposition. At one time he received a severe wound in his foot, and found much relief, while it was healing, in resting his foot upon a cushioned stool. More than a year afterward a servant in the family also wounded his foot, and Mitchell, after manifesting his sympathy, by passing his hand very tenderly over the wounded limb, went up to the garret, and selecting from the other old furniture the stool on which he had rested his foot, brought it down, and carefully placed the foot of the servant upon it.

The publication of this case by Dr.. Spurzheim led to further investigations relative to those similarly afflicted, and, in the report of the Glasgow Society for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb for 1839, we find brief sketches of five or six of this class, most of whom, however, had received no instruction. We do not deem it desirable to burden our readers with detailed narratives of all these unfortunates which have been published, but shall sketch briefly some incidents relative to those who have been most remarkable for their native talents of acquirements.

In 1824, seven years after the organization of the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb at Hartford, a girl of eighteen years was brought there for admission. Her name was Julia Brace. She was deaf, dumb, and blind, having lost both sight and hearing at the age of four years and five months. Her appearance was not particularly prepossessing; her temper, probably from indulgence, was violent and exacting, and she was subject to fits of sullenness.

The officers of the asylum, nevertheless, received her with pleasure and interest; for her case offered them a new field of investigation. She has continued an inmate of the institution, with the

exception of a year spent at the Perkins Institution at Boston, from that time to the present. Her intellectual faculties cannot be considered as of a very high order; her age, at the time of entering the asylum, was, it is true, unfavorable to that rapid development, which has taken place in pupils of a more tender age; but, in other cases which we shall describe, instruction commencing even at a later period, in persons suffering from the same infirmities, has been more fruitful of results. That this was not the fault of her teachers needs no proof to those who have witnessed the zeal, tact, and enthusiasm brought to this work by Messrs. Gallaudet, Clerc, Weld, Peet, and Turner, but there was wanting in her mind that active and penetrating intellect, and those extraordinary logical powers which have marked some of the class. It should not be supposed from these remarks, however, that Julia is idiotic. Far from it. In all that concerns the outward and physical nature, she manifests much intelligence. She early acquired the language of signs, and converses in it very freely. She has acquired no little skill in needlework, threading her needle with her fingers and tongue with almost as much celerity as those possessed of sight; and, with but little aid, making her own dresses and performing a large amount of sewing for others. She acquired, by touch, a very accurate knowledge of the prevalent style of dress, and conforms as strictly as possible to it in her own garments. Her habits of order and neatness are worthy of general imitation. She performs her own ironing, and with skill and dispatch.

larged; and the effect of this has been to ameliorate her naturally unyielding disposition, and to render her more amiable.

Julia possesses, in matters which interest her, great tenacity of memory and nice powers of discrimination. She distinguishes readily articles belonging to any person, and if left in her care will give them to no one but their owner. Her own clothing, or that of any of the female pupils of the asylum, she selects with unerring accuracy from the washing. She keeps herself apprised of the progress of time, days, weeks, and months, and the changes of the seasons. She notes the return of the Sabbath, and often avails herself of it to enjoy some delicacy which has been presented to her during the week, when, as she has learned from experience, she shall be undisturbed, the pupils being occupied in the chapel.

She is entirely averse to gentlemen, except the principal and one or two of the older teachers, whom she has long known. She shuns all contact with the male pupils, and will receive no attentions from them.

There is no evidence that she possesses any distinct idea of God. Before becoming deaf and blind she had been taught to pray to God, and continued this practice, with her imperfect speech, for some time afterward; but this habit was, many years since, abandoned, and though repeated efforts have been made to rouse in her mind the disposition to inquire in regard to God and his works, it has never proved successful. She has a vague and indistinct notion of death and of a resurrection, but probably none of a future state. She affords the most unequivocal indications of possession of the moral sense. She has a very clear understanding of her own rights, and seems also to be regardful of the rights of others. She is never guilty of theft, falsehood, or deliberate wickedness, and her passionate, vindictive, and somewhat sullen disposition has been, by her residence at the asylum, sensibly ameliorated. She manifests much kindness to the sick, and endeavors to minister to their comfort.

She carefully abstains from all labor on the Sabbath, but never attends worship in the chapel, and seems entirely unconscious of its object.

Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind at Bruges, in Belgium, an account of whom is to be found in a work by Abbé Carton, the director of that institution, entitled Le Sourd - Muet et l'Aveugle."

Anna was born at Ostend, in 1818. She was blind from birth, and lost her hearing in infancy. After the death of her parents she found a home with her grandmother, who was so poor as to be supported in part by public charity. She remained with her until she was nearly twenty years of age. Her parents and grandmother, believing her to be idiotic, had made no effort to have her instructed, and she had, for years, sat alone in a corner, in perfect idleness, her only amusement being the stringing and unstringing a number of beads. Having no exercise, her appetite was fickle and feeble, and her temper excitable and violent. In her fits of passion she would tear off her clothing, and resist every attempt at replacing it. Her personal appearance was exceedingly unattractive; her skin was covered with blotches; her eyes were full of rheum; her figure stooping; and her walk awkward and difficult. Such was the unfortunate being whom the benevolent Abbé Carton received into the institution at Bruges in 1838, and whose instruction has done him so much honor.

Her conduct, during the first few months, was not such as to render her agreeable. Unaccustomed to any employment, she was indolent, selfish, and exacting, and when any attempt was made to teach her, or to give her work, she resisted with violence and rage, using her nails and feet with terrible effect.

By degrees, however, she became more quiet, and by adroit management and an appeal to her sense of shame, her indolence was overcome, and she manifested a willingness to receive instruction and to perform her task of knitting.

She soon became strongly attached to the abbé, and showed a great dread of his displeasure. Having once committed some fault, and her attendant having told her that she should inform the abbé, Anna went to each of the deaf and dumb, and the blind pupils, and earnestly besought them, by signs, to kneel before him and ask him to forgive her.

As time passed on, the outbreaks of temper became much less frequent, and

were easily controlled. Her general health had improved, and her appearance had become much more prepossessing. She was entirely obedient to the commands of the abbé, and would not do anything which she thought contrary to his wishes.

She acquired, very readily, the manual alphabet, and learned the mode of reading in raised letters, her great delicacy of touch enabling her to read quite rapidly.

An instance of her sensibility, recorded by the abbé, is worthy of notice. A child was one day brought to the asylum, one of whose hands was crippled. As soon as she had touched the maimed limb she burst into tears, and continued weeping for a long time. Being asked the cause of her grief, she replied that the poor child would never be able to knit. This seemed to her a very serious privation. The next morning her teacher found her with her hands tied, and when asked why she had thus bound her hands, she replied that if she had not the use of her hands she could not knit, or dress herself, and that she was grateful that she could use both her hands.

Her kindness of heart manifested itself in her conduct toward the pupils of the asylum. In sickness she watched over them carefully, and appeared much rejoiced at their restoration to health.

One of the little girls was her roommate, and she exercised toward her almost a mother's tenderness, covering her carefully in bed, and often, in the sign language, invoking a blessing on her. Some of the deaf-mute pupils were admitted at a very tender age, and over these she took delight in exercising a maternal fondness. Her sense of justice and right is very strong. She is tenacious of her own rights, but prompt to allow the rights of others. She is not addicted to falsehood, or theft, or any other vicious habit. When she commits any fault she never attempts to deny it, but either makes a full confession, or offers a plausible excuse.

During religious worship in the chapel, which she attends regularly, she seems to receive impressions peculiar to the place. She loves to be there, and her manner is so reverent as to encourage the belief that she feels in some degree that God is there.

One of her companions once informed her that the abbé was sick, and added that