The Argosy — page 292: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Sunny Side of the Wall. 273 People would not,dream of making remarks about each other among their hearing friends ; neither does courtesy permit a whis- pered conversation on any subject not intended to be heard by a third party to be carried on in their presence. Surely then it is not difficult to refrain from doing this when in company with a deaf person who has, as I have said, much quicker and better trained powers of obser- vation than themselves. Expression and gesture tell us much, and iy? some instinct of the same kind as that acknowledged to be possessed by the blind, we are always to some extent cognisant of what is discussed in our presence. We know when we are the subject of, or purposely shut out from a conversation ; especially when on asking a question with regard to it, we are put off, with some palpable evasion. ‘Those who are conscious of any form of personal infirmity are naturally sensitive, and do not like to feel that it is being, as it seems to them, taken advantage of. “Evil is wrought by want of thought, as well as want of heart,” and it is impossible that such a course of action should not implant an uncomfortable feeling in the mind of a deaf companion. Therefore, I am happy to think that a time is coming when no one will venture to do this, as the wonderful method of lip-reading becomes more widely known and practised, by means 0 which deaf persons who have learnt it can read from the lips of those around them as easily and quickly as if they could hear them speak. I do not know whether fellow-sufferers from deafness fit, in their mind’s ear, articulate voices to each one of their friends as I have always done. I can only say that to me, when I read words or sentences thus on the lips of a speaker, it seems as if I really heard them speak with their natural voices ; and a lady, who is more proficient than I am as yet, tells me she feels quite like a hearing person when in the company of deaf companions who have not learnt the art of lip-reading. Did any of my readers chance to see Miss Hull—of the Training College for teachers of the deaf, now established at Ealing—at work with her pupils, in the Educational department of the late Health Exhibition, where she took them daily for so many busy weeks? If so, they saw for themselves the truly marvellous perfection to which the German, or pure oral system of teaching the deaf and dumb has now been brought. At the international congress held at Milan in 1880 it was almost unanimously agreed, even by those most interested in the matter, but who had not previously placed entire faith in the method, that it is the only real and natural one by which the so called deaf-mute can be restored to free communication with the external world, and by which children thus afflicted can be as well educated and fitted to take their places in it, as are their hearing fellows. Tt has long been an accepted truth that deaf-born chile are not necessarily also dumb. ‘Their education in speech and lip reading is therefore carried on simultaneously until they have so far advanced in CONNIECLOO© ©) 5) (EO) am