In the present day there is a girl as remarkable as Laura
Bridgman, and who bids fair to attain even greater fame by her
superior development. This girl, Helen Keller, is both deaf and
blind; she has been seen in all the principal cities of the
United States, has been examined by thousands of persons, and is
famous for her victories over infirmities. On account of her
wonderful power of comprehension special efforts have been made
to educate Helen Keller, and for this reason her mind is far more
finely developed than in most girls of her age. It is true that
she has the advantage over Laura Bridgman in having the senses of
taste and smell, both of which she has developed to a most
marvelous degree of acuteness. It is said that by odor alone she
is always conscious of the presence of another person, no matter
how noiseless his entrance into the room in which she may be. She
cannot be persuaded to take food which she dislikes, and is never
deceived in the taste. It is, however, by the means of what might
be called "touch-sight" that the most miraculous of her feats are
performed. By placing her hands on the face of a visitor she is
able to detect shades of emotion which the normal human eye fails
to distinguish, or, in the words of one of her lay observers,
"her sense of touch is developed to such an exquisite extent as
to form a better eye for her than are yours or mine for us; and
what is more, she forms judgments of character by this sight.
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