The
learning begins
Miss Sullivan had been blind, but an operation had helped her to see
again. She could see, but not very well. Miss Sullivan was an
excellent teacher to Helen Keller because she had been blind and
understood what it was like to be blind.
After awhile, Miss Sullivan began to settle in as another family member. She spelled things into Helens hand, and Helen learned what signs to make if she wanted something. But she didn't understand what she was doing until one bright day by a water Pump...
Water,
Water, Everywhere
Helen and Miss Sullivan were playing by and old water pump when Helen wanted a drink. Miss Sullivan worked the pump until the water flowed freely. Miss Sullivan spelled the word w-a-t-e-r into Helen's hand, and as the cool liquid flowed into Helens hand, she suddenly understood. She laughed and ran around tugging on Miss Sullivan's dress, pointing to things, wondering what every thing was.
Since then she went progressively upward. She could spell in complete sentences, but she wanted to talk. Her parents had read that there was a school called "The Horace Mann School" for the deaf, in Boston. They were all very excited. They contacted the school and a new chapter of Helen's and Miss Sullivan's life was about to begin.