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on　the　possible　impression　produced　on　a　sensitive　nature　by　reading

one's　own　premature　obituary；　as　I　have　told　you　has　been　my　recent

experience。　　I　will　not　stop　to　think　whether　the　urgent　request　for

an　autograph　by　return　post；　in　view　of　the　possible　contingencies

which　might　render　it　the　last　one　was　ever　to　write；　is　pleasing　or

not。　　At　threescore　and　twenty　one　must　expect　such　hints　of　what　is

like　to　happen　before　long。　　I　suppose；　if　some　near　friend　were　to

watch　one　who　was　looking　over　such　a　pressing　letter；　he　might

possibly　see　a　slight　shadow　flit　over　the　reader's　features；　and

some　such　dialogue　might　follow　as　that　between　Othello　and　Iago；

after　〃this　honest　creature〃　has　been　giving　breath　to　his　suspicions

about　Desdemona　：



　　　　〃I　see　this　hath　a　little　dash'd　your　spirits。

　　　　　Not　a　jot；　not　a　jot。

　　　　　　　　　　。。。。。。。。。。。。。

　　　　　〃My　lord；　I　see　you're　moved。〃



And　a　little　later　the　reader　might；　like　Othello；　complain；



　　　　〃I　have　a　pain　upon　my　forehead　here。〃



Nothing　more　likely。　　But；　for　myself；　I　have　grown　callous　to　all

such　allusions。　　The　repetition　of　the　Scriptural　phrase　for　the

natural　term　of　life　is　so　frequent　that　it　wears　out　one's

sensibilities。



But　how　many　charming　and　refreshing　letters　I　have　received！　　How

often　I　have　felt　their　encouragement　in　moments　of　doubt　and

depression；　such　as　the　happiest　temperaments　must　sometimes

experience！



If　the　time　comes　when　to　answer　all　my　kind　unknown　friends；　even　by

dictation；　is　impossible；　or　more　than　I　feel　equal　to；　I　wish　to

refer　any　of　those　who　may　feel　disappointed　at　not　receiving　an

answer　to　the　following　general　acknowledgments：





I。　　I　am　always　grateful　for　any　attention　which　shows　me　that　I　am

kindly　remembered。　II。　　Your　pleasant　message　has　been　read　to　me；

and　has　been　thankfully　listened　to。　III。　　Your　book　（your　essay）

（your　poem）　has　reached　me　safely；　and　has　received　all　the

respectful　attention　to　which　it　seemed　entitled。　　It　would　take　more

than　all　the　time　I　have　at　my　disposal　to　read　all　the　printed

matter　and　all　the　manuscripts　which　are　sent　to　me；　and　you　would

not　ask　me　to　attempt　the　impossible。　　You　will　not；　therefore；

expect　me　to　express　a　critical　opinion　of　your　work。　　IV。　　I　am

deeply　sensible　to　your　expressions　of　personal　attachment　to　me　as

the　author　of　certain　writings　which　have　brought　me　very　near　to

you；　in　virtue　of　some　affinity　in　our　ways　of　thought　and　moods　of

feeling。　　Although　I　cannot　keep　up　correspondences　with　many　of　my

readers　who　seem　to　be　thoroughly　congenial　with　myself；　let　them　be

assured　that　their　letters　have　been　read　or　heard　with　peculiar

gratification；　and　are　preserved　as　precious　treasures。





I　trust　that　after　this　notice　no　correspondent　will　be　surprised　to

find　his　or　her　letter　thus　answered　by　anticipation；　and　that　if　one

of　the　above　formulae　is　the　only　answer　he　receives；　the　unknown

friend　will　remember　that　he　or　she　is　one　of　a　great　many　whose

incessant　demands　have　entirely　outrun　my　power　of　answering　them　as

fully　as　the　applicants　might　wish　and　perhaps　expect。



I　could　make　a　very　interesting　volume　of　the　letters　I　have　received

from　correspondents　unknown　to　the　world　of　authorship；　but　writing

from　an　instinctive　impulse；　which　many　of　them　say　they　have　long

felt　and　resisted。　　One　must　not　allow　himself　to　be　flattered　into

an　overestimate　of　his　powers　because　he　gets　many　letters　expressing

a　peculiar　attraction　towards　his　books；　and　a　preference　of　them　to

those　with　which　he　would　not　have　dared　to　compare　his　own。　　Still；

if　the　homo　unius　librithe　man　of　one　bookchoose　to　select　one　of

our　own　writing　as　his　favorite　volume；　it　means　something；not

much；　perhaps；　but　if　one　has　unlocked　the　door　to　the　secret

entrance　of　one　heart；　it　is　not　unlikely　that　his　key　may　fit　the

locks　of　others。　　What　if　nature　has　lent　him　a　master　key？　　He　has

found　the　wards　and　slid　back　the　bolt　of　one　lock；　perhaps　he　may

have　learned　the　secret　of　others。　　One　success　is　an　encouragement

to　try　again。　　Let　the　writer　of　a　truly　loving　letter；　such　as

greets　one　from　time　to　time；　remember　that；　though　he　never　hears　a

word　from　it；　it　may　prove　one　of　the　best　rewards　of　an　anxious　and

laborious　past；　and　the　stimulus　of　a　still　aspiring　future。



Among　the　letters　I　have　recently　received；　none　is　more　interesting

than　the　following。　　The　story　of　Helen　Keller；　who　wrote　it；　is　told

in　the　well…known　illustrated　magazine　called　〃The　Wide　Awake；〃　in

the　number　for　July；　1888。　　For　the　account　of　this　little　girl；　now

between　nine　and　ten　years　old；　and　other　letters　of　her　writing；　I

must　refer　to　the　article　I　have　mentioned。　　It　is　enough　to　say　that

she　is　deaf　and　dumb　and　totally　blind。　　She　was　seven　years　old　when

her　teacher；　Miss　Sullivan；　under　the　direction　of　Mr。　Anagnos；　at

the　Blind　Asylum　at　South　Boston；　began　her　education。　　A　child

fuller　of　life　and　happiness　it　would　be　hard　to　find。　　It　seems　as

if　her　soul　was　flooded　with　light　and　filled　with　music　that　had

found　entrance　to　it　through　avenues　closed　to　other　mortals。　　It　is

hard　to　understand　how　she　has　learned　to　deal　with　abstract　ideas；

and　so　far　to　supplement　the　blanks　left　by　the　senses　of　sight　and

hearing　that　one　would　hardly　think　of　her　as　wanting　in　any　human

faculty。　　Remember　Milton's　pathetic　picture　of　himself；　suffering

from　only　one　of　poor　little　Helen's　deprivations：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Not　to　me　returns

　　　　　Day；　or　the　sweet　approach　of　even　or　morn；

　　　　　Or　sight　of　vernal　bloom；　or　summer's　rose；

　　　　　Or　flocks；　or　herds；　or　human　face　divine；

　　　　　But　cloud　instead；　and　ever…during　dark

　　　　　Surrounds　me；　from　the　cheerful　ways　of　men

　　　　　Cut　off；　and　for　the　book　of　knowledge　fair

　　　　　Presented　with　a　universal　blank

　　　　　Of　Nature's　works；　to　me　expunged　and　rased；

　　　　　And　wisdom　at　one　entrance　quite　shut　out。〃



Surely　for　this　loving　and　lovely　child　does



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃the　celestial　Light

　　　　　　　　　　Shine　inward。〃



Anthropologist；　metaphysician；　most　of　all　theologian；　here　is　a

lesson　which　can　teach　you　much　that　you　will　not　find　in　your

primers　and　catechisms。　　Why　should　I　call　her　〃poor　little　Helen〃？

Where　can　you　find　a　happier　child？





SOUTH　BOSTON；　MASS。；　March　1；　1890。



DEAR　KIND　POET；I　have　thought　of　you　many　times　since　that　bright

Sunday　when　I　bade　you　goodbye；　and　I　am　going　to　write　you　a　letter

because　I　love　you。　　I　am　sorry　that　you　have　no　little　children　to

play　with　sometimes；　but　I　think　you　are　very　happy　with　your　books；

and　your　many；　many　friends。　　On　Washington's　Birthday　a　great　many

people　came　here　to　see　the　little　blind　children；　and　I　read　for

them　from　your　poems；　and　showed　them　some　beautiful　shells　which

came　from　a　little　island　near　Palos。　　I　am　reading　a　very　sad　story

called　〃Little　Jakey。〃　　Jakey　was　the　sweetest　little　fellow　you　can

imagine；　but　he　was　poor　and　blind。　　I　used　to　think；　when　I　was

small　and　before　I　could　read；　that　everybody　was　always　happy；　and

at　first　it　made　me　very　sad　to　know　about　pain　and　great　sorrow；　but

now　I　know　that　we　could　never　learn　to　be　brave　and　patient；　if

there　were　only　joy　in　the　world。　　I　am　studying　about　insects　in

Zoology；　and　I　have　learned　many　things　about　butterflies。　　They　do

not　make　honey　for　us；　like　the　bees；　but　many　of　them　are　as

beautiful　as　the　flowers　they　light　upon；　and　they　always　delight　the

hearts　of　little　children。　　They　live　a　gay　life；　flitting　from

flower　to　flower；　sipping　the　drops　of　honey…dew；　without　a　thought

for　the　morrow。　　They　are　just　like　little　boys　and　girls　when　they

forget　books　and　studies；　and　run　away　to　the　woods　and　the　fields　to

gather　wild…flowers；　or　wade　in　the　ponds　for　fragrant　lilies；　happy

in　the　bright　sunshine。　　If　my　little　sister　comes　to　Boston　next

June；　will　you　let　me　bring　her　to　see　you？　　She　is　a　lovely　baby　and

I　am　sure　you　will　love　＇her＇。　　Now　I　must　tell　my　gentle　poet　good…

bye；　for　I　have　a　letter　to　write　home　before　I　go　to　bed。　　From　your

loving　little　friend；



HELEN　A。　KELLER。





The　reading　of　this　letter　made　many　eyes　glisten；　and　a　dead　silence

hushed　the　whole　circle。　　All　at　once　Delilah；　our　pretty　table…maid；

forgot　her　place；what　business　had　she　to　be　listening　to　our

conversation　and　reading？　and　began　sobbing；　just　as　if　she　had

been　a　lady。　　She　could　n't　help　it；　she　explained　afterwards；she

had　a　little　blind　sister　at　the　asylum；　who　had　told　her　about

Helen's　reading　to　the　children。



It　was　very　awkward；　this　breaking…down　of　our　pretty　Delilah；　for

one　girl　crying　will　sometimes　set　off　a　whole　row　of　others；it　is

as　hazardous　as　lighting　one　cracker　in　a　bunch。　　The　two　Annexes

hurried　out　their　pocket…handkerchiefs；　and　I　almost　expected　a　se