Page:Vocal Speech for the Dumb.djvu/26

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DEAF, NOT DUMB.

the only means of communication between herself and those who employed her were articulation and lip-reading. Writing was never had recourse to; finger-talking and signs she did not understand. Take another case.

We saw in Vienna a fancy leather merchant, who employed seventy men under him, whose premises the Emperor and Empress of Austria visited before the great Vienna Exhibition, who could not only speak the language of his country fluently, but also a little English, who had visited England and other countries, was a practical horticulturist, and altogether an agreeable, intelligent, wealthy man—wealthy through his own educated talents and industry.

A good instance of the independence which pupils, well educated on this system, feel in after life, was mentioned to me last year. A journeyman cabinet-maker had such a thorough command of language, that he told my friend he intended to seek work in other countries, and should settle in whichever he found gave him best employment, having no doubt of being able soon to talk the new language sufficiently. Not to weary you with more of the many other instances one could give, I will end this part by telling you that we went into a hatter's shop in Friedberg, who had a toto-congenital deaf workman. That very morning a man had been convicted for theft, principally on the evidence, given viva voce in open court, by that deaf workman, who stood the test of examination and cross-examination without any other method of communication being used than word of mouth.

After what you have just heard of the power of the