HELEN KELLER 285 not a talent, or an aspiration, or a joy in me that has not been awakened by her loving touch. ' ' Helen Keller's present home is in Wrentham, Massachu-^ setts. Since her graduation from college she has steadily progressed along the lines of intellectuality, of broad knowl- edge, and of generous sympathy. She has written much ; most important, perhaps, of her publications is The Story of My Life with her letters from 1887-1901. This book she had ded- icated to Alexander Graham Bell, ^'who has taught the deaf to speak and enabled the listening ear to hear speech from the Atlantic to the Bockies. ' * Others of her books are Optimism^ The World I Live In^ and Out of the Dark. In poetry she has done some good work. The Song of the Stone Wall and A Chant of Darkness probably being best known. Alertness to the sense of touch gives to Helen Keller's face an expression of bright, concentrated Ustening. Every change of atmosphere, every vibration, every movement about her is full of significance to her. She describes most vividly scenes of which she can have no conception except through this one sense and through her imagination. Wonderful are her ac- coimts of a storm, the fury of the wind, the creaking and straining of rafters, and the rattling of branches against the windows; or of a hunt, with bridles ringing, whips cracking, and harks and whoops and wild halloos. She loves ^ ' to touch the mighty sea and feel its roar. Li speaking of her enjoy- ment of statuary she says, **I sometimes wonder if the hand is not more sensitive to the beauties of sculpture than the eye. I should think the wonderful rhythmical flow of lines and - curves could be more subtly felt than seen. Be this as it may, I know that I can feel the heart-throbs of the ancient Greeks in their marble gods and goddesses." No one after seeing the face of Helen Keller can feel that life to her is not full of engrossing interest and many joys. She has a decided sense of humor which adds to her constant- ly bright and changing expression. Tall, strongly built and vivacious, a good talker — and a marvellous ** listener" — she inspires in those who meet her not pity so much as high re-
