On the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb. 125 him spell any word, without making you sensible that he knows what the word means. I have sent you, with this letter, a list of words, which you ought to make him go through regularly, in short lessons, four, or five, or six words at a time, just as you find that he is able to attend to them, and remember them. If your dumb child has a brother or sister, who learns to write at school, they would very easily teach him to copy these words on his slate, and then into a paper book. Before he goes to bed at night, either you or his brother or sister, should make him read over the words that he has written in the day, and make the signs for them, and try to speak as many as he can with his voice, in the manner I directed you before. The signs, for the different parts of the body, such as eyes, nose, hand, and so on, will only be touching them in himself, or pointing them out, in another person. The same for clothing, or furniture, or any thing he can see in the house. Some other signs, I have told you of in my other letters, such as sun, fire, horse, cow, tree. I dare say he and you, will very easily think of any others you wish to make, for I have often found that the parents of dumb children could teach me about signs, much better than I could teach them. However, in case there should be any that you are puzzled about, I have added, to some of the words I have written, a description of the signs that I use for them in my school. I hope you will have been able by this time, through the kindness of some gentleman or lady, that lives near you, to collect a number of pictures of animals, and other things, which will be very useful to you, for shewing your child the meaning of words. I think you will soon find that he will be pleased to learn the words father, mother, brother, sister, and then to add the christian and -- surnames, thus father, John White; mother, Mary White; brother, William White; brother, Thomas White; sister, Mary White; and so on. He will also like to learn the names of his play-fellows, and he will soon get the notion, that all those of one family, have one surname, and different christian names. In my next letter, I will send you another list of words, and soon we shall get on to little sentences; but let us be "slow and sure.". And now I will tell you a few signs, by which you may make him understand the words, to-day, yesterday, and tomorrow. For yesterday I lean my head upon my hand, as if I were asleep, and then throw my hand back over my shoulder. For to-day, I make a sign of being awake, and lively, as if in broad day-light, and then point my fore-finger down straight for a moment, as if I was making a dot upon the table, or upon my other hand. For to-morrow, I make the same sign of sleeping as for yesterday, but instead of throwing my hand back over my shoulder, I put out my hand straight before me, and point forwards. In this manner you will be able, by signs, to talk to him about the time that is past and gone, the time that is now present, and the time that is to come; and I think the best way of making him thoroughly understand the signs, will be, by adding to them, the signs of something, which he knows did happen yesterday, is happening now to-day, and will happen to-morrow. Thus : William cried yesterday, point at William, make the sign for crying, stroking the cheek with two fingers from the eyes downwards, to shew how the tears run down, and make a crying face, then the sign of yesterday. William is good to-day; point again at the same child, make the sign for good, stroking the breast, and looking pleased and satisfied, then the sign to-day. Bell-man's Verses. 127 We shall go to Church to-morrow, (suppose it is Saturday, otherwise you must choose something else) make the sign for we, pointing at all those who are present, who will go to Church, and, instead of pointing to each separately, as if you were counting them, move your hand round at once. The sign for Church, put your hands together as if praying, and seem to be looking at a high tower or steeple. Then the sign for to-morrow, as I have directed. I will tell little you a more about this in my next letter. Meantime, do not be discouraged, if you cannot yet put in practice all I have told you in this, but go on teaching him, by degrees, the list of words which I have sent, and he will have done very well, if he gets them perfect before next month. I am your sincere friend, D.D. BELL-MAN'S VERSES. We have before mentioned the Northampton Parish Clerk's Annual Verses*, and have given some very beautiful ones which the Poet Cowper furnished him with. The following are by the same Author. I. He who sits from day to day Heedless of his loudest lay, Hardly knows that he has sung, II. Where the watchman in his round * Vol. ii. Death and Judgment, Heav'n and Hell, These alone, so often heard, No more move us than the bell, When some stranger is interr'd. IX. O then, ere the turf or tomb Cover us from ev'ry eye, Spirit of instruction come, Make us learn, that we must die ! Letter from a Father to his Son. Letter from a Father to his Son, an Apprentice Boy. MY DEAR BOY, 129 WHEN I first began to write to you, and to give you such pieces of advice and instruction as I thought might be useful to you, I never supposed that we should have made up any thing in the shape of a regular history. And indeed we must not now pretend to call our letters by such a name; but, as you seemed to take a pleasure in gaining some knowledge on these points, I have sent you, from time to time, what I thought to be the principal heads of English History, as well as I could manage to put them together. If you continue to be as fond of reading as you are now, and find time for it, you may perhaps have opportunities of getting more particular information on these subjects, from regular books of history. In my last letter I got as far as the death of George the Second, and we must now look at the reign of George the Third. The reign of this good king was the longest we read of in our history; he came to the throne in the year 1760, and continued, as you know, till the year 1820. I am old enough to remember a good deal of what happened in the early part of George the Third's reign, and we all of us remember his latter days. The great length of this reign, and the knowledge which we have of all the particulars, would make a regular account of this reign a great deal too long for me to attempt to write; I must therefore be content with sending you such portions as seem most worthy of your notice. You must remember that George the Third was not the son of George the Second, but the grandson, his father, Frederic Prince of Wales, having died before the old king. George the Third was |
