Anecdotes & Incidents Of The Deaf And Dumb Part 8

PICTURES BY DEAF AND DUMB ARTISTS IN THE ROYAL ACADEMY, 1876.

No. 1301. "Despatches." T. Davidson.

" 30. "Elter Water, Langdale." C. E. Emerson.

" 1235. "The late W. A. Langdale, Esq.

" 1247. "Portrait of a Lady." Mrs. North, deaf from girlhood.

WHAITE'S WATER COLOUR EXHIBITION, MANCHESTER.

"The Staff of Life," by F. T. Tavare, is a drawing worthy of Hunt for its literal truth.--_Manchester Courier._

March 25th, 1876.

FAIRLY DONE.

A good story is told of ex-governor Magottin, of Kentucky, who is a good talker and likes to do most of the talking himself. Recently, in making the journey from Cincinnati to Lexington, he shared his seat in the car with a bright-eyed, pleasant-faced gentleman. The Governor, after a few common-place remarks, to which his companion smiled and nodded a.s.sent, branched into a description of the scenes that he had witnessed in different parts of the country, grew eloquent over the war, described with glowing speech the numerous horse races he had witnessed, talked learnedly of breeding, and told thrilling stories of his battles with the Indians in the North-West. The hours slipped rapidly away, and when the train was nearing Lexington the two exchanged cards and parted with a cordial shake of hands. The Governor drove to an inn, and to a number of friends he remarked that the ride had never seemed so short before.

"Then you must have had pleasant company aboard." "You are right. I met a gentleman of unusual intelligence. We conversed all the way over. I never was brought in contact with a more agreeable man." "Indeed! Who was he?" asked his friends. "Wait a minute; I have his card," and the Governor felt in his pockets and produced the bit of pasteboard. "His name is King." "Not Bob King?" shouted a dozen in one breath. "Yes, gentlemen; Robert King--that is the way the card reads," was the proud reply. A roar of laughter followed. "Why, Governor, Bob King is as deaf as a post; he was born deaf and dumb!"

A NOVEL SITUATION.

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During the past year a gentleman had occasion to visit a certain city in New England. He arrived at night, went directly to his accustomed hotel, and to bed, slept soundly throughout the night, and in the morning discovered his watch had stopped. When he opened the door of his room another gentleman was taking in his boots on the other side of the corridor, and of him our friend asked if he could tell him what time it was. To his surprise, the gentleman took no notice whatever of the question. He asked again, "Sir, will you be good enough to tell me what time it is? My watch has stopped." No answer. The gentleman, without looking up, shut his door and disappeared. At that moment two other gentlemen came walking down the corridor, and Mr. X. asked of them the same question. The two gentlemen, without looking to the right or left, continued their walk without an answer or sign. "Well," thought Mr. X, "this is very curious." However, he went back to his room. Presently the bell rang for breakfast, and immediately a waiter entered the room, seized him by the arm, and began a series of gesticulations. Mr. X. lost his temper, and burst forth with "What in the name of goodness is the matter?" when the waiter cried "Oh," and vanished, laughing. Mr. X.

began to think something was very wrong, but went down to breakfast.

When he entered the _salle a manger_, which commonly had a dozen or twenty people at the tables, he found the hall filled with gentlemen in black coats, all feeding gravely, and in silence. A waiter silently beckoned him to a place, and when he was seated he said to his neighbour--"Sir, will you be kind enough to tell what all this is about?" No answer. The person, like Charlotte in Werter, went on eating bread and b.u.t.ter. Our friend began to feel decidedly queer, and getting out of his seat, went to the nearest waiter and piteously besought him, for heaven's sake, to tell him what was the matter with the house. "Oh,"

said the waiter, "don't you know? Why this is the Deaf and Dumb Convention, which meets to-day at Hartford."

THE DEAF AND DUMB BOTH HEARD AND SPOKE.

Vincent Ogden was recently charged with begging, under the pretence of being deaf and dumb, at Launceston. P. C. Barrett said that he saw the prisoner in the butcher's market. He was making signs, and pretending to be deaf and dumb. He took him into custody, and after they arrived at the police station asked him his name; he made no reply at first, but subsequently said he was called William Ogden, that he was a native of Manchester, and had just come out of Bodmin Gaol. Committed for two months, with hard labour.

ENTERTAINMENT BY DEAF AND DUMB.

The inhabitants of Mansfield had some most enjoyable meetings on Monday last, when a number of the pupils from the Deaf and Dumb Inst.i.tution at Derby gave some very interesting ill.u.s.trations of blackboard sketching, including animals, birds, fishes, &c. In reply to the question asked by one of the audience, "What have you come to Mansfield for?" A little girl, amidst considerable laughter, wrote "To get money." The gentleman then asked her what work she would like to do on leaving school? The reply was "I would like to be a lady's servant."--_Mansfield Paper_, 1885.

LORD SEAFORTH.

Lord Seaforth, who was born deaf and dumb, was to dine one day with Lord Melville. Just before the time of the company's arrival, Lady Melville sent into the drawing-room a lady of her acquaintance who could talk with her fingers, that she might receive Lord Seaforth. Presently Lord Guildford entered the room, and the lady, believing him to be Lord Seaforth, began to spell on her fingers quickly. Lord Guildford did the same, and they had been carrying on a conversation in this manner for about ten minutes, when Lady Melville joined them. Her female friend said, "Well, I have been talking away to this dumb man." "Dumb!"

exclaimed Lord Guildford, "Bless me, I thought you were dumb."

A "SUPPOSED" LUNATIC IN DERBY.

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At the Borough Police Court this morning, a man, who said his name was "Jim," but from whom no further information could be obtained, was charged with being a wandering lunatic. Sergeant Parker said that, at a quarter-past one o'clock on Monday afternoon, his attention was called to the prisoner, who was on the Midland Railway platform. He noticed that the prisoner was wandering about in a strange manner. After making enquiries, he had telegrams sent to Bath, the replies to which were to the effect that the prisoner had been found wandering about the line there greatly excited, that they did not consider he was right in his mind, and that they had given him written directions to enable him to obtain a ticket for Derby, which he succeeded in doing. He spoke to the man, and thought he wanted to go to London; but when the London train came in he could not prevail upon him to take a ticket. He had 1 8s. in his possession, and also some tea, a razor, basket, and other articles; but no letters or anything from which they could find out his address.

He took him to the police station, where the police surgeon examined him on Monday night, and p.r.o.nounced him to be of unsound mind. The doctor promised to call again this morning, but had not yet done so. The Bench remanded the man until the following morning, so that the police surgeon might attend and give evidence.--_Derby Daily Telegraph._

The alleged lunatic,--the deaf and dumb man, whose only name was Jim, and who had been charged with being a wandering lunatic, was again brought up. Mr. W. R. Roe, head master of the Deaf and Dumb Inst.i.tution, said that he had been sent for, and that he had been communicating with the prisoner by means of signs, and found that he was deaf and dumb, and totally uneducated, but certainly of _sound_ mind. The police surgeon again appeared, and said he had examined the man, and had come to the conclusion that there was no indication of insanity about him. The prisoner was discharged and handed over to Mr. Roe, who promised to take care of him till something was heard from his friends.--_Derby Daily Telegraph._

The man was kept at the Deaf and Dumb Inst.i.tution for a few days, when it was found that his friends were residing on the other side of Bath.

It transpired that the man had been on a visit to some friends at Bath and could not make the authorities understand where he wanted to go, hence the error in sending him to Derby.--W. R. R.

A CLEVER GYMNAST.

Walter Stevens, a member of the British Mission to the Deaf and Dumb, last year won the first prize for "all round performances" at the Gymnasium of the Young Men's Christian a.s.sociation. The prize consisted of a very handsome gold and silver medals with silver buckle and strap.

He was successful in 1883 and 1884 in winning second prizes, but this year he carried off in grand style the much-coveted first prize. His performance on the horizontal bar was truly marvellous.

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WILLIAM DE COURCY.

This boy was educated at a Deaf and Dumb School. He was fond of learning, and soon had many companions. One of the delights of his life was visiting the farmyard which was attached to the Inst.i.tution. William had been taught to be kind to dumb animals. He watched the little birds with much interest, and liked to feed them. There was one bird which came daily to be fed which he used to call his own. He was eager for religious instruction, and soon knew G.o.d made him, and that Jesus was his best friend, and that sin was displeasing to G.o.d. He loved Jesus much, and often signed about Him to his school fellows. After William had been at school for some years he was taken seriously ill, and he was asked if he were afraid to die? His reply was, "No, I know that G.o.d sent His Son to save me." Shortly before he died his school mates signed to him that Jesus was kind. William smiled, and then signed in answer, "Yes, Jesus is kind," and shortly after fell asleep, his happy spirit took its flight to that world where there are no deaf and dumb.

A DEAF AND DUMB SCULPTOR.

There has just been placed outside St. Saviour's Church, for the Deaf and Dumb, Oxford Street, London, a statue of "The Good Shepherd," which has been entirely modelled and carved by Mr. Joseph Gawen, a deaf mute, who was a pupil of the late Mr. Behnes, and an a.s.sistant of the late Mr.

Foley, R.A. The statue is p.r.o.nounced by competent judges to be an admirable work of art. He also executed a marble bust of the wife of Sir G. E. Hodgkinson. Some years ago he produced a splendid model in compet.i.tion for the Wellington Memorial.