32

Uncounted Blessings

Thanksgiving Day came round once more, and the silent inmates of our school, could they have had access to the records of the year just past, would have realized that they had very much for which to be thankful to God, the great and beneficent giver of every good and perfect gift, who, in his loving kindness, showers his gifts both upon the grateful and the ungrateful. He had watched over them constantly and tenderly, shielding all from harm save the two boys who, disobeying the rules, left the safe shelter and dared to tread the dangerous track of the “iron horse.” He had given them kind and earnest instructors to guide their feet into safe and pleasant paths. He had put it into the hearts of the people to build for them a commodious and comfortable new building and to make a more liberal appropriation of money to supply their daily needs. General good health and happiness had prevailed among them, and today a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast was spread for them in the new dining hall.

After dinner the pupils amused themselves in many ways, and in the evening they had a social party. So ended the day.

“Good morning! Good morning!” said Dr. Latimer, entering his schoolroom in his usual brisk manner on the following morning. Some of his pupils smiled, responsive to his hearty greeting. “Did you have a pleasant Thanksgiving Day?” he inquired. “Yes, yes,” was signified by the nodding of heads in different parts of the room. “I am glad,” he said; and all at once prepared for the work of the day.

Everything went on smoothly for a while. Presently Dr. Latimer noticed a dissatisfied frown upon the brow of one of his pupils. “What is the matter?” he asked, pleasantly.

“I do not understand my arithmetic lesson,” was the reply.

“The machinery of your mind needs oiling to make it run smoothly. Come here,” he said.

Carrie Raymond, who happened to be watching him at the moment, laughed softly at his queer solution of the difficulty. The pupil addressed, slate and arithmetic in hand, came forward to have her mind prepared to comprehend the knotty problems. The oiling of the mind’s machinery consisted simply in explaining the lesson by means of an example. That seemed to make it work smoothly for a while.

The lesson for the evening was given out, and one pupil after another began to ask the meaning of different words new to them. The difficult words were explained by means of little illustrative stories, pictures, or analogies, or, in some cases, the dictionary furnished a comprehensive explanation.

One day, after their ten minutes’ recess, the girls were proceeding rather lazily along the hall toward their schoolrooms when the teacher on duty impatiently exclaimed, “Hurry! Hurry! Life is short!” This assurance was greeted by them with sly merriment, for to them life was very long. In fact, they never stopped to think whether it would really ever end. Many of them but lightly prized the days as they passed, unless they held for them some rare pleasure. But there was one day coming to which all looked forward joyfully. That was Christmas, the crowning holiday of the year.

As Christmas approached, lessons began to be sadly slighted, and conjectures as to what the day would bring seemed to fill every mind.

A number of the girls had secured boughs of evergreens and also had manufactured quite a quantity of white paper roses. The evergreens were wound into festoons, in which the roses were set at intervals. With these festoons they proceeded to decorate their study room, in anticipation of a Christmas party.

Christmas morning came, and some of the girls, with hearts seemingly overflowing with joy and mirth, glided about, spelling with nimble fingers the words Christmas gift. The one who succeeded in first saying this considered herself entitled to a gift from the one whom she had taken by surprise.

Knowing something of this sly custom, some of the girls had taken the precaution to tie a bit of scarlet yarn around one finger, which signified, “You are not entitled to a gift from me, for I am armed against all surprises.” Nevertheless there were many who had neglected that precaution, and who therefore satisfied their captors by promising them a bonbon in the evening.

The day was spent in much the same way as on previous occasions. There was the usual bountiful dinner. Roast turkey, cranberry sauce, mince pies, etc., were served, and the appetite of everyone was fully satisfied before the order was given to rise from the tables.

After dinner the girls proceeded to get the long tables in their study room out of the way by placing them one upon another in an obscure corner of their sewing room, which was connected with the study room by a highly arched entry, now wreathed with evergreens and looking like a triumphal arch. After the tables had been disposed of, the chairs and benches were arranged in rows near the wall, thus leaving plenty of open space. As evening approached, the study room began to fill with girls, all arrayed in their holiday attire. To pass away the time till supper they waltzed round and round the room, promenaded back and forth, or gathered in little groups to talk. Deaf-mutes are very fond of talking—much more so than of studying. Two girls were observed to be conversing together by watching the motions of each other’s lips instead of by using the sign language. An observer would scarcely have believed that they were really quite deaf until convinced of the fact by proper tests. They had learned that method of conversing only by much practice and close observation, both while at home and under the instruction of the articulation teacher at school. That art was a rare accomplishment for deaf-mutes, and so difficult that few attempted to acquire it. The ability to use it, even by those who did acquire it, was often quite limited.

The summons to supper came at last, and all wended their way in orderly file to the dining room. On the tables was found the usual Christmas evening bill of fare—bread, butter, honey, candy, cakes, apples, and tea. When the repast was finished the girls hurried back to their study room, where they seated themselves to await the coming of the boys, who were to be entertained in this room this year. Some of the girls soon grew tired of sitting still, and a few of them, in spite of the fact that they were all told to stay in their seats, would now and then arise and glide across the floor, take a swift glance down the long hall, then hurry back to their seats. After a while one of them, who had ventured on one of these prospecting sallies, announced that the boys were coming, and she hurried quickly to her seat. The other girls suddenly became very quiet, assuming a more decorous attitude than usual—still gazing eagerly toward the door.

A few minutes later, the boys came marching in, some pausing near the threshold to give the girls a general greeting, others passing indifferently up the room. Some crept along, half shyly, and stared curiously around at the decorations of the room, while others glanced along the line of neatly dressed, bright-eyed maidens, evidently in search of some particularly good-looking one for company. Deaf and dumb boys are as fond of pretty girls as are those who can hear, but they are rather shy of the homely ones.

Different games were proposed and entered into with zest. As the amusements that evening corresponded very nearly to those previously described, I will not attempt a detailed account of the party. Enough to say that everyone found some amusement, and there were few who did not feel disinclined to say good night when the small hand of the clock pointed warningly to half past ten. Prayer was offered up to God, and soon the study rooms were dark, silent, and deserted.