WereportedlastweekthatHelenKellersufferedfromastrangesicknesswhenshewasonly19monthsold.Itmadehercompletelyblindanddeaf.Forthenextfiveyearsshehadnowayofsuccessfullycommunicatingwithotherpeople.ThenateacherAnneSullivanarrivedfromBostontohelpher.MissSullivanherselfhadoncebeenblind.ShetriedtoteachHelentolivelikeotherpeople.Shetaughtherhowtouseherhandsasawayofspeaking.MissSullivantookHelenoutintothewoodstoexplorenature.Theyalsowenttothecircus,thetheatre.,andeventofactories.MissSullivanexplainedeverythinginthelanguagesheandHelenused,alanguageoftouch,offingersandhands.Helenalsolearnedhowtoridetohorse,toswim,torowaboat,andeventoclimbtrees.

　　HelenKelleroncewroteabouttheseearlydays.

　　OnebeautifulspringmorningIwasaloneinmyroom,reading.Suddenlyawonderfulsmellintheairmademegetupandputoutmyhands.Thespiritofspringseemedtobepassinginmyroom."Whatisit?"Iasked.ThenextminuteIknewitwascomingfrommimosatreeoutside.Iwalkedoutsidetotheedgeofthegarden,towardthetree.Thereitwas,shakinginthewarmsunshine.Itslongbranches,soheavywithflowers,almosttouchedtheground.Iwalkedthroughtheflowerstothetreeitselfandthenjuststoodsilent.ThenIputmyfootonthetreeandpulledmyselfupintoit.IclimbedhigherandhigheruntilIreachedalittleseat.Longagosomeonehadputitthere.Isatforalongtime...Nothinginalltheworldwaslikethis.

　　LaterHelenlearnedthatnaturecouldbecruelaswellasbeautiful.Strangelyenoughshediscoverythisinadifferentkindoftree.

　　OnedaymyteacherandIwerereturningfromalongwalk.Itwasafinemorningbutitstartedtogetwarmandheavy.Westoppedtoresttwoorthreetimes.Ourlaststopwasunderacherrytree,ashortwayfromourhouse.Theshadewasniceandthetreewaseasytoclimb.MissSullivanclimbedwithme.Itwassocootupinthetree,wedecidedtohavelunchthere.Ipromisedtositstilluntilshewenttothehouseforsomefood.Suddenlyachangecameoverthetree.Iknewtheskywasblackbecausealltheheatwhichmeantlighttomehaddiedoutoftheair.Astrangeodorcameuptomefromtheearth.Iknewit.Itwastheodorwhichalwayscomesbeforeathunderstorm.Ifeltalone,cutofffromfriends,highabovethefirmearth.Iwasfrightenedandwantedmyteacher.wantedtogetdownfromthattreequickly,butIwasnohelptomyself.Therewasamomentof'terriblesilence.Thenasuddenandviolentwindbegantoshakethetreeanditsleaveskeptcomingdownallaroundme.Ialmostfell.Iwantedtojump,butwasafraidtodoso.Itriedtomakemyselfsmallinthetreeasthebranchesrubbedagainstme.JustusIthoughtthatboththetreeandIweregoingtofall,ahandtouchedme.Itwasmyteacher.Iheldherwithallmystrength,thenshookwithjoytofeelthesolidearthundermyfeet.

　　MissSullivanstayedwithHelenformanyyear.ShetaughtHelenhowtoread,howtowriteandhowtospeak.Shehelpedhertogetreadyforschoolandcollege.Morethananything,Helenwantedtodowhatothersdid,anddoitjustaswell.IntimeHelendidgotocollegeandcompletedherstudieswithhighhonors.Butitwasahardstruggle.FewofthebookssheneededwerewrittenintheBraillelanguagethattheblindcouldreadbytouchingpages.MissSullivanandothershadtoteachherwhatwasinthesebooksbyformingwordsinherhands.Thestudyofgeometryandphysicswasespeciallydifficult.He