The Story of My Life - Ieterna.org

I remember especially the walks we all took together every day in Central Park, the only part of the citythat was congenial to me. I never lost a jot of my delight in this great park. I loved to have it describedevery time I entered it; for it was beautiful in all its aspects, and these aspects were so many that it wasbeautiful in a different way each day of the nine months I spent in New York.In the spring we made excursions to various places of interest. We sailed on the Hudson River andwandered about on its green banks, of which Bryant loved to sing. I liked the simple, wild grandeur ofthe palisades. Among the places I visited were West Point, Tarrytown, the home of Washington Irving,where I walked through "Sleepy Hollow."The teachers at the Wright-Humason School were always planning how they might give the pupilsevery advantage that those who hear enjoy--how they might make much of few tendencies and passivememories in the cases of the little ones--and lead them out of the cramping circumstances in whichtheir lives were set.Before I left New York, these bright days were darkened by the greatest sorrow that I have ever borne,except the death of my father. Mr. John P. Spaulding, of Boston, died in February, 1896. Only thosewho knew and loved him best can understand what his friendship meant to me. He, who made everyone happy in a beautiful, unobtrusive way, was most kind and tender to Miss Sullivan and me. So longas we felt his loving presence and knew that he took a watchful interest in our work, fraught with somany difficulties, we could not be discouraged. His going away left a vacancy in our lives that hasnever been filled.Chapter XVIIIIn October, 1896, I entered the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, to be prepared for Radcliffe.When I was a little girl, I visited Wellesley and surprised my friends by the announcement, "Some day Ishall go to college--but I shall go to Harvard!" When asked why I would not go to Wellesley, I repliedthat there were only girls there. The thought of going to college took root in my heart and became anearnest desire, which impelled me to enter into competition for a degree with seeing and hearing girls,in the face of the strong opposition of many true and wise friends. When I left New York the idea hadbecome a fixed purpose; and it was decided that I should go to Cambridge. This was the nearestapproach I could get to Harvard and to the fulfillment of my childish declaration.At the Cambridge School the plan was to have Miss Sullivan attend the classes with me and interpret tome the instruction given.Of course my instructors had had no experience in teaching any but normal pupils, and my only meansof conversing with them was reading their lips. My studies for the first year were English history,English literature, German, Latin, arithmetic, Latin composition and occasional themes. Until then Ihad never taken a course of study with the idea of preparing for college; but I had been well drilled inEnglish by Miss Sullivan, and it soon became evident to my teachers that I needed no specialinstruction in this subject beyond a critical study of the books prescribed by the college. I had had,moreover, a good start in French, and received six months' instruction in Latin; but German was thesubject with which I was most familiar.In spite, however, of these advantages, there were serious drawbacks to my progress. Miss Sullivancould not spell out in my hand all that the books required, and it was very difficult to have textbooksembossed in time to be of use to me, although my friends in London and Philadelphia were willing tohasten the work. For a while, indeed, I had to copy my Latin in braille, so that I could recite with the