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than can be taught by any schoolmaster or mistress whatever. I have no doubt of proving this fact, by pointing out a plain and easy method of educating the deaf and dumb children in every thing that is useful and necessary, to enable them to understand whatever may be requisite, and make themselves agreeably understood by others.

I would strongly recommend the perusal of this Treatise to ladies of benevolence and fortune. Many of them, I am sure, could, and would soon be able and willing to render every assistance in their power to any deaf and dumb person they may be acquainted with, whether in affluent or indigent circumstances. I am confident they would be highly entertained and gratified when they perceived the rapid progress of these interesting fellow-creatures.

My brother is much indebted to many ladies for their assistance, and particularly to a female cousin, who often visited us. She was very attentive to his morals, and

took great care to instruct him in the very essential and important truths of Christianity, subjects which cannot be too much, nor too early, impressed on youthful minds. *

When a child is born, it is impossible to tell whether he has all his senses or not. Of the two senses, hearing and seeing, the latter is the first you discover, which is highly valuable indeed, and for which we ought to be most thankful, as it is more necessary and comprehensive than the other. In a few

* The good Abbé de l'Epée has observed, "I cannot "help thinking, that we are bound as a solemn duty, for "the neglect of which we are answerable to God Almighty, "to lead those with whose education we are entrusted, to a

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knowledge of the great truths of religion, and of the "Author of our being, with all reasonable expedition; so "that should they be early snatched from this life, we might

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yet hope that they were sufficiently cleansed and purified "by the spiritual rites ordained by our Saviour, for the ❝ attainment of everlasting felicity; which may very well "be done without entering into the depths of those sacred "mysteries."

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months, it is discovered, that a child born deaf, pays no attention to a noise of any kind. After the parents begin to suspect the child's defect in hearing, and, when at length their suspicions prove to well-founded, "What shall we do!" they naturally exclaim, " If the child can never hear, it will be impossible to teach * him to understand any thing.” The child is nursed with the utmost care, and every attention is paid to his bodily health and safety: he eats and drinks as other children. When he was born, he sucked as well as any child; could distinguish nauseous from sweet food, by refusing the one, and taking the other, yet he is deemed incapable of receiving mental instruction.

It is impossible to describe the feelings of parents under such afflicting circumstances. My present object is to contribute my feeble assistance in relieving their minds, and alleviating their distress, by pointing out an easy and rational method of educating their

CHAP. I.

The manner in which the Instruction of the Infant Deaf and Dumb is to commence by teaching them the Alphabet, and the meaning of Words.

I HAVE a brother, as I have before observed, who was born deaf and dumb at Newent, in the county of Gloucester. My mother had three children, who lived to be educated, besides him. In a few months after he was born, it was discovered that he could not hear; but, in every other respect, he was perfect and sensible. My mother was a woman of a firm mind, and could not be discouraged by a circumstance which was the will of her heavenly Father. No; He had endowed her with sense and wisdom sufficient to enable her to submit with patience to his divine will. I should be happy to see a similar disposition more prevalent. If parents

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