A curious sense of personal imbecility comes over one who knows nothing of the sign language, nor even of the manual alphabet, in witnessing the animated conversations that are so mysteriously carried on by these accomplished fingers. One's hands fairly blush at their own incompetency, and are fain to bide out of sight.

While the teacher proceeded to introduce me to her young pupils, probably spelling my name, and adding whatever else she thought proper, I had plenty of time to survey them in my turn. This is a slight consolation to benighted visitors who do not know the manual A, B, C. While they are supposed to be announcing your name and residence, according to the customary formula, you may cogitate at your leisure; and while they are spelling out a sentence or two about you, you can think a page about them, if you like.

I found this school-room much like other well-appointed school-rooms, neatly furnished, light, and airy. It had its rows of little desks and chairs, occupied by boys and girls perhaps twelve or thirteen years old, who looked much like other children. But there is one peculiar feature about all these school-rooms which I must not fail to name. Three sides of the apartment are invariably furnished with immense slates, serving the purpose of blackboards, but far better and more durable. In size they are, perhaps, four feet by three, and they are firmly mounted in a substantial frame-work which supports them at a slight angle with the wall, and at a convenient height from the floor. Every scholar has his wall-slate; for whatever he learns, whether by signs or by finger-spelling, must be put in writing as well. A double slate for the teacher's use stands upon the remaining side of the room.

By this time our little friends were ready to say something to their visitors. A dozen or fifteen crayons were set in motion, and as many mammoth slates quickly displayed the words, "We are happy to see Mrs. Brooks and her friend." Afterward they wrote their own names and ages, the day of the week, the day of the month and year, and other items which I do not recall.

The text-book used during the first half dozen years of their education is Dr. Peet's Course of Instruction for the Deaf and Dumb. This manual embodies the results of a very extensive and successful experience in teaching language to deaf-mutes, and is the textbook of most similar schools. Any body who has a propensity for digging after the roots of things in general will find it a real curiosity in the philological line, possibly in the psychological line too. Philosophers have debated a good deal whether primeval man developed his nouns first or his interjections, but unluckily none of them were there to see, and so nobody can say whether the "Bow-wow theory" or the "Pooh-pooh theory" is right. But in educating these thousands of human beings, to whom there is no vernacular among all the languages under the sun, it would seem that some little light must have been thrown upon the subject—enough to suggest fresh speculations, if nothing more.