Inthesummerof1894,IattehemeetingatChautauquaoftheAmeriAssociationtoPromotetheTeagofSpeechtotheDeaf.ThereitwasarrahatIshouldgototheWright-HumasonSchoolfortheDeafinNewYorkCity.IwentthereinOctober,1894,apaniedbyMissSullivan.Thisschoolwaschosenespeciallyforthepurposeofobtainingthehighestadvantagesinvocalcultureandtraininginlip-reading.Inadditiontomyworkinthesesubjects,Istudied,duriwoyearsIwasintheschool,arithmetic,physicalgeography,FrendGerman.

    MissReamy,myGermanteacher,couldusethemanualalphabet,andafterIhadacquiredasmallvocabulary,wetalkedtogetherinGermanwheneverwehadadinafewmonthsIcoulduandalmosteverythingshesaid.BeforetheendofthefirstyearIread"WilhelmTell"withthegreatestdelight.IhinkImademressinGermanthaninanyofmyotherstudies.IfoundFrenchmuchmoredifficult.IstudieditwithMadameOlivier,aFrenchladywhodidnotknowthemanualalphabet,andwhowasobligedtogiveherinstruorally.Icouldnotreadherlipseasily;sresswasmuchslowerthaninGerman.Imanaged,however,toread"LeMedeMalgreLui"again.ItwasveryamusingbutIdidnotlikeitnearlysowellas"WilhelmTell.”

    Myprogressinlip-readingandspeechwasnotwhatmyteachersandIhadhopedandexpecteditwouldbe.Itwasmyambitiontospeaklikeotherpeople,andmyteachersbelievedthatthiscouldbeaplished;but,althoughweworkedhardandfaithfully,yetwedidnotquitereachoal.Isupposeweaimedtoohigh,anddisappoiwasthereforeiable.Istillregardedarithmeticasasystemofpitfalls.Ihungaboutthedangerousfrontierof"guess,"avoidingwithinfiroubletomyselfandothersthe