PERSONALITYMarkTwainhassaidthatthetwomostiingcharactersoftheeeuryareNapoleonandHelenKeller.Theadmirationwithwhichtheworldhasregardedherismorethanjustifiedbywhatshehasdone.ellaruthaboutherwhichhasnotalreadybeenwritten,andallthatIdoistogiveafewmorefactsaboutMissKellersworkandaddalittletowhatisknownofherpersonality.

    MissKelleristallandstronglybuilt,andhasalwayshadgoodhealth.Sheseemstobemorenervousthanshereallyis,becausesheexpressesmorewithherhandsthandomostEnglish-speakingpeople.Onereasonforthishabitofgestureisthatherhandshavebeensolongherinstrumentsofunicationthattheyhavetakentothemselvesthequickshiftingsoftheeye,andexpresssomeofthethingsthatwesayinaglance.Alldeafpeoplenaturallygesticulate.Ioimeitwasbelievedthatthebestwayforthemtounicatewasthroughsystematizedgestures,thesignlanguageiedbytheAbbedelEpee.

    WhenMissKellerspeaks,herfaceisanimatedandexpressesallthemodesofherthought--theexpressionsthatmakethefeatureseloquentandgivespeechhalfitsmeaning.Oherhandshedoesnotknowanothersexpression.Whealkingwithanintimatefriend,however,herhandgoesquicklytoherfriendsfacetosee,asshesays,"thetwistofthemouth."Inthiswaysheisabletogetthemeaningofthosehalfsentenceswhichwepleteunsciouslyfromthetohevoiceorthetwiheeye.

    Hermemoryofpeopleisremarkable.Sheremembersthegraspoffingersshehasheldbefore,allthecharacteristictighteningofthemusclesthatmakesonepersonshandshakedifferentfromthatofanother.

    Thetraitmostcharacteristic,perhaps,ofMissKeller(andalsoofMissSullivan)is