American Notes for General Circulation

by Dickens, Chales

  felt my hands eagerly with both of his, and on my repeating the

  process, he evidently tried to imitate the motions of my fingers.

  In a few minutes he contrived to feel the motions of my fingers

  with one hand, and holding out the other he tried to imitate them,

  laughing most heartily when he succeeded. Laura was by, interested

  even to agitation; and the two presented a singular sight: her

  face was flushed and anxious, and her fingers twining in among ours

  so closely as to follow every motion, but so slightly as not to

  embarrass them; while Oliver stood attentive, his head a little

  aside, his face turned up, his left hand grasping mine, and his

  right held out: at every motion of my fingers his countenance

  betokened keen attention; there was an expression of anxiety as he

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  tried to imitate the motions; then a smile came stealing out as he

  thought he could do so, and spread into a joyous laugh the moment

  he succeeded, and felt me pat his head, and Laura clap him heartily

  upon the back, and jump up and down in her joy.

  'He learned more than a half-dozen letters in half an hour, and

  seemed delighted with his success, at least in gaining approbation.

  His attention then began to flag, and I commenced playing with him.

  It was evident that in all this he had merely been imitating the

  motions of my fingers, and placing his hand upon the key, cup, &c.,

  as part of the process, without any perception of the relation

  between the sign and the object.

  'When he was tired with play I took him back to the table, and he

  was quite ready to begin again his process of imitation. He soon

  learned to make the letters for KEY, PEN, PIN; and by having the

  object repeatedly placed in his hand, he at last perceived the

  relation I wished to establish between them. This was evident,

  because, when I made the letters PIN, or PEN, or CUP, he would

  select the article.

  'The perception of this relation was not accompanied by that

  radiant flash of intelligence, and that glow of joy, which marked

  the delightful moment when Laura first perceived it. I then placed

  all the articles on the table, and going away a little distance

  with the children, placed Oliver's fingers in the positions to

  spell KEY, on which Laura went and brought the article: the little

  fellow seemed much amused by this, and looked very attentive and

  smiling. I then caused him to make the letters BREAD, and in an

  instant Laura went and brought him a piece: he smelled at it; put

  it to his lips; cocked up his head with a most knowing look; seemed

  to reflect a moment; and then laughed outright, as much as to say,

  "Aha! I understand now how something may be made out of this."

  'It was now clear that he had the capacity and inclination to

  learn, that he was a proper subject for instruction, and needed

  only persevering attention. I therefore put him in the hands of an

  intelligent teacher, nothing doubting of his rapid progress.'

  Well may this gentleman call that a delightful moment, in which

  some distant promise of her present state first gleamed upon the

  darkened mind of Laura Bridgman. Throughout his life, the

  recollection of that moment will be to him a source of pure,

  unfading happiness; nor will it shine less brightly on the evening

  of his days of Noble Usefulness.

  The affection which exists between these two - the master and the

  pupil - is as far removed from all ordinary care and regard, as the

  circumstances in which it has had its growth, are apart from the

  common occurrences of life. He is occupied now, in devising means

  of imparting to her, higher knowledge; and of conveying to her some

  adequate idea of the Great Creator of that universe in which, dark

  and silent and scentless though it be to her, she has such deep

  delight and glad enjoyment.

  Ye who have eyes and see not, and have ears and hear not; ye who

  are as the hypocrites of sad countenances, and disfigure your faces

  that ye may seem unto men to fast; learn healthy cheerfulness, and

  mild contentment, from the deaf, and dumb, and blind! Self-elected

  saints with gloomy brows, this sightless, earless, voiceless child

  may teach you lessons you will do well to follow. Let that poor

  hand of hers lie gently on your hearts; for there may be something

  in its healing touch akin to that of the Great Master whose

  precepts you misconstrue, whose lessons you pervert, of whose

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  charity and sympathy with all the world, not one among you in his

  daily practice knows as much as many of the worst among those

  fallen sinners, to whom you are liberal in nothing but the

  preachment of perdition!

  As I rose to quit the room, a pretty little child of one of the

  attendants came running in to greet its father. For the moment, a

  child with eyes, among the sightless crowd, impressed me almost as

  painfully as the blind boy in the porch had done, two hours ago.

  Ah! how much brighter and more deeply blue, glowing and rich though

  it had been before, was the scene without, contrasting with the

  darkness of so many youthful lives within!

  * * * * * *

  At SOUTH BOSTON, as it is called, in a situation excellently

  adapted for the purpose, several charitable institutions are

  clustered together. One of these, is the State Hospital for the

  insane; admirably conducted on those enlightened principles of

  conciliation and kindness, which twenty years ago would have been

  worse than heretical, and which have been acted upon with so much

  success in our own pauper Asylum at Hanwell. 'Evince a desire to

  show some confidence, and repose some trust, even in mad people,'

  said the resident physician, as we walked along the galleries, his

  patients flocking round us unrestrained. Of those who deny or

  doubt the wisdom of this maxim after witnessing its effects, if

  there be such people still alive, I can only say that I hope I may

  never be summoned as a Juryman on a Commission of Lunacy whereof

  they are the subjects; for I should certainly find them out of

  their senses, on such evidence alone.

  Each ward in this institution is shaped like a long gallery or

  hall, with the dormitories of the patients opening from it on

  either hand. Here they work, read, play at skittles, and other

  games; and when the weather does not admit of their taking exercise

  out of doors, pass the day together. In one of these rooms,

  seated, calmly, and quite as a matter of course, among a throng of

  mad-women, black and white, were the physician's wife and another

  lady, with a couple of children. These ladies were graceful and

  handsome; and it was not difficult to perceive at a glance that

  even their presence there, had a highly beneficial influence on the

  patients who were grouped about them.

  Leaning her head against the chimney-piece, with a great assumption

  of dignity and refinement of manner, sat an
elderly female, in as

  many scraps of finery as Madge Wildfire herself. Her head in

  particular was so strewn with scraps of gauze and cotton and bits

  of paper, and had so many queer odds and ends stuck all about it,

  that it looked like a bird's-nest. She was radiant with imaginary

  jewels; wore a rich pair of undoubted gold spectacles; and

  gracefully dropped upon her lap, as we approached, a very old

  greasy newspaper, in which I dare say she had been reading an

  account of her own presentation at some Foreign Court.

  I have been thus particular in describing her, because she will

  serve to exemplify the physician's manner of acquiring and

  retaining the confidence of his patients.

  'This,' he said aloud, taking me by the hand, and advancing to the

  fantastic figure with great politeness - not raising her suspicions

  by the slightest look or whisper, or any kind of aside, to me:

  'This lady is the hostess of this mansion, sir. It belongs to her.

  Nobody else has anything whatever to do with it. It is a large

  establishment, as you see, and requires a great number of

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  attendants. She lives, you observe, in the very first style. She

  is kind enough to receive my visits, and to permit my wife and

  family to reside here; for which it is hardly necessary to say, we

  are much indebted to her. She is exceedingly courteous, you

  perceive,' on this hint she bowed condescendingly, 'and will permit

  me to have the pleasure of introducing you: a gentleman from

  England, Ma'am: newly arrived from England, after a very

  tempestuous passage: Mr. Dickens, - the lady of the house!'

  We exchanged the most dignified salutations with profound gravity

  and respect, and so went on. The rest of the madwomen seemed to

  understand the joke perfectly (not only in this case, but in all

  the others, except their own), and be highly amused by it. The

  nature of their several kinds of insanity was made known to me in

  the same way, and we left each of them in high good humour. Not

  only is a thorough confidence established, by those means, between

  the physician and patient, in respect of the nature and extent of

  their hallucinations, but it is easy to understand that

  opportunities are afforded for seizing any moment of reason, to

  startle them by placing their own delusion before them in its most

  incongruous and ridiculous light.

  Every patient in this asylum sits down to dinner every day with a

  knife and fork; and in the midst of them sits the gentleman, whose

  manner of dealing with his charges, I have just described. At

  every meal, moral influence alone restrains the more violent among

  them from cutting the throats of the rest; but the effect of that

  influence is reduced to an absolute certainty, and is found, even

  as a means of restraint, to say nothing of it as a means of cure, a

  hundred times more efficacious than all the strait-waistcoats,

  fetters, and handcuffs, that ignorance, prejudice, and cruelty have

  manufactured since the creation of the world.

  In the labour department, every patient is as freely trusted with

  the tools of his trade as if he were a sane man. In the garden,

  and on the farm, they work with spades, rakes, and hoes. For

  amusement, they walk, run, fish, paint, read, and ride out to take

  the air in carriages provided for the purpose. They have among

  themselves a sewing society to make clothes for the poor, which

  holds meetings, passes resolutions, never comes to fisty-cuffs or

  bowie-knives as sane assemblies have been known to do elsewhere;

  and conducts all its proceedings with the greatest decorum. The

  irritability, which would otherwise be expended on their own flesh,

  clothes, and furniture, is dissipated in these pursuits. They are

  cheerful, tranquil, and healthy.

  Once a week they have a ball, in which the Doctor and his family,

  with all the nurses and attendants, take an active part. Dances

  and marches are performed alternately, to the enlivening strains of

  a piano; and now and then some gentleman or lady (whose proficiency

  has been previously ascertained) obliges the company with a song:

  nor does it ever degenerate, at a tender crisis, into a screech or

  howl; wherein, I must confess, I should have thought the danger

  lay. At an early hour they all meet together for these festive

  purposes; at eight o'clock refreshments are served; and at nine

  they separate.

  Immense politeness and good breeding are observed throughout. They

  all take their tone from the Doctor; and he moves a very

  Chesterfield among the company. Like other assemblies, these

  entertainments afford a fruitful topic of conversation among the

  ladies for some days; and the gentlemen are so anxious to shine on

  these occasions, that they have been sometimes found 'practising

  their steps' in private, to cut a more distinguished figure in the

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  dance.

  It is obvious that one great feature of this system, is the

  inculcation and encouragement, even among such unhappy persons, of

  a decent self-respect. Something of the same spirit pervades all

  the Institutions at South Boston.

  There is the House of Industry. In that branch of it, which is

  devoted to the reception of old or otherwise helpless paupers,

  these words are painted on the walls: 'WORTHY OF NOTICE. SELFGOVERNMENT,

  QUIETUDE, AND PEACE, ARE BLESSINGS.' It is not assumed

  and taken for granted that being there they must be evil-disposed

  and wicked people, before whose vicious eyes it is necessary to

  flourish threats and harsh restraints. They are met at the very

  threshold with this mild appeal. All within-doors is very plain

  and simple, as it ought to be, but arranged with a view to peace

  and comfort. It costs no more than any other plan of arrangement,

  but it speaks an amount of consideration for those who are reduced

  to seek a shelter there, which puts them at once upon their

  gratitude and good behaviour. Instead of being parcelled out in

  great, long, rambling wards, where a certain amount of weazen life

  may mope, and pine, and shiver, all day long, the building is

  divided into separate rooms, each with its share of light and air.

  In these, the better kind of paupers live. They have a motive for

  exertion and becoming pride, in the desire to make these little

  chambers comfortable and decent.

  I do not remember one but it was clean and neat, and had its plant

  or two upon the window-sill, or row of crockery upon the shelf, or

  small display of coloured prints upon the whitewashed wall, or,

  perhaps, its wooden clock behind the door.

  The orphans and young children are in an adjoining building

  separate from this, but a part of the same Institution. Some are

  such little creatures, that the stairs are of Lilliputian

  measurement, fitted to their tiny strides. The same consideration

  for their years and weakness is expressed in their v
ery seats,

  which are perfect curiosities, and look like articles of furniture

  for a pauper doll's-house. I can imagine the glee of our Poor Law

  Commissioners at the notion of these seats having arms and backs;

  but small spines being of older date than their occupation of the

  Board-room at Somerset House, I thought even this provision very

  merciful and kind.

  Here again, I was greatly pleased with the inscriptions on the

  wall, which were scraps of plain morality, easily remembered and

  understood: such as 'Love one another' - 'God remembers the

  smallest creature in his creation:' and straightforward advice of

  that nature. The books and tasks of these smallest of scholars,

  were adapted, in the same judicious manner, to their childish

  powers. When we had examined these lessons, four morsels of girls

  (of whom one was blind) sang a little song, about the merry month

  of May, which I thought (being extremely dismal) would have suited

  an English November better. That done, we went to see their

  sleeping-rooms on the floor above, in which the arrangements were

  no less excellent and gentle than those we had seen below. And

  after observing that the teachers were of a class and character

  well suited to the spirit of the place, I took leave of the infants

  with a lighter heart than ever I have taken leave of pauper infants

  yet.

  Connected with the House of Industry, there is also an Hospital,

  which was in the best order, and had, I am glad to say, many beds

  unoccupied. It had one fault, however, which is common to all

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  American interiors: the presence of the eternal, accursed,

  suffocating, red-hot demon of a stove, whose breath would blight

  the purest air under Heaven.

  There are two establishments for boys in this same neighbourhood.

  One is called the Boylston school, and is an asylum for neglected

  and indigent boys who have committed no crime, but who in the

  ordinary course of things would very soon be purged of that

  distinction if they were not taken from the hungry streets and sent

  here. The other is a House of Reformation for Juvenile Offenders.

  They are both under the same roof, but the two classes of boys

  never come in contact.

  The Boylston boys, as may be readily supposed, have very much the