8 Chapter 6 Years at Perkins

Chapter 6 Years at Perkins From Washington, D.C., Annie and Helen made their way by train to Boston. At Perkins, Helen met the now middle-aged Laura Bridgman. The meeting was a disappointment, however. Laura thought that Helen was too much of a tomboy. Helen sat on the floor. Laura did not approve of that. When Helen left, she bent to kiss Laura good-bye and stepped on Laura's toes. Laura cried out in pain. Helen felt like a clumsy schoolgirl. Some people thought that Helen was too loud and laughed too much. But Annie did not agree. She knew that Helen was full of life. Annie

wanted Helen to grab hold of life and not wait quietly for things to happen. Helen spoke at the Perkins commencement. This was an important event. The Boston newspapers ran stories about the school and the children who graduated from it. Important and rich people came to this event. The governor of Massachusetts was there. The band played. Ten boys showed how well they could do arithmetic. Then came Helen.

Helen had been sitting patiently on the platform waiting for her turn. She smiled and glowed as she waited. She could feel the crowd's energy. Proudly Helen spelled a poem about birds into Annie's hand. Annie spoke the words as Helen spelled. The audience was spellbound. When the school closed for the summer, Annie and Helen went to Cape Cod. For the first time, Helen went swimming in the ocean. She loved the feel of the cold salt water on her face. Cape Cod was to become Helen's most favorite place.

One day, when Helen was swimming, the strong waves pulled her under. She fought her way to the surface, swallowing water as she struggled. The waves tossed her onto the sand. Helen lay there in terror, not sure what had happened. Annie ran to her and hugged and comforted her. Helen had courage. Two days later, she was back in the ocean, swimming. Helen had only one question. Who, she wanted to know, had filled the ocean with salt!

After Annie and Helen went home to Alabama, lessons and learning again filled their days. As time passed, Annie thought about leaving Alabama. The local people stared at Annie and Helen when they went into town. Annie believed that Helen could learn more by living in the city.

So Annie asked the Kellers to let them both live at Perkins. Reluctantly, they agreed. They knew it was best for Helen. In October, Annie and Helen returned to Perkins. Helen was not enrolled there. She was a guest. But she dove right into the schoolwork. She studied geography, botany (the study of plants), zoology (the study of animals), and arithmetic. Arithmetic was her least favorite subject. Helen's time at Perkins passed quickly. Poetry became her passion. One time Helen visited Oliver Wendell Holmes, the great New England writer. Later, she read his poems to the blind children at Perkins. Helen sent him a letter. She told Holmes that she was sorry he had no little children to play with, but that he seemed happy with his many books. She went on to tell him what she was learning and asked if her little sister could meet him when she visited Helen. Holmes loved her letter. He published it in an important magazine called The Atlantic Monthly. After this honor, Helen began to take her writing more seriously.