A voice from the dumb : a memoir of John William Lashford

Front matter

£ DUMB.

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THE MAJTCTAL ALPHABET.

CHAP. I. Pagb

Difficulties attending' his admission into Institution. — Commencement of Education. — Remarks on the Death of his Brother. — Benefit of Education to the Deaf and Dumb. — Necessity of bringing the Deaf and Dumb early under Instruction. — Observations on Signing. — First Composition. — Interesting notice in Visiting Ladies' Report Book 9

Chap. II

First Letter. — Letter to Miss B. — Another Letter to the same. — Letter to a lady who had formerly been Honorary Secretary to the Institution. — Another Letter to Miss B. — Ideas before Education. — Anecdote 21

Chap. III

Great esteem for the Word of God. — Application of Scripture to surrounding objects. — Notice in Visiting Ladies' Book.— Composition on the Lion. — Sentences from Exercise Book. — Letter to a Friend 33

IICDEX.

CHAP. IV. Page

tetter to Mrs. W. — Letter to Miss H. — Another Letter to Mrs. W.— Last Letter. — Sympathy for the poor Irish and Scotch. — Reverence for the Sabbath. — Trial. — Renewed peace. — Examination at Hastings. — Last visit to the Institution . . 46

Chap. V

Various Conversations during illness. — His receiving the Sacrament. — Notice in the Visiting Ladies' Book.— His Death G4

Chap. VI

Letter from Mrs. E. to Mr. Sleight. — Letter and little Sermon referred to by Mrs. E. — Extract from a Letter received from Mrs. C. W. — Letter from the Rev. J. S. — Extract of a Letter from Miss C. — Extract from Miss B's. Letter 54

Chap. VII

better and Anecdote from the Rev. J. C. F. T. — A few of his Compositions. — Texts extracted from his Note Book 97

Preface

The following pages have been drawn up, in accordance with the wishes of many friends of the Brighton and Sussex Institution for the Deaf and Dumb ; and also with the view of placing on record the wonderful dealings of the Lord toward one " smitten and afflicted," as manifested in the case of John William Lashford, late a pupil in that School, — of whose future success and usefulness great hopes had been entertained in the minds of those friends who had long noticed his exemplary conduct and by whom he was much beloved.

In the blighting of these hopes, by the early removal of this excellent and much-

11. PREFACE.

esteemed youth, it can only be said — "God's ways are not as our -ways;" and, doubtless, if we calmly wait the unfolding of the secret things which belong unto Him, we shall have abundant cause to acknowledge, " He doeth all things well."

Perhaps this little Memoir may fall into the hands of some who have never before had a knowledge of, or taken any interest in this afflicted portion of their fellow-creatures, (and surely there are none who have a stronger claim upon our sympathy than the Deaf and Dumb;) to those we would say, — there are in the United Kingdom between 14,000 and 15,000 Deaf and Dumb persons, who if left uneducated, must live and die "without hope and without God in the world," " Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." 3ph. iv. IS.

PREFACE. 111.

" In urging the importance of Educating the Deaf and Dumb, as a means of salvation, we do not presume to set limits to the mercy of God; nor do we mean to decide on the final state of those who die without having had it in their power to hecome acquainted with the Scriptures. It is enough for us to know that the 'Judge of all the earth will do right,' and that he has told us that 'That servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes : but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.' "We only urge obedience to what appears to be the will of Him who, as if to include every possible case that could occur in this our fallen world, eommissioned His apostles, and consequently His people in all after ages, saying, 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to

IT. SEEPAGE.

every creature.' In this commission no exception is made; on it, therefore, we are content to rest the claims of the Deaf and Dumb to be educated, for 'How shall they believe in Trim of whom they have not read, and how shall they read without a teacher.' "

MEMOIR.

Chap. I

Difficulties attending admission into Institution. — Commencement of Education. — Remarks on the Death of his Brother. — Benefit of Education to the Deaf and Dumb. — Necessity of bringing the Deaf and Dumb early under Instruction. — Observations on Signing. — First Composition. — Interesting notice in Visiting Ladies' Report Book.

It is now (May, 1848,) five years and six months since John "William Lashford was received into the Brighton and Sussex Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. There was some difficulty in obtaining his admission, as he was beyond the age specified in the rules of the Institution ; and his appearance, at that time, gave but little hope of his ever being able to make much progress in mental improvement. Nevertheless, the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Committee were reluctant id

to close the doors of the Institution entirely against one who, they all felt, could never have the least hope of gaining entrance into any other Institution or School, where he could have the benefit of Education. It was therefore agreed that he should be taken in on probation, for three months. An agreement, at which, all who formed that Committee have, again and again, had occasion to rejoice; especially those whose hearts the Lord first drew towards this poor boy, and whose sympathy and care watched over him, even to the last.

Education.

It would naturally be supposed that a boy having lived to the age of thirteen, entirely shut out from all around him, being unable to co mmuni cate his own, or to receive the ideas of others, and never having felt the necessity of performing any duty, though his parents were in humble circumstances, — would find great reluctance in commencing a course of study, the difficulty of which, it is utterly impossible for those to enter into or understand who have never known the want of those faculties, by which we are hourly acquiring knowledge, being blessed with the fall use of the organs of hearing and speech. Still it cannot be said that this was the case with him : and, although his progress at first was very slow, he persevered, adding word to word; and when, a few months after his admission into the Institution, he returned to his parents, he was delighted to shew them how much he was able to write, and that he had not spent his time in vain. At this period, a little brother of his died, and he was permitted to attend the funeral. He had several times expressed, by signs, that his brother had gone to heaven, and that he would be very happy there. When at home, seeing his parents weeping, he looked about the room, and found a hymn book ; and, although at this time he knew no part of speech but the noun, still he was anxious to administer some comfort to his bereaved parents; and, on looking through a few pages, he found the word body, which he shewed to his mother, pointing to the coffin in which the body of his brother was laid. On searching a little further, he found the word soul, then he found heaven, and then Jesus. He now pointed to the dead body again, and signed that it must be put into the grave ; and then he pointed to the -word soul, and signed that it would not go there, for it had gone to dwell in heaven, with Jesus. Nothing could show more fully than this little incident, how painful must be the position of a Deaf Mute, when entirely uneducated. "Without language, and without having had any exercise in expressing himself by signs, he is shut out from all around him, having no common medium of communication. And again, how apparent is the benefit of even a little instruction, when we see that after a few months' teaching, this poor boy was able to express so much merely by picking out a few nouns, and then filling up the sentence by signs. Those who have known anything of the difficulties which the Deaf and Dumb have to surmount, before they are at all able to make use of language, even in its most simple form, notwithstanding they may have a perfect knowledge of hundreds of words when written singly, — will at once see that this was no common mind which could turn so limited a knowledge of language to such account.

I might here just mention another interesting circumstance of a similar kind, which occurred about three months subsequent to the one just mentioned. During the holidays, he visited one of his school-fellows, a sweet-minded hoy, who died in the Institution. A few hours before he died, Lashford signed to one of the Committee Ladies, who was in the room, that his little school-fellow would soon die, and that his body would be put in the grave, but that his soul would go to heaven and dwell with Jesus. He thought very much about this little boy, and often signed about him for years afterwards. It must be borne in mind that, at this time, he was not able to construct the most simple sentence in language. His only means of expressing himself was by writing, or spelling the substantive on his fingers, and then signing the rest, which he did so perfectly, that few who would give their attention were at a loss to know his meaning. Still, at the best, I am well aware that signing is but a very poor substitute for speech, especially with those who have not been accustomed to this mode of communication; and it does indeed shew us how necessary it is that these afflicted children should be brought under proper instruction as early as possible, and taught, so as to be able b 2 to express themselves in language which all may understand.

It is commonly thought that the Deaf and Dumb are chiefly occupied at School in learning signs, and that it is impossible for those to converse with them who do not know the signs used in the Institutions. But this is not the case. The Deaf and Dumb have signs of their own, by which they could easily make themselves understood, on all common subjects, if those among whom they are placed would give them their attention. It too often happens however, that by a shake of the head, or a wave of the hand, the child is put on one side without noticing what he has to say ; and thus his temper is irritated and spoiled, and as he grows older he becomes jealous and passionate. Hence the character so universally given to the Deaf and Dumb. But when he is placed early under instruction, he is as easily brought into discipline and order as another child, and no perceivable difference is exhibited in his temper. The truth of their being able to communicate by means of natural- signs is especially seen where there are more than one Deaf and Dumb child in a family.

I have seen two children from the same family who were ahle to converse with each other, previous to having had any instruction, almost as quickly as two with all their faculties. Natural signs, or mimic language, is so much delighted in by the Deaf and Dumb, that unless it were in some measure restrained, it would become their only mode of communication. The great object and the greatest difficulty the teacher has, is to give his pupils a knowledge of written language, and to train up and educate him generally, so that he may go forth into the world possessed of a channel of intercourse with his fellow creatures, and prepared to meet those vicissitudes to which all are subject in this changeable and ever changing world; and above all, to point his steps to that Saviour who when he was upon earth not only gave speech to the Dumb and hearing to the Deaf, but who also said, " I go to prepare a place for you ; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Again, there are those who think that the Deaf and Dumb have only to learn the manual alphabet and the mechanical art of writing to enable them to carry on a conversation, and they

•will spell or write a long question to a child who has only been a few months under instruction, expecting that as the child knows the finger alphabet and is able to write, he can of course give them ah answer. But a moment's reflection will convince them how utterly impossible it is. for a child born Deaf to arrive at a knowledge of written language in so short a time. It is true he knows the letters; but letters convey no ideas to us unless we are previously acquainted with language. It is difficult for those who have not been much with them, to see the real position of the Deaf and Dumb. They are generally compared with the Blind, or with some other class of sufferers ; but there can be no comparison between those who are blessed with hearing and speech, the ordinary means of intercourse, and those who are, as it were, cut off from society, and left in the midst of a busy world, to dwell alone and in silence.

After having learnt the names of all common objects and their classification, the teacher then endeavours to lead the mind of his pupil to a knowledge of adjectives, or the qualities of objects; and thus he is led on, from one part of speech to another, by a slow but interesting process, which increases in difficulty at every stage. The first compositions of the Deaf and Dumb are generally so confused, that none but those who teach them can see their ideas. But Lashford, from the first, so expressed himself, that any one might comprehend his meaning.

I have by me a piece of composition ; the first he ever wrote, and which I will here introduce. I am aware that it exhibits nothing very great ; still it is interesting, even in its simplicity, and in a striking manner shews the turn of his mind. It may be necessary, in order to understand his meaning, to say that he had the charge of a little boy, who slept in his room ; and that, during the night, the child had a bad fit of coughing, and the Matron feeling anxious about him, had Vn'm taken into her own room. When Lashford awoke in the morning, and missed the boy, he was very much alarmed, and thought some one had run away with him. He wrote the following little account, and brought it to me. I give it entirely in his own words : —

"I was stripping Frederick "Wright out of his clothes, and I prayed to God for him. I was .putting him lay in the bed last night, and I was stripping out of my clothes, and I prayed to God, and I lay asleep in the bed. The servant took F. Wright out of a bed and went up the stairs into the bed-room. And I was awaking out of a bed, and I was seeking in a bed for F. Wright, and I lost him."

Thus it will be seen, that the very first time that ever he expressed his thoughts in writing, was to disclose the fact, that he had prayed to God for his little mute companion.

About this time, I find there are one or two interesting notices of this dear boy in the Visiting Ladies' Report Book; which I will take the liberty of introducing here, without note or comment.

"October, 1843. Another pleasing instance occurred, in the boy Lashford's very appropriate application of a text he had found himself. Looking at a small picture describing Hagar's distress in the wilderness, he immediately wrote on his slate, 'In my distress I cried unto the Lord.' This text he must have learned from a little text book which he has, and of which he is very fond."

"March, 1844. On being shown some engravings of animals, in which the larger and fiercer ones were attacking the feebler and more harmless, — he looked at them for a few minutes, and then spelt on his fingers, ' God made them all,' and waited anxiously for a reply, to solve a difficulty which appeared to liim to question the wisdom and goodness of Him who had created them. The Lady who had shewn him the engraving, reminded him that God had made Adam and Eve good; hut when, by disobedience, they became bad, the curse of God fell upon every thing, and all became bad. He immediately made the sign for 'yes,' which he repeated two or three times, and then spelled 'sin lad,' as though he would have said, " and that is the cause of all that is bad." The next day, the subject appeared to be still in his mind ; and on seeing the same Lady, he brought her a picture of Daniel in the lions' den, and shewed her that the lions there had their mouths shut, and then spelled, 'God shut their mouths, for Daniel was a good man.' She told him that when Jesus Christ returned to this world, the curse would be done away with, and the animals would no longer be fierce, and tear one another.

He immediately asked her if that was in the Bible. She replied, yes; upon which, he ran for one, and begged her to find it for him. She shewed him Isaiah xi. and remarked she should never forget the eagerness with which he read the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th verses, especially that which says, ' A weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.' He pointed to a picture of a cockatrice, which was in the room, and signed, ' It would sting him now, were he to put his hand on it ; but then a little child would not be afraid of it!' — holding his hand about two or three feet from the ground, to shew the height of the child ; and then went to tell one of his little companions what he had just learnt."

Chap. II

First Letter. — Letter to Miss B. — Another Letter to the same. — Letter to a Lady who had formerly been Honorary Secretary to the Institution. — Another Letter to Miss B. — Ideas before Education. — Anecdotes.

The following, his first Letter, was written to the Matron of the Institution, from Balcombe, where he had gone, to spend his holidays with his aunt : —

"Balcombe, July 18, 1844.

My dear Matron,

I am happy to write a Letter to you. I have a pen. I am happy you are reading in it. I did go to church with Benjamin J. and other some bad men laughed in it; and the clergyman taught to people, and other some men nodded at him. I was climbing up to in a tree to see some oxen leaped over a hedge, to ran to under trees in rain. A farmer c took some hares out of traps, and killed them. Cousins were glad to see me was coming from Brighton. They went to Mrs. S. I was happy to see her. I am very well. I cannot catch many hares ; they ran into holes. E. S. was falling off the stool, and tore chin with the nail of the corner shelf; and I was help to take up her, and she wept. M. gave snuff to me, and I Was snuffing my nose, and I was sneezing and make nose bleed; — she was laughing at me. Chickens sprang out of the broken eggs. They lay in the wings of a hen as warm. I was bowing to two ladies, and one of them gave four-pence to me, and I was thanking her. I am, remain,

Affectionate Son,

J. "W". Lashfoed."

There are few things more interesting than to watch the gradual developement of a Deaf and Dumb child's mind; and the delight he experiences is very great, when he is able to express his own thoughts in language.

The following is a Letter which he wrote to a Lady who had formerly been on the Committee, but who had left Brighton. She had iaken great interest in him, from his first admittance into the Institution, and had for a long time previous to leaving the town given him lessons in drawing, in which he made great progress; and, although at a distance, her interest did not slacken, for he was constantly receiving little tokens of regard from her.

" Dear Miss B-

I am glad to write a Letter for you. I am than king you, Madam, for you kind to me, and you teach me to* draw good. I was much sorry to lost you, and I was telling Mrs. B. you are living in Southampton ; and I shall be glad to see you. Miss F. will see you in London ; she will go to London from Brighton; and she was buying the new books, and she was carrying them in her bag, and she was coming to in the street, in Brighton. She went up the steps to the Institution, and she was knocking at the door, and Mrs. B. heard it, and she went and opened the door; and Miss F. was talking her, and she was going through door, up the stairs, into the school-room, and the girls courtesied to her, and she gave two new books to Susan Greenfield and I, and we thanked her. You sent them. S. M. told me you mil he coming ,four months to Brighton, and the girls courtesied her. She was opening my new hook, and I was reading in it, and I liked it. Miss "W. came to in the street, and she went up the steps to the Institution, and she was opening the door, and she went through the door to up the stairs into the school-room, and she saw the Deaf and Dumb children bowed her, and she was talking Mr. Sleight, and I arose from my seat and I bowed to her, and I was bringing the drawings and the brown board, and I took them to down the stairs into parlour with her, and I was putting them on the table, and I was shutting the door, and I sat on a chair near the table, and I was drawing a fisherman with a boy on the paper with her. Miss "W. came to see the Deaf and Dumb children this morning, and she told me give her love to Miss B. I remain, dear Madam,

Tour obedient Servant, Jomr William: Lashfokd."

Another Letter to (he same.

" My dear Miss B ,

I write a Letter to tell you I thank you for your Letter. I am happy 'to write you. I hope you are very well. I had a Letter from Lady G. and her son died at India. You know her. I can draw very well. Miss W. does not teach me to draw now. A gentleman does teach, me to draw, and he can draw better than me. Miss C. W. did give money to him for teaching me to draw, and I thanked her very much. A tall girl came from "West Indies to the Institution, and she is Deaf and Dumb. I am taller than her, and her name is Mary Ann Ellis, and her father is a soldier in the "West Indies. The Master teaches her to spell with her fingers. Some women and men come to the Institution, and they are Deaf and Dumb, and they can read very well ; and the Master teaches them about God, by signs, and he taught them to pray to God, and he taught them about David and Jesus Christ on every Sunday. I hope you would like to see them. You know Eliza Goodall, — and she is very well. My Bible told me that Jesus came from heaven, who died to save all sinners, and he is in heaven with God. I will pray to God for you. I hope you will not forget me. I was sorry for not seeing you. God takes care of you. God blesses and loves you. End. I am, Your affectionate Friend,

John "William Lashfokd."

Doubtless, these first attempts at composition will elicit a smile ; but when we consider, that only two years before, he was not possessed of a single word, we are at a loss to know how the mind of one heretofore so completely shut up in darkness, had in any way been enabled to use language so as to give expression to his thoughts and feelings.

The following is a Letter written to a Lady who had filled the office of Honorary Secretary to the Institution, but had been compelled to resign it, on account of her leaving Brighton.

" Deaf and Dumb Institution, March 20th, 1845.

Dear Madam,

I write a Letter to tell you I thank you, Madam. I hope you are very well. You mil be glad to see me. I am happy to -write to you, Madam. I was very weak; — I am very well. Miss B. has gone to Leamington, and I was sorry for her much. I hope she will be coming. She was drawing with me. Miss M. gave a new Bible me. And I said, thank her, Madam, very much, because she loves the Deaf and Dumb children much. Ladies and Gentlemen come to see the Deaf and Dumb children, and they gave them buns. Some good people pray to God ; God loves them : — some bad people do not pray to God.

I read in the Bible that Jesus Christ had ascended into heaven. I love him. He is now in heaven. The wicked people buy and sell on the Sunday. The Deaf and Dumb children returned to School last August. The Master teaches to them. Some Deaf and Dumb men and women, came to School last Sunday, and he reads in a large prayer book, on the desk, and teaches to them. I am remaining in Institution. God blesses to you, Madam.

I remain, Your affectionate Friend, John "W. Lashfobd."

Another Letter to Miss £-

"Deaf and Dumb Institution, Jan. 19th, 1846.

My dear Friend,

I am glad to write this Letter to you. I thank you, Madam, very much, for sending me a nice dictionary of the English language, — and I like it very much. I am very well, and happy at School, always. I pray for you always. I am sorry to not see you for a long time, and I wish you not to remain at Leamington. I shall not forget to pray to God for you. We are glad to have a cake from you, and we ate it, and we said, ' Thank Miss B. very much for it, and we send our love to her.' Susan M. says she thanks Miss B. very much for giving her a nice dictionary of the English language, and she likes it very much ; and she sends her love to her, and she will writea Letter for you.

We went to Lewes, and were examined in the County Hall there, when there Were Ladies and Gentlemen in it, to see us examined there ; but you did not go there and see us examined. Mr. and Mrs. Sleight are very well, and they teach us every day, and they love us always, and they are very kind to us always. I wish to love and obey them. We go home every June, and are greatly glad to see our parents ; and we return to School every August. And we must learn our lessons every day, and we must learn of God and Jesus Christ, and we must try to love God always and loathe evil, and we are better. I wish to pray to God to make us good always. Some new pupils came to School last summer, and we were glad to see them. I am better draw than I was drawing when you were with me ; but Mr. *W. did not come to teach me to draw yet, and I must try to draw very much of myself. It was kind of Mrs. W. to come to see us last week ; and she told me that she did not hear of Mis s B. a long time, and perhaps she will write a Letter for Miss B. Have you told Miss C. that J. W. Lashford knew her who came to see the Deaf and Dumb children examined at Brighton ? and she is a Scotch Lady. I send my best love to you, and God blesses you and save you.

I remain, Tour affectionate Friend,

J. "W". Lashfobd."

c 2

I might here just mention, in passing, that Letters written by a Deaf and Dumb pupil, after he has been about three years under instruction, should be read principally with a view of gathering his ideas.