Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

Page 22 text:

i» placed before me. mine for Ihc taking. I am going to take it—for who would choose otherwise? I have said I was going to take, and now I say that I hope to make good in the chance thU year has given me. Whatever I attain in that way, I will owo to thin year at school, and I will always be thankful for the opportunity. •OQO' '°00' CHARACTER SKETCHES FROM “DAVID COPPERFIELD” By Irene Einbcraer Charles Dickens, one of the greatest of English novelists, drew freely upon some of the incidents connected with his own life in writing “David Copportleld.” His hero had practically the same hnrd experiences that he himself had known. Many of his queer characters he met while working at menial tasks or when visiting hi father in the debtor’s prison. His literary works brought about reform in Knblish courts, schools, and prisons and have moved three generations of renders to laughter and to tear . Dickens never taught school, nor did he outline a system of education; he never wrote a learned book on “Child Training or “Dcfecta in Modern Education. ytf educators of note declare him to have been an influence for good in the educational field. In “David Copperficld. his readers feel the hits of Mr. Croakle’s cone an he cut nt the chubby school boy . Tho hero of thi story lived in the English vDlafe of Blunderatonc with hi gentle mother, who after her husband’ death, seemed to have nothing in the world to live for but her baby. A rosy-cheecked, warm-hearted servant-muid, always called Peggoty, loved und served the gentle woman and her child. MU Betsey Trotwood. an aunt of hi Into father, called at the home and was o disappointed to find that the child was n hoy and not a girl that she took herself off und never returned. David’s early days were pleasant enough. When he was ubout nine year old. he went with his nurse, Peggoty, to her brother' home at Yarmouth where he became acquainted with Little Emily and Hum. the orphan niece and nephew of Mr. Daniel Peggoty. a hearty old sailor, who also befriended hi» Into partner’ wife. Mr . Gummldgo. Upon David’s return home he found hi mother married to Edward Murdstone, who with hi sister, had designs on his wife’s property. They cruelly hated the small boy and often punished him harshly and unjustly. He was sent away to boarding school where Janie Sturforth, the school speedily made friend with him. David school, speedily tnada a friend of him. David roomed with Traddles, the merriest and most miserable of nil the boys at Salem House, because the pompous, overhearing superintendent seemed to single him out for various caning for fancied wrong doing. After n miserable time at school he was called home to attend his mother's funeral. The Murd-stoncs showed their dislike so strongly for David that dark day followed for the lonely, heartsick boy. A little later arrangement were made for him to be employed in Mr. Murdstone' London ware-house. David was sent to lodge with Mr. Wlcnwbcr. a good-natured, gcninl, but such a hopelessly impracticable person ihnt he was imprisoned for debt several time. After deciding to run away from the hateful bottling ware-house. David wrote to Peggoty, then Mrs. Barkis, for information In regard to hi Aunt Betsey Trotwood. Hi dear old nurse sent him some money, but he didn't get clear of London before he was robbed of his box and money. He suffered terribly before he found himself In dirty rags at the door of his aunt's comfortable cottage nt Dover. The nmated woman took David into her heart and home and forgave him for being « boy and decided to call him Trotwood Copperficld. She sent him to Dr. Strong’s Academy nt Canterbury and made arrangements for him to bonrd at the house of her lawyer there, Mr. Wickficld, whose young daughter. Agnes, looked after the house. Mr . Wickficld being dead. David was extremely happy at thi home and came to regard Agnes as hi chum to whom he could tell his inmost thoughts. He didn't lige Mr. Wiskfield'n clerk, a inug. self-satisfied, young man named Uriah Heap. This creature forced his acquaintance on David and always pretended to be very humble. After the happy days nt Canterbury came to an end. David' aunt furnished him with money to be apprenticed in London to u firm of proctor in the Doctors' Common department. In hi profession he made no great progress but ho fell in love with hi employer’s daughter, Dora, u fragile, but bright and lively girl. The sudden loss of his aunt’s fortune, except the house nt Dover, forced him to become a secretary. He ulso learned short hand und became a court rc-

Page 21 text:

in the end, I derided I would attend the WUeon-ain School for the Deaf. To strengthen thin decision, Miss Ivn Saundem came to Monico and tested my ear . I found I could not hear a» well aa I thought I could, About nino o’clock, the morning of September eighth, I said good-bye to my four sister and two brothers, and wont to Monico to meet Miss Hoesly. She waa to take me to Deluvnn in her car. Two boys from Rhinelander came, too. It was a pleasant Journey, and after supper Just as the sun was setting, the boys began to get excited. because we were coming up the hill in front of the grounds. Both boys pointed and said, “School,” so plainly that I understood them. They seemed overjoyed to get here again. 1 looked in the direction In which they pointed. This was my first glimpse of the place where I had decided I would finish high school. I could see large stretches of well.kept green lawn, beautiful trees, and vine-covered grey buildings with shrubs and flower-bordered walks going in all directions. The first time I saw them, I loved the trees, and especially the pine . Everything seemed so pretty to me that night. I found it hnrd to believe that I was really here in the place 1 bad been so anxious to be for many months. I had really wanted to come for several reasons, namely, because I wanted to see the different places, because 1 wanted to know-people like myself, and because I liked the description by Mis Saunders and MIm Hoesly. Somehow, I had expected to find •••mething of tho public school idea of breaking as many rules as you can get away with. I expected, because of stories I have read of institution lifr, that the supervisors would be vcritible jailers. I hardly knew what sort of schoolmates I would meet. I expected them to be a llttlr different from my public school friend , but not much. I knew how the dormitories and buildings would look from the pictures I had seen, and I had a fair idea of the methods of teaching. I didn't, however, expect so much patience and companionship on the part of the teachers. What I did find made it necessary for me to rebuild my ideas. Here, apparently they believed that laws and rules were made to keep. That wasn’t my idea then, Everyone here strives to keep the rules, and to help the other fellow-keep them. As for the supervisors, they kept order, but they were not the hard-hearted Jailers I had expected. You can go to them with your troubles and instead of having thorn send you away he cause they don’t want to he bothered, they go out of their way to help you. One of my greatest surprises came when I began to know the thoughts and Ideas in the minds of the pupils around me. It looked as if they wanted to do everything that the super- visors wanted and expected them to. I found that in most respects they were vastly different from my old acquaintances, and that there was about a» much likeness as I hod expected difference. Tho teachers do not pick out a certain few for the favorite . All pupil are all on the same footing, and the relationship i» not one of rivalry. hut of brotherhood and sisterhood. I also found that the method of teaching is more thorough than in public schools. Every small detail is looked after. Everything is thoroughly done. The working equipment ts as up-to-date as thnt of any public school. Every morning we enter the school building for five hours of striving to attain knowledge. It really Isn’t such a strife because we are only usked to do our best. The teacher is always willing to help us with the things which we do not understand. One thing I am sure; that the hours spent here heli almost every deaf child to do and that is to overcome an inferiority complex. I found out thut most of the girls, at least, had them before they came here. But now this feeling has disappeared. Through the methods of teaching and the encouragement given by the teachers, the students manage to get rid of them, and fortunately »n, for if they keep them and let them grow, they nr« sure to mar any student’s personality. Often girls and hoy do not gel the right kind of training at home. They do not learn how to cook and sew and do the thing any girl or boy-should know. Here, at this school, they get some of the best training which is possible in these lines. The girls have a model kitchen where they learn how to serve meals. They also learn how to make good and useful clothing, and how to manage a household. In the carpentry shops, the printing office and the shoeshop, the boy get like training In the lines which interest them. The girls and boy here take more interest In this kind of work than public school pupil do, it seems to me. Perhaps one might say. they handle it better too. It seem to moke up for all they lack in language and speech. Being here, 1 have met different kinds of people. They interest me, and I like to obtain new ideas. By talking and associating with the different people I have met I have been able to see different people’s viewpoint on different ■ubjocts. This year here has given me something to look forward to. Had I stayed at home, I would still ho faced with the problem of what to do with mysfllf when I complete school. Now, however. I know what I am going to do for quite a few years in advance. I have a good chance to work and earn my way through college, n thing thnt wa in my dreams, but which I never dared really hope for before But now tho opportunity

Page 23 text:

porter. When David wu beginning to win fanir aa an author, ho married Dora, who wan everythin that waa charming except a house-wife and who found moat of her amusement playing with her little do , Jip. Meanwhile, Agnes Wtckflcld in great distress over her father‘a evident yielding to the debasing influence of the unscrupulous, fawning Hcep asked David to call on her at a friend's London home. At a dinner party there he happened to hear Mr. Traddles announced. Old acquaintance was renewed the next day when David found him living as economically as possible while he was reading for the bar. The Micawbers with whom he boarded imposed upon his good nature and pocket book so frequently that he could not get ahead enough to marry hin rosy-cheeked Sophy, a country curate's daughter in charge of numerou- younger sinters. Later on Mlcawbor, then employed by Hcep. discovered his swindling game and set himself to restore property to honest people with the aid of Mr. Traddles, Miss Trotwood's lost fortune was largely recovered and out of gratitude for his service, she advanced the money for the Mlc-awber’s family to establish themselves in Aus- ORRELl. JENSEN Phillips. Wisconsin Silk lounging enaembl trails where they eventually became influential citizens. In the same boat sailed Mr. Peggoty and Mrs. Gummidge. With them went poor, misguided Emily for whom her uncle had had to search far and wide, but still cherished though she had run away from home with the scamp Stccrforth. David saw them sail away and he went down to Yarmouth with a letter for Ham from Emily but he arrived to see the honest, young man drowned in trying to reach a wreck on which the last man who was washed ashore was the false Stoerforth. The shadows were gathering round David’s own hearth, too. for hia poor Dora faded uway and died peacefully in the arms of Agnes Wick-field. David Copparfldd, who had known all these sorrows, wn still a young man with his life's work before him. for his fame as an author was steadily growing. He traveled abroad for some years, then returned to And Traddles happily married to the “dearest girl in the world. Several weeks later occured David Coppcr-flrid's marriage to Agnes Wickfleld who hud always been his ideal. DOROTHY THOMAS Cambria. Wisconsin Wool jumper with silk blouse and hat