The first time they met, Ms. Sullivan gave Helen a doll and slowly spelled into Helen's hand the word “d-o-l-l.”One day, while Helen was playing with my new doll, Miss Sullivan put Helen's big rag doll into her lap also, spelled “d-o-l-l” and tried to make Helen understand that“d-o-l-l” applied to both.
Scene 4
bye!
MissSullivan had tried to impress it upon Helen that “m-u-g” is a mug and that“w-a-t-e-r” is water, but Helen persisted in confounding the two. Helen became impatient at her repeated attempts and, seizing the new doll, she dashed it upon the floor.
They walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle. Someone was drawing water and Helen's teacher placed her hand under the spout. Helen, attention fixed upon Ms. Sullivan's fingers. Suddenly Helen felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten. Helen knew then that “w-a-t-e-r” meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over her hand.
Helen left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought. As they returned to the house every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life.