If You Give Me Three Days of Light: The Best Collection of Helen Keller

Chapter 28 The Teacher's Story (5)
Mrs. Hopkins was a kind and lonely woman.Not long after she got married, her husband passed away just after the child was born. She took on the burden of raising her daughter alone through all kinds of hardships, hoping that her daughter would grow up quickly.The mother and daughter depend on each other for life, and the daughter has become his spiritual pillar and the support of his life.However, when the daughter was 17 years old, she looked slim.He suddenly fell ill and died.This should have been such a young and happy cardamom year. The disease came and faded like the wind, making it impossible for mother and daughter to get together again.Mrs. Hobkin was heartbroken and often wandered alone on the beaches of Cape Cod, grieving alone.

One day, a group of blind children playing on the beach aroused Mrs. Huo's curiosity.After inquiring, I found out that these children were students of Perkins Institute for the Blind.They aroused her sympathy and interest. In the fall of 1883, she applied to the school for voluntary work - to be the foster mother of the children.

Mrs. Hopkins was sweet, gentle, and nervous about everything.And Anne is unrestrained when she is happy, overwhelming when she is in pain, she pours out her emotions without restraint, as well as her stubborn temper and rich imagination.They are two very different people.But none of this mattered. What Mrs. Hopkins needed was an object of affection.Anne is about the same age as her deceased daughter, full of talents, and living in a harsh living environment, which is very lovable.

Thus, Annie had a "home" to return to during the holidays.As soon as summer came Mrs. Hopkins came to take Annie to the weathered gray house on Cape Cod.Here, Annie got the warmth and freedom of her dream "home".Carefree, full of vigor and vitality to enjoy her youth.In the memory of Anne in her later years, it was a colorful and splendid time, with sparkling life, and an indescribable good time.It's just that the days go by too fast, too fast.

In 1886, Anne was 19 years old.This is her final year at the Perkins Institute for the Blind.The days flew by with hard work and a series of exams, followed by the graduation ceremony. Among the 8 graduates, Anne's grades were far ahead and came out on top.Everyone recommended Anne to deliver a speech on behalf of all the graduates at the graduation ceremony.

On the day of the graduation ceremony, when Anne woke up in the morning, Anne's heart was beating fast.She finished her breakfast in a hurry, she couldn't eat it at all, and then hurried back to the room, and saw a brand new elegant and beautiful dress hanging on the wardrobe.The most beautiful dress in the whole world!This set of dresses was personally sewed by Mrs. Hobkin for Anne's graduation ceremony, with stitches of love and care.

Mrs. Hopkins smiled and said, "Get dressed! You'll have to curl your hair later, and it'll take a lot of time!"

Annie had mixed feelings, she took the clothes off the hanger and hugged her tightly.The fine white fabric is as thin as onion's wings, and the sleeves are as long as the wrist; the cuffs and skirt are inlaid with three circles of lace, three circles of luxurious and elegant lace; round skirt.Annie was in a happy mood and involuntarily walked the brisk dance steps that she vaguely remembered when she was a child, and the white clothes mopping the floor undulated like waves.

Mrs. Hopkins laughed: "Annie, can you calm down? Don't be so excited, the speech hasn't started yet! Come here, and I'll help you dress up."

Annie said: "Mom, you don't know how happy I am! For my graduation ceremony, you sewed me a dress and bought me white leather shoes." These are a pair of noble white leather shoes!
When she was a child, Annie always thought that white shoes were specially made for fairies in fairy tales, and they only exist in the sky. How many lucky people can wear them in the world?Ordinary people only deserve to wear black shoes and brown shoes.And now this pair of white leather shoes is specially made for Annie.

"You don't know how happy I am!" she murmured and repeated.

Mrs. Hopkins deliberately teased her: "Of course I don't know!" In fact, what does it matter if you understand?As long as you help Annie dress up and let her go to the big banquet in life calmly and happily, isn't that fulfilling your mother's intention and responsibility?All morning she dressed Anne with care.The bath was the first thing, and then Mrs. Hopkins sprinkled a few drops of the delicate and fragrant perfume on Anne, and also on the lace gown and white silk stockings and white suede shoes which had taken her days and nights to make.Then it took a long time to curl and comb the hair, and finally the dress was pulled from Anne's head before it was done.

"Well, there's one more thing for you." Mrs. Hobkin held out a soft pink ribbon, which was the trace of Mrs. Hobkin's happiest days.Her daughter once wore this beautiful ribbon in sprightly health for her high school graduation.

"You'd better keep it!" blurted Anne, knowing that Mrs. Hopkins kept the ribbons, and often missed her daughter.

Mrs. Hopkins did not speak, she tied a ribbon around Anne's slender waist silently, looked at it carefully and said, "How cute!"

Annie briskly walked to the front of the mirror, and saw a slim girl with elegant temperament and pure clothes. "Is it really me? It's unbelievable."

Mrs. Hopkins smiled and reminded Anne, "It's time to go."

They walked through the streets of Boston to Draymond Church, where the commencement ceremony was held.

Since Dr. Hao successfully educated the blind, deaf, and dumb Laura, his reputation has spread far and wide, and his reputation has spread all over the country.Since then, celebrities from all walks of life have rushed to support and sponsor the Perkins Institute for the Blind, making it enduring.Therefore, whenever there is a school graduation ceremony, these Boston donors have to rush to attend in their busy schedules.

Anne gasped when she saw that there were no empty seats and people crowded the venue. She had always thought that there were only a few old friends and teachers who loved and taught her, but she didn't expect there to be so many guests. She was stunned. , a blank in the head.I couldn't remember a single word of the speech I had memorized so well.

The VIP seats were set on a podium a few steps higher, with a vacant seat in the middle for the valedictorian. Mrs. Hobkin led the trembling Annie to the podium.

"Mom, I'm so scared, I can't even remember the speech." Anne's upper and lower teeth chattered.

"There is nothing to be afraid of. The boat will be straight when it reaches the bridge." Mrs. Hopkins comforted Anne.

They walked to the steps and saw Teacher Mo standing there, she looked at Annie.

"Annie, bless you, we are all proud of you." Teacher Mo pinned the pink rose on Annie's chest.

Seeing her teacher's kind smile, Annie's mood relaxed a little, and she thanked Teacher Mo with a smile.Going to Mr. Ananos, he waited there and stretched out his hand, leading Annie to the stage.Walking to the VIP seat reserved for her in the center of the podium, although they had rehearsed, Anne was still tense and stiff, as if the principal was going to drag her to the guillotine.And at this time, she still couldn't remember the speech.How to do it?What a shame.People would whisper, look, she is a poor student from a charity organization, and she can't see the big scene.No!Absolutely can not make people laugh at generous!Anne secretly said to herself in her heart.

The ceremony began, and the governor of Massachusetts stood up and gave a short speech, then turned to Anne and said, "Let us all applaud, and welcome Miss Anne Sullivan to deliver a speech on behalf of the graduates."

When the governor said "Miss Anne Sullivan", Anne was shocked. It was her turn.She stood up and walked to the center of the podium.

The governor began to applaud, and the guests on and off the stage responded enthusiastically.The thunderous applause shook Annie as if waking up from a dream. In just a few seconds, she regained her composure and confidence.

After the applause paused for a while, Annie swallowed her saliva, and said a few words, "Dear distinguished guests".As soon as she spoke, she felt relieved, remembered her speech, and faced the audience with her head held high.

"We are about to step into the busy society and participate in creating a better and happier world..." She was full of confidence, and her speech gurgled down like flowing water, eloquently.

"...my small personal progress, by extension, can affect the whole country and beautify the whole world. We can't stop; we have to enrich ourselves every moment, so that we can contribute the fruits of our efforts to the perfection of tomorrow... ..."

She ended with a succinct "Thank you for coming," which received a standing ovation and appreciation from all guests.

A string of handshakes, compliments and drinks followed.During this process, Annie was really happy.She felt love and care, and she was grateful to the world from the bottom of her heart.

At the end of the ceremony in the evening, Anne returned to her room and sat on the edge of the bed for a long time. She was intoxicated, and her heart was full of happy and exciting memories. I hope this glorious moment will last forever.Reluctantly, time is like water, the future becomes the present, and the present becomes the past, flowing forever.

She carefully untied the pink ribbon around her waist, thinking to herself, "When will I wear these again?" She took off her beautiful white shoes, wiped them with a clean soft cloth, and put them in the box.

She stroked every button of the blouse, reluctantly undid it, and spread out the petticoat embroidered with lace on the bed to admire it carefully. "These are Mrs. Hobkin's handicrafts. How much she cares about me, how much she spends, how much money!"

money!Thinking of this, Annie suddenly came to her senses. She has now graduated from the Perkins Institute for the Blind, no longer a student, no longer a minor under the care of others.She has grown up and should earn money to support herself independently.Otherwise... the fear that had been accumulated in Anne's subconscious for a long time suddenly broke the embankment and released the flood.She began to suffer: "I don't want to go back there, I don't want to go back there." Thinking of this, Annie shuddered, and fear rose from the soles of her feet and overflowed from her heart.She hastily put on her heavy tweed jacket, but she still felt cold all over.

In fact, she has also thought about these practical issues for several months, but human inertia made her procrastinate again and again, until now she can no longer avoid them.She is already 20 years old, does not have a high level of education, and has no special skills for making a living. What kind of work can a half-blind girl do?

Although Annie was downcast, she still comforted herself and said, there is no unparalleled road, why bother to ask for trouble first?Although he is half-blind, God is merciful and has given him sight. He can read and write a little, and he can move freely.When the dinner bell rang, she walked despondently to the dining room.The shadow of Desburgh haunted her all the time.In front of the restaurant, she pulled herself together and forced a smile.Friends bless her, how can she have the heart to let them down and worry about her future?

After graduation, Anne and Mrs. Hobkin returned to Cape Cod for the summer vacation.Her life is no longer as carefree as it used to be, and she is helpless when she thinks of the uncertain future.When fall came, Mrs. Hopkins had to go back to volunteering at the Perkins Institute for the Blind.The Perkins Institute for the Blind can no longer accommodate Anne, what should I do?

Annie thought that she could do the book selling business, sell books door to door, spread the seeds of words, and contact people of different forms. Isn't this a noble and interesting job?But when you think of barking dogs, slamming doors, people who make you eat ashes, torrential rain... and the days when you can't sell books or make money, what should you do?
Maybe she could get a job washing dishes in a big hotel in Boston. Dishwashing didn't require much education, and she was pretty handy.However, the restaurant only hires male workers to wash the dishes, she sighed.

Seeing that the summer vacation was coming to an end, Annie was so troubled that she could fidget every day.One day at the end of August, she received a letter from Mr. Anananos, the principal of the Perkins Institute for the Blind.

Dear Anne:
Are you all right?Send a letter from Captain Keller, please read it carefully.Captain Keller seeks a governess for his young daughter who is deaf, dumb and blind.Are you interested in applying?Please write and let me know.

Greetings to Mrs. Hopkins!
Happy!
your friend ananos
accept the challenge
When Anne finished reading Captain Keller's letter, she felt very depressed.She didn't like the job, not at all.Staying in an old town in the south, what hope and fun is there in life?She paced up and down the room, flicking the letter in her hand. "Who's going to be a tutor!" But what other options are there?After graduation, this is the only employment opportunity that can make a living.The next day, she sat down and wrote a reply letter: "Dear Mr. Ananos, thank you for your nurturing and care. After careful consideration, I accept the position you have offered..."

In order to teach this deaf-mute-blind student well, Annie decided to go back to the Perkins Institute for the Blind, because she knew it was extremely difficult to communicate with the deaf-blind, so she wanted to go back and study carefully Lola's study material is used as a reference.Throughout the autumn and winter, she was busy looking through all the records about Laura and studying them carefully.She was excited about the harvest, but she didn't quite know how difficult it really was.

At that time, many people tried to teach disabled children like Laura, but all failed.But Dr. Hao succeeded, so Annie always thought that Dr. Hao was a genius.

But there is a passage in the record that makes Anne feel chills. It records the story of Miss Bole, Laura's early teacher.Miss Bole took the responsibility of teaching Laura. She liked Laura very much and lived with her for 3 months.But suddenly one day she went to Dr. Hao, hoping that she would stop teaching Laura, and she said: "Lola is such a good girl, but I can't bear that terrible silence any longer."

After reading this paragraph, Anne couldn't help shivering.She asked herself, "Can I take it?"

On March 1887, 3, in Tuscumbia, a small town in Alabama, a carriage was parked in the train station square, and two people were sitting in the carriage.They were Mrs. Keller and her stepson James, who came to pick up Anne Sullivan, both of whom looked tired.

James broke the silence first, and said with little confidence, "What if she didn't come at all?"

Mrs. Keller said confidently: "She will come. Mr. Ananos said that she is honest and reliable. She is only two days late." Oh! James, she should come... What will happen to Helen if she doesn't come?"

James heard the sound of a rumbling train in the distance. He said, "The train at 6:[-] is coming in. This is the last train today."

Mrs. Keller was so nervous that she couldn't breathe. She prayed silently in her heart: "God bless, God bless her to come!"

Several people stepped out of the carriage, and one of them seemed to be the young governess, but looked very distressed.James commented on her in his heart: "She is like a drowned chicken." James was right, Annie took the train for 3 days and 3 nights, and went through all kinds of troubles.Her eyes were red and her spirits were sluggish, and the long journey made her very sleepy.

Originally, she had bought a direct express ticket to come here, but she didn't expect that the ticket assigned to her by the stupid conductor was actually a slow train that must stop at every stop between Boston and Tuscumbia.Finally arrived, she puffed out her chest, forced a professional smile, and faced the young man walking towards her.

"Miss Sullivan?" he asked.

The tone of his greeting stopped Anne's smile, and Anne had always been good at reading words and colors to recognize contemptuous tones in others."I won't like him," she thought.

She replied dryly, "Yes."

His frivolous tone remained the same: "Please come over here, my stepmother is waiting for you in the carriage."

When Mrs. Keller saw Annie, her heart that was hanging high in the air was relieved. The two young women looked at each other and smiled, and they hit it off right away. "She looks a few years older than me! She seems very kind." Anne thought to herself.

A few minutes later, the carriage drove into a white house decorated with green curtains. There was a garden in front of the house full of flowers. This was the manor of the Keller family.Annie didn't notice the big house in front of her at all, but she asked eagerly, "Where is Helen? Where is she?" She was eager to see her elementary school students now.At this time, Captain Keller came over.

"Hello! Miss Anne, I am Helen's father." Captain Keller greeted Anne.

Annie answered with a nod, and continued to ask, "Where's Helen?"

He pointed to the door: "She's there. She noticed that everyone was busy with an unusual thing these days, which made her lose her temper."

Anne saw Helen.Helen stood in the shadow of the doorway, covered by green creepers.Her hair hung down her shoulders like sticky bundles of dry straw, and her dirty little hands grabbed the vine leaves vigorously and tore them apart one by one. The buttons on her jacket were not buttoned properly, and her shoes were stained with dust and mud.

Helen felt a carriage drive through the door.She waited intently, wondering which side to jump on.

Annie's first impression was: "Why is no one caring about this child?" Later, I realized that Helen was too mischievous and mischievous. She didn't listen to anyone's discipline at all. Whenever someone approached her, she would go into a rage.

As soon as Annie stepped up the steps, Helen turned around immediately, and she knew that someone was coming towards her from the gate, and she felt a heightened vibration through the soles of her feet.Helen is waiting for mother!In the past few days, her mother often went out. Helen couldn't express her emotions in words, but she could only express them in actions. She opened her arms and jumped into her arms. Anne caught her.Not mom!Helen, like a trapped beast, struggled to break free from the stranger's arms.When Annie got nervous, she hugged her even tighter. Unexpectedly, this immediately angered Helen.

James yelled, "Let go, she's going to hurt you."

Annie was taken aback, she quickly let go, and asked with lingering fear: "Did I do something wrong? Why?"

Mrs. Keller explained to her: "It's like this, Miss Anne, Helen doesn't let people hug her. Since she got sick, she hasn't kissed anyone, and she hasn't let anyone kiss her, hug her, or coax her."

"Sometimes just a kiss from her mother," Capt. Keller added.

James sat on the steps, gloating and taunting Anne. "Now you must understand! You have come to teach a little beast, and you are a governess to a little beast."

"Have you said enough? Go in." Captain Keller ordered sternly.

Seeing that Anne was exhausted, Mrs. Keller said, "Arthur, please take Miss Sullivan to her room first, and we can talk about other things later!"

Annie smiled gratefully at Mrs. Keller and followed Captain Keller up the stairs.

Annie said from the captain's back: "Helen shouldn't be frightened! I saw her froze for a moment, and wanted to break away. It seems that she is a child who is not afraid of heaven and earth."

(End of this chapter)