town. Helen's instincts are decidedly social; she likes to have
people about her and to visit her friends, partly, I think,
because they always have things she likes to eat. After supper we
go to my room and do all sorts of things until eight, when I
undress the little woman and put her to bed. She sleeps with me
now. Mrs. Keller wanted to get a nurse for her, but I concluded
I'd rather be her nurse than look after a stupid, lazy negress.
Besides, I like to have Helen depend on me for everything, AND I
FIND IT MUCH EASIER TO TEACH HER THINGS AT ODD MOMENTS THAN AT
SET TIMES.

On March 31st I found that Helen knew eighteen nouns and three
verbs. Here is a list of the words. Those with a cross after them
are words she asked for herself: DOLL, MUG, PIN, KEY, DOG, HAT,
CUP, BOX, WATER, MILK, CANDY, EYE (X), FINGER (X), TOE (X), HEAD
(X), CAKE, BABY, MOTHER, SIT, STAND, WALK. On April 1st she
learned the nouns KNIFE, FORK, SPOON, SAUCER, TEA, PAPA, BED, and
the verb RUN.


April 5, 1887.

I must write you a line this morning because something very
important has happened. Helen has taken the second great step in
her education. She has learned that EVERYTHING HAS A NAME, AND
THAT THE MANUAL ALPHABET IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING SHE WANTS TO
KNOW.

In a previous letter I think I wrote you that "mug" and "milk"
had given Helen more trouble than all the rest. She confused the