6

A WORD WITH THE WOMEN

(By Elin W. Peattie.)

No more beautiful nor interesting young women has been graduated from any school in this city this year than Miss Estelle Forbes, who read her essay at the Nebraska Institute for the deaf last Friday.

Miss Forbes is tall, stately, exquisitely graceful, with a face of much delicacy and responsiveness. It is an oblong face, surmounted by soft light brown hair. The eyes may be brown, and are certainly most modest and expressive. The lips are rather full and very flexible. The head is delicately, yet rather proudly poised.

It might be something of an importance to this describe Miss Forbes' beauty, if it were not done with the most respectful intention. Her outward beauty seems, indeed, the echo of inner loveliness, and the interest it holds is largely a psychological one. Though immured in earthly silence, never to be broken unless death can break it and make the soul into composite sense which perceives with eye, ear and spiriet, yet this girl has found a way to communicate with the world. She has met this great black enemy of Silence, and laid it low. She has conqured it. This has been done by the acquirement of the language of the deaf and an idealization of it. A power largely histrlonic in its character has come to her assistance. And a deeper power, spiritual and deeply perceptive in its character, abides in her innermost sense.

The consequence is that when this girl speaks her silent language, not only those versed in it, but all intelligent and pathetic persons, understand her - if not absolutely, at least in part.

Her face becomes as a fair sheet of water over which the wind blows, changing it aspect at each second. Not a wind of emotion that blows over her spirit but shows itself in her charming face. Disaster, toll, pleasure, peace, contemplation, reverence, a version, apprehension, are mirrored there instantly, not in any coarse exaggeration such as the immature pupils of Deisarto sometimes grieve the Judielous with, but delicate and wellbread indications of these emotions. Her hands are frequent with silent words; her body itself seems to breathe out her thoughts, light, lithe, supple, alert, frank, yet full of subtle suggestions, the whole body and personality of this girl struggles to express the emotions of the spirit, the thoughts of the mind. It is a silent poetry, a palpable expression of what might be deemed inexpressible, a triumph over fact, a victory of spirit over matter!

One almost hopes that Miss Forbes will not see this article, for much of her charm lies in her perfect unconsciousness. Yet the sweetness of spirit which has made her so brave to overcome difficulties beauty, and put a pure and gentle smile upon her lips may well keep her from canity, bidding her only bo grateful for the compensations which heaven has given her for her great affliction. It is pleasant to know that Miss Forbes, in leaving the institute, goes to a comfortable and refined home, where she is well loved. She may take a higher course of study in the New York Institution for the deaf. Books always afford her much of her happiness, and she has a taste for the best books. Useful one must believe that she will always no, in spite of the disadvantages under which she labors. Happy she poems likely to be, living if one may judge, attained the inner peace.

A WORD WITH THE WOMEN

(By Elin W. Peattie.)

No more beautiful nor interesting young women has been graduated from any school in this city this year than Miss Estelle Forbes, who read her essay at the Nebraska Institute for the deaf last Friday.

Miss Forbes is tall, stately, exquisitely graceful, with a face of much delicacy and responsiveness. It is an oblong face, surmounted by soft light brown hair. The eyes may be brown, and are certainly most modest and expressive. The lips are rather full and very flexible. The head is delicately, yet rather proudly poised.

It might be something of an importance to this describe Miss Forbes' beauty, if it were not done with the most respectful intention. Her outward beauty seems, indeed, the echo of inner loveliness, and the interest it holds is largely a psychological one. Though immured in earthly silence, never to be broken unless death can break it and make the soul into composite sense which perceives with eye, ear and spiriet, yet this girl has found a way to communicate with the world. She has met this great black enemy of Silence, and laid it low. She has conqured it. This has been done by the acquirement of the language of the deaf and an idealization of it. A power largely histrlonic in its character has come to her assistance. And a deeper power, spiritual and deeply perceptive in its character, abides in her innermost sense.

The consequence is that when this girl speaks her silent language, not only those versed in it, but all intelligent and pathetic persons, understand her - if not absolutely, at least in part.

Her face becomes as a fair sheet of water over which the wind blows, changing it aspect at each second. Not a wind of emotion that blows over her spirit but shows itself in her charming face. Disaster, toll, pleasure, peace, contemplation, reverence, a version, apprehension, are mirrored there instantly, not in any coarse exaggeration such as the immature pupils of Deisarto sometimes grieve the Judielous with, but delicate and wellbread indications of these emotions. Her hands are frequent with silent words; her body itself seems to breathe out her thoughts, light, lithe, supple, alert, frank, yet full of subtle suggestions, the whole body and personality of this girl struggles to express the emotions of the spirit, the thoughts of the mind. It is a silent poetry, a palpable expression of what might be deemed inexpressible, a triumph over fact, a victory of spirit over matter!

One almost hopes that Miss Forbes will not see this article, for much of her charm lies in her perfect unconsciousness. Yet the sweetness of spirit which has made her so brave to overcome difficulties beauty, and put a pure and gentle smile upon her lips may well keep her from canity, bidding her only bo grateful for the compensations which heaven has given her for her great affliction. It is pleasant to know that Miss Forbes, in leaving the institute, goes to a comfortable and refined home, where she is well loved. She may take a higher course of study in the New York Institution for the deaf. Books always afford her much of her happiness, and she has a taste for the best books. Useful one must believe that she will always no, in spite of the disadvantages under which she labors. Happy she poems likely to be, living if one may judge, attained the inner peace.