Monday, September 5, 2016

I found Helen Keller's letter in an old Autograph Book


We're getting ready to move to another house in the next few weeks so today I spent time going through our several hundreds of books to determine if I can possibly eliminate some of them. I discovered this little autograph book that we had purchased many years ago at a Used Book sale. As I  opened it, I found these first two pages:

The book was obviously a possession of a Ronald Simpson, whose mother was Mrs. S. O. Simpson, and whose sister was perhaps Carolyn Simpson. 

Tucked inside this book was the following letter:
One of the pages of the Autograph Book also holds Helen Keller's autograph, written in pencil.

I invite you to take a minute to read the letter. It offers a rare personal look into the heart and mind of Helen Keller and offers a valuable perspective into the life of a deaf and blind person. It's well worth the time to read it! 

I feel privileged to have this letter and look at it as the reward for my hard work in sorting through books and my willingness to consider letting some of them go. I may have missed this little gem otherwise. 

This chart shows how Helen Keller is my cousin.

2 comments:

Miss Merry said...

Somehow older posts are just showing up in my blog roll. What an amazing find and wonderful keepsake! Thank you for sharing it with us. So inspiring.

Michelle Ganus Taggart said...

That is a heartbreaking letter and as you mentioned, gives such insight into Helen Keller's heart. I don't think I can imagine how alone it must be to be deaf and blind. Her ability to express herself so beautifully despite her difficult circumstances amazes me. Thank you for sharing such a treasure! And good luck on your move!