n examination of students who were deaf, dumb, and blind took place on Washington Heights. The principal, Dr. Isaac L. Peet, gave various interesting exhibitions of their skill and accomplishments. A blind, deaf, and dumb boy, about fourteen years old, who had had less than a year's instruction, was given an order to count out twenty crayons and put them under a mat. The order was given by means of the sign language, transmitted by feeling the motion of the hands of the person who communicated with him. The order was correctly performed amid the applause of the audience. A blind deaf mute also wrote several sentences on a type-writer, and on another type-writer a deaf mute without hands wrote by means of a stick inserted in his coat sleeve.
ORDINATION OF DEAF MUTES IN PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A.
early all the deaf mutes connected with the Protestant Episcopal Church in this city assembled yesterday morning in the church of the Covenant, to witness the ordination into the priesthood of two deaf and dumb men. The ceremony had been long talked of among the deaf mutes, and as none of this class of persons had ever before been ordained to this order in the church in this country, there was a widespread desire among the Episcopal community to be present at the ceremony. The church was well filled when the exercises began. Owing to the length of the services, the regular morning prayer was omitted, and after hymn 153 had been sung, Rev. Thomas Gallaudet, D.D., Principal of the Deaf and Dumb Institution in New York, who was to preach the sermon, was introduced. Dr. Gallaudet prefaced his sermon by saying that when a deaf mute was addressed, the words were not spelled out, but that the ideas were represented by signs. Ideas about the intellect were conveyed by a sign about the head, those relating to the sensibility by a motion near the heart; in short, the sign language was as distinct and individual as the English language. Rev. Mr. Chamberlain, of Iowa, stood up in the chancel as Dr. Gallaudet began his sermon, and interpreted the sermon to the deaf mutes who sat in a body near the front of the chancel. Dr. Gallaudet sketched the progress of deaf mute education from the establishment of the first school in Hartford by his father in 1817. As illustrating the individuality of the sign language, he mentioned that while he was in Brussels in August last he preached to a congregation of about twenty deaf mutes, English, French, Belgian, and his sign language was comprehended perfectly by all. "Sounds," he said, "are only outward symbols of ideas, just as signs are." At the conclusion of the sermon, Rev. Henry W. Syle and Rev. Arthur M. Mann were presented for ordination, the former by Rev. Dr. Miller, and the latter by the Rev. Dr. Atwell, of Toledo. Sitting within the chancel, one at each end of the communion table, were Bishop Stevens and Bishop Bedwell, of Ohio, while nine other clergymen surrounded them. Among them the placid countenance and venerable form of Rev. W. H. Syle, father of one of the candidates, was especially noticeable. Bishop Stevens then read the exhortation, and it was interpreted by Dr. Gallaudet to the two candidates, who stood in their robes at the chancel rail. Eagerly did they watch the motions of the reverend gentleman as he conveyed to them the words the Bishop was speaking. The Bishop then asked Mr. Syle the questions laid down in the prayer book. As Dr. Gallaudet finished interpreting each question, Mr. Syle handed a slip of paper on which was written his answers, to Rev. Mr. Clere, of Phillipsburg, who read it aloud. Rev. Mr. Mann then arose, and Bishop Bedwell stated that the questions and answers would be interpreted. He asked the same questions asked by Bishop Stevens, and Mr. Mann slowly communicated his answers, using only his right hand in replying. The ceremony of laying on of hands was then performed, Bishop Stevens and several others laying their hands on Mr. Syle's head, and Bishop Bedwell performing that office for Mr. Mann. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was then administered to the newly ordained priests, and they were welcomed within the chancel rail. A special invitation was given to the deaf mutes to commune immediately after the clergy, and there were enough present to occupy the long chancel rail twice. The sacrament was then administered to the congregation, and the audience was dismissed with the benediction by Bishop Bedwell. On Saturday, the second biennial session of workers among the deaf mutes in the Episcopal Church was begun in St. Stephen's Church. Rev. Dr. F. J. Clere, of Phillipsburg, was elected President, and Rev. Mr. Syle secretary and treasurer of the conference. An address of Bishop Howe, and papers by Messrs. Clere and Syle were interpreted to the conference by Dr. Gallaudet.—Philadelphia Inquirer, 15th Oct., 1883.