JULIA BRACE DEAF, DUMB, BLIND GIRL AT THE HARTFORD ASYLUM.

By far the most interesting subject at present in the institution, is the poor deaf, dumb, and blind girl, whose situation has been described in so beautiful and affecting a manner by Mrs. Sigourney. A charity box, the proceeds of which are designed exclusively for her support, is placed at the main entrance, which it is certain no stranger can pass, after viewing the utter desolation in which she has been left by nature, without dropping his mite. Her name is Julia Brace, and she is a native of the immediate neighborhood of the asylum. She is the only instance of so great a misfortune, of which any record is extant, except one European boy, by the the name of James Mitchell. He was so ircould be tried

ritable, that few experiments for his benefit; but Julia Brace, it is said, has been mild and docile from her childhood -although when I saw her, from some temporary vexation or indisposition, she was evidently somewhat out of temper. She was seated at a table, her needle-work in her lap. "There is nothing disagreeable in her countenance, but her eyes, forever closed, create a deficiency of expression. Her complexion is fair, her smile gentle and sweet, though of rare occurrence; and her person somewhat bent, when sitting, from her habits of fixed attention to her work. Many stran

gers have waited a long time to see her thread her needle, which is quite a mysterious process, and never accomplished without the aid of the tongue."

She was the daughter of exceedingly poor parents, who had several younger children to whom she was in the habit of showing such offices of kindness as her own afflicted state admitted. Notwithstanding her blindness, she early evinced a close observation with regard to articles of dress, preferring among those which were presented her as gifts, such as were of the finest texture. When the weather became cold, she would occasionally kneel on the floor of their humble dwelling, to feel whether the other childrenof the family were furnished with shoes and stockings, while she was without, and would express uneasiness at the contrast.

Seated on her little block, weaving strips of thin bark with pieces of leather and thread, which her father in his process of making of shoes rejected, she amused herself with constructing for her cat bonnets and vandykes, not wholly discordant with the principles of taste. Notwithstanding her peculiar helplessness, she was occasionly left with the care of the young children, while her mother went out to the occupation of washing. It was on such occasions, that little Julia evinced not only a maternal solicitude, but a skill in domestic legislation, which could not have been rationally expected. On one oc

casion she discovered that her sister had broken a piece of crockery, and imitating what she supposed would be the discipline of her mother, she gave the offender a blow. But placing her hand upon the eyes of the little girl, and ascertaining that she wept, she immediately took her in her arms, and with the most persevering tenderness, soothed her into good humor and confidence. Her parents were at length relieved from the burden of her maintenance,by some charitable individuals, who paid the expenses of her board with an elderly matron, who kept a school for small children. Here her sagacity was continually on the stretch to comprehend the nature of their employment, and as far as possible to imitate them. Observing that a great part of their time was occupied with books, she often held one before her sightless eyes with long patience. She would also spread a newspaper for her favorite kitten, and putting her finger on its mouth, and perceiving that it did not move like those of the scholars when reading, would shake the animal, to express displeasure at its indolence and obstinacy. These circumstances, though trifling in themselves, revealed a mind active amid all the obstacles which nature had interposed. But her principal solace was in the employment of needle-work and knitting, which she had learned at an early age to practice. She would thus sit absorbed for hours, until it became necessary to urge her

to that exercise which is requisite to health. Counterpanes beautifully made by her, of small pieces of calico, were repeatedly disposed of, to aid in the purchase of her wardrobe. And small portions of her work were sent by her benefactors as presents into various parts of the Union, to show of what neatness of execution a blind girl was capable.

It was occasionally the practice of gentlemen who from pity or curiosity visited her, to make trial of her sagacity, by giving her their watches and employing her to restore them to the right owner.

They would change their position with regard to her, and each strive to take the watch which did not belong to him-but though she might at the same time hold two or three, neither stratagem nor persuasion would induce her to yield either of them, except to the person from whom she received it. There seemed to be a principle in the tenacity with she adhered to this system to give every one his own, which may probably be resolved into that moral honesty which has ever formed a conspicuous part of her character. Though nurtured in extreme poverty, and after her removal from the paternal roof, in the constant habit of being in contact with articles of dress or food, which strongly tempted her desires, she has never been known to appropriate to herself, without permission, the most trifling object. In a

well educated child this would be no remarkable virtue; but in one who has had the benefit of no moral training to teach her to respect the right of property, and whose perfect blindness must often render it difficult to define them, the incorruptible firmness of this innate principle is truly laudable. There is also connected with it a delicacy of feeling or scrupulousness of conscience, which renders it necessary in presenting her any gift, to assure her repeatedly by a sign which she understands, that it is for her, ere she will consent to accept it.

Continuing to become an object of increased attention, and her remote situation not being convenient for the access of strangers, application was made for her admission into the asylum, and permission was granted by the directors in the summer of 1825. After her reception into that peaceful refuge, some attempts were made by a benevolent instructor to teach her the alphabet, by means of letters both raised above and indented beneath a smooth surface. But it was in vain that she punctually repaired to the school room, and daily devoted hour after hour in copying their forms with pins upon a cushion. However accurate her delineations were, they conveyed no idea to the mind sitting in darkness. It was therefore deemed wiser to confine her attention to those few attainments, which were within her sphere, than to open a warfare with nature in those avenues which she had so decidedly sealed.