The World I Live In

"The autobiography of Helen Keller is unquestionably one of the most remarkable records ever published."--British Weekly.

"This book is a human document of intense interest, and without a parallel, we suppose, in the history of literature."--Yorkshire Post.

"Miss Keller's autobiography, well written and full of practical interest in all sides of life, literary, artistic and social, records an extraordinary victory over physical disabilities."--Times.

"This book is a record of the miraculous. No one can read it without being profoundly touched by the patience and devotion which brought the blind, deaf-mute child into touch with human life, without being filled with wonder at the quick intelligence which made such communication with the outside world possible."--Queen.

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The Story of My Life

By HELEN KELLER

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The Practice of Optimism

Cloth, net, 1s. 6d.; paper, net, 1s.

* * * * *

LONDON: HODDER & STOUGHTON, E.C.

* * * * *

[Illustration: Copyright, 1907, by The Whitman Studio

Helen Keller in Her Study]

THE WORLD I LIVE IN

by

HELEN KELLER

Author of "The Story of My Life," Etc.

Illustrated

Hodder and Stoughton London New York Toronto

Copyright 1904, 1908, by The Century Co.

TO

HENRY H. ROGERS

MY DEAR FRIEND OF

MANY YEARS

PREFACE

The essays and the poem in this book appeared originally in the "Century Magazine," the essays under the titles "A Chat About the Hand," "Sense and Sensibility," and "My Dreams." Mr. Gilder suggested the articles, and I thank him for his kind interest and encouragement. But he must also accept the responsibility which goes with my gratitude. For it is owing to his wish and that of other editors that I talk so much about myself.

Every book is in a sense autobiographical. But while other self-recording creatures are permitted at least to seem to change the subject, apparently nobody cares what I think of the tariff, the conservation of our natural resources, or the conflicts which revolve about the name of Dreyfus. If I offer to reform the education system of the world, my editorial friends say, "That is interesting. But will you please tell us what idea you had of goodness and beauty when you were six years old?" First they ask me to tell the life of the child who is mother to the woman. Then they make me my own daughter and ask for an account of grown-up sensations. Finally I am requested to write about my dreams, and thus I become an anachronical grandmother; for it is the special privilege of old age to relate dreams. The editors are so kind that they are no doubt right in thinking that nothing I have to say about the affairs of the universe would be interesting. But until they give me opportunity to write about matters that are not-me, the world must go on uninstructed and unreformed, and I can only do my best with the one small subject upon which I am allowed to discourse.

In "The Chant of Darkness" I did not intend to set up as a poet. I thought I was writing prose, except for the magnificent passage from Job which I was paraphrasing. But this part seemed to my friends to separate itself from the exposition, and I made it into a kind of poem.

H. K.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I PAGE THE SEEING HAND 3

CHAPTER II THE HANDS OF OTHERS 19

CHAPTER III THE HAND OF THE RACE 33

CHAPTER IV THE POWER OF TOUCH 45

CHAPTER V THE FINER VIBRATIONS 63

CHAPTER VI SMELL, THE FALLEN ANGEL 77

CHAPTER VII RELATIVE VALUES OF THE SENSES 95

CHAPTER VIII THE FIVE-SENSED WORLD 103

CHAPTER IX INWARD VISIONS 115

CHAPTER X ANALOGIES IN SENSE PERCEPTION 129

CHAPTER XI BEFORE THE SOUL DAWN 141

CHAPTER XII THE LARGER SANCTIONS 153

CHAPTER XIII THE DREAM WORLD 169

CHAPTER XIV DREAMS AND REALITY 195

CHAPTER XV A WAKING DREAM 209

A CHANT OF DARKNESS 229

ILLUSTRATIONS

HELEN KELLER IN HER STUDY Frontispiece

THE MEDALLION Facing page 22

"LISTENING" TO THE TREES " " 70

THE LITTLE BOY NEXT DOOR " " 120

THE SEEING HAND

I

THE SEEING HAND