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Her teacher says,

Aug. 26th. At eight she was talking about a variety of subjects, and among the number, of sickness -- she said "I was sick last year and my mind was dizzy and I was much frightened in my heart." Then she wanted to know the meaning of insensible, and of crucified. I thought I could give her a general definition that would satisfy her as well as any thing else, and I told her it was to make a cross. She said "Jane Damon crucifies the wires for her basket, and winds the worsted on them." I had to tell her she did not understand it, and had better not use it. The next word was mingle, -- defined it by mix -- but she did not understand that any better. Gave her an example of the use of the two words, and she said "the drunkard mixes sugar and rum to drink." Then she wished me to understand that she had not forgotten any thing and gave me a recapitulation -- "perish is to die, you told me last winter -- machine, my writing board is a machine to write with; require, is when I tell you, you must mend my stockings. I require you to do them. I require you to read my story to Jane Damon." She is still on the Globe, in Geography, and studying the Zones. To-day, the lesson was to tell what zone the different countries in South America were; which, with a great deal of difficulty, she accomplished.

Mention was made in a former Report of her disposition to use the lungs and vocal organs. She still shows this; and so does Oliver Caswell, though to a much smaller extent than Laura. The manner in which she uses these organs seems to show their natural office, and would settle the question, (if it be any longer a question) whether they were destined by nature to be the medium of intellectual communication among men, or whether they were selected from among other equally possible means for interchange of thought; as pantomime, arbitrary visible signs, &c.

When Laura feels any strong emotion her chest is inflated, the air is retained a moment, and then expelled with quickness and force, and is often interrupted in its passage by the glottis, tongue, or lips, thus producing a variety of interjections. The fact of these broken sounds will be interesting to the philologist because they form the connecting link between natural language and speech; two things sometimes confounded, but which differ widely from each other; natural language is the servant of the heart; speech is the handmaid of the intellect.

Deaf mutes generally when they are moved by feeling, gesticulate violently, and also make broken sounds with the vocal organs, thus bringing in the adjuncts of speech, as we add gestures to our language when we are excited.

Pains have been taken with Laura to suppress her disposition to make these disagreeable interjections, for although they may be considered as parts of natural language, it is language natural only in the rudest state of society -- in the lowest developement of intellect, and she is to live in a society where they would be disagreeable. The correction however, is not easy to make; she may have been sometimes checked too abruptly, and in a way to let her perceive that it was done rather for the gratification of others, than for her own good, and children always resist the unconditional surrender of their own will to that of another, unless the summons be made in the irresistible language of love -- which is the open sesame to every child's heart.

Her teacher was one day talking with her on the subject, and showing her the propriety of repressing these noises, when she said, "she did not always try not to make them." Miss Swift urged her reasons for wishing her to do so, when Laura said, "but I have very much voice! " This was the truth of the matter; the nervous energy which rapidly accumulated within her while sitting still, found in this way a partial means of escape; and it was as hard for her to restrain it, as it is for little boys who have "very much motion in them," to sit still in school when unoccupied; the fluid accumulates within them until it makes them uneasy, and they relieve themselves from the pressure by suddenly pushing or kicking their neighbors, or by some motion of the body which acts like the opening of a safety valve, and leaves them quiet for a while.

She was not inclined to give up the argument entirely, and said in her defence, "God gave me much voice." She yielded, however, and saw the reasonableness of the request, especially as she had particular hours when she could make as much noise as she wished to do. At such times she often goes into a closet, and shutting the door, indulges herself in a surfeit of sounds.

Great interest has been manifested on all sides to know the effect of religious instruction upon her mind, and not without good cause. I have always thought it desirable on many accounts to give her such ideas, and such only, on this and other important topics as she shall be able always to retain. It is painful to be forced to relinquish ideas which by long possession have become regarded as much one's own -- as much a part of one's self, as one's property, or one's limbs. We defend our religious, political, and other opinions with a zeal not proportionate to their truth, but to the length of time and the closeness of intimacy with which we have associated them with ourselves: when we have never contemplated the possibility of their falsity, the refusal of others to admit them as true, and still more, the attempt to destroy them, often excites as much passion as would the protest of a draft, or an assault upon the person. Some men may preserve their elasticity of mind, and retain unimpaired their confidence in their last belief, after the abandonment of several creeds, especially if blessed with self-complacency; but all cannot do so; for if the soul have drifted from several anchors in the storm of infidelity, it will hardly rely even upon the best bower of faith, as perfectly sure and steadfast.