我們被一路上的金銀花香味吸引著，往下走去護井柵欄的小徑。有人正在那裡汲水，我的老師將我的手放到落水管下；當冷水流過我的手，她在我的手心拼了不同的水字，先是慢慢的，然後迅速的。我靜靜的站著，全部的注意力都灌注在她指尖的運動。忽然間，我好像隱約意識到一件被忘了的事，興奮在回想中；不知怎麼的，我也意識到語言的密秘了。於是，我認識了水這字意指流動在我手上那種奇妙的、涼爽的東西。那個生氣活躍的字，喚醒了我的靈魂，並且給予光亮、希望和喜悅；將束縛解放！眼前當然還是困難重重，但都是可能及時排除的。

我離開那兒，急切的渴望學習。任何事物都有一個名字，而每個名字都會讓我產生一種新見解。我們回到家後，每一件我接觸的物體都好像有生命在顫動；因為我以已經發生在我身上的、奇怪的新見解看任何事物。在進門的時候，我想起被我破碎的娃娃，就摸索著走到壁爐邊把碎片撿起來；我努力要把它們組合，卻白忙一場。我為此滿眼淚水，因為我明白我究竟做了甚麼壞事，而且第一次我覺得後悔和悲哀。

那天我學了非常多字。我不記得究竟是那些，其中的母親、父親、妹妹和老師我倒是記得；這些字讓我的世界變成花樣美好，就像摩西的兄長亞倫，擁有的那根長滿花葉和果實的神杖(Aaron's rod)。當那多事的、帶來許多愉快的一天結束，而我躺在床上第一次期待新的一天到來；要找到比這樣快樂的孩子，是很難的。

We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Some one was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten–a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that "w-a-t-e-r" meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away.

I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought. As we returned to the house every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me. On entering the door I remembered the doll I had broken. I felt my way to the hearth and picked up the pieces. I tried vainly to put them together. Then my eyes filled with tears; for I realized what I had done, and for the first time I felt repentance and sorrow.

I learned a great many new words that day. I do not remember what they all were; but I do know that mother, father, sister, teacher were among them–words that were to make the world blossom for me, "like Aaron's rod, with flowers." It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was as I lay in my crib at the close of the eventful day and lived over the joys it had brought me, and for the first time longed for a new day to come.