wakening of my
soul that first rendered my senses their value； their cognizance of
objects； names； qualities； and properties。 Thought made me conscious of
love； joy； and all the emotions。 I was eager to know； then to
understand； afterward to reflect on what I knew and understood； and the
blind impetus； which had before driven me hither and thither at the
dictates of my sensations； vanished forever。
I cannot represent more clearly than any one else the gradual and subtle
changes from first impressions to abstract ideas。 But I know that my
physical ideas； that is； ideas derived from material objects； appear to
me first an idea similar to those of touch。 Instantly they pass into
intellectual meanings。 Afterward the meaning finds expression in what is
called 〃inner speech。〃 When I was a child； my inner speech was inner
spelling。 Although I am even now frequently caught spelling to myself on
my fingers； yet I talk to myself； too； with my lips； and it is true that
when I first learned to speak； my mind discarded the finger…symbols and
began to articulate。 However； when I try to recall what some one has
said to me； I am conscious of a hand spelling into mine。
It has often been asked what were my earliest impressions of the world
in which I found myself。 But one who thinks at all of his first
impressions knows what a riddle this is。 Our impressions grow and change
unnoticed； so that what we suppose we thought as children may be quite
different from what we actually experienced in our childhood。 I only
know that after my education began the world which came within my reach
was all alive。 I spelled to my blocks and