Anne Sullivan went to live with the Kellers in Alabama as Helen Keller’s (1880-1968) teacher. The story of Anne’s tutelage of Helen has been well documented, a relationship that spanned forty-nine years.
Anne and Helen travelled to Boston’s Perkins School of the Blind and visited with Philip Brooks, a well-known pastor most remembered for conducting Abraham Lincoln’s funeral and writing the words of the Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Philip, who never married and had no family of his own, loved children and agreed to Helen’s request to correspond with her. She was only ten-years old when she initiated correspondence with Philip (her handwriting was flawless), peppering him with questions, such as, “Why does the dear Father in heaven think it best for us to have very great sorrow sometimes?” She ended the letter, “Please tell me something that you know about God. It makes me happy to know about my loving Father who is good and wise. I hope you will write to your little friend when you have time.” Philip sent a written response from London, attempting to answer her questions, and concluded, “I love to tell you about God. But He will tell you Himself by the love which He will put into your heart if you ask Him. And, Jesus, who is His Son…came into the world on purpose to tell us all about the Father’s love. If you read His words, you will see how full His heart is of the love of God….Though men were very cruel to Him and at last killed Him, He was willing to die for them because He loved them so.” What Helen said to him in a follow-up visit is a keeper: “Mr. Brooks, I always knew He was there, but I didn’t know His name.”
Helen’s prayer for peace in 1936 is so relevant to our time: