Mr. Jefferson was a talented actor who later became a friend of Helen Keller. She first saw Mr. Jefferson as a stage actor when she was living in New York City. Helen saw him in the play Rip Van Winkle, where he played the role of the title character. According to Helen, his performance was charming and she thought that he played his character marvellously. After the performance, when Anne Sullivan took Helen backstage, she met Mr. Jefferson. He was patient when Helen touched his face. They soon became friends. He once visited Helen while in Boston with his son. He re-enacted parts of a play for Helen so she could “follow his movements with her hand.” Mr. Jefferson was clearly a compassionate and patient man with a great deal of sympathy and interest which helped Helen with her love of the theatre.