Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1859-08-27
THE ART OF Nor HEARING,

taught in every well-re u]ated fam
lily. 1t is full as important to do
-mestic happiness as cultivated
ear, for which so m1ci, money and
time are expended. T; ere are SC
many things which it is painful to
hear; very many which, if heard,
will disturb the temper, corrupt
simplicity and modesty, dctract
from conlentrnent and happiness,
that every one must be- educated to
take in or Shut out sounds, accord
ing to their pleasure
1t man fall into a violent pas
sion, and calls me all manner OF
names, the first word shuts my car,
and hear no more. II. in my qui-
ct voyage of lite, | 1iud myself
caught in one Of the d 'mestic whirl
winds OF scyl1jng, | shut my ears
as sailor would 1ut'i his sails, and
making all t'yht, send before tie
gale. # hot and restless l1.al
begins to inAalue ny feelings, |
consider what mischief these fiery
sparks may d"~in the magazine bc.
low where my temper is kept, and
instantly close the door.
Does a gadding, mjschief:mak-
ing fellow begin to inform what
people are saying about me, down
drops tue portcuI|is Of my ear, and
he can get nd further. Does the
collector Of neighborhood's scan-
dal ask my ear as a warehouse, it
instinctively closes mp. Some peo-
pie seem ANXIOUS to hear everything
that will vex and annoy them. II
it is limited that any one has spoken
evil OF them, they set about search
ing the matter, and finding out
If all the petty things said o one
by needless or ill-natured idlrrs
were to be brought home to him,
he would become a mere walking
pincushion, stuck full Of sharp re-
marks. [ should as soon think OF
thanking a man for c'nptying up:
on my bed a busl1el Of nettles, or
setting loose swarm OF ants in my
chamber, OF raising a pun@cnt dust
in my house generally, as to bring
in upon me all the tattl, Of careless
Or spitetul people.
If yuu would be happy, when
among good men, b. en- vour ears;
when among bad, shut them. Aud
as the throat has a muscular Arran-
gementrsby which It takes care Of
the all passages Of its own accord,
so the ears should be trainGd to an
automatic dulluess Of hearing. It
is not worth while to hear what
your servants say when they are an,
cry; what your children say after
they have slammed the door; what
your neighbors say about your chill
dren what your rivals say about
Your business, your dress, or your
affairs.
This art Of not hearing, though
untaught in the schools. is by no
means unknown, Or u1practised il
society. have noticed that a we'll
bred womrn never hears an inper-
tinent or 4 vul gar remark. A kind
Of discreet deafness saves one from
many insults, from much blame,
from not little apparent conni-
vance in dishonorable conversation.
There are doors inside my ears
a right hand door leading to my
heart, aud a left-hand door, with
broad and steep passage out into
the open air: Tie last '1oor receives
sll ug]iness, profanity, vu]garity,
misunderstanding, which suddenly
find themselves outside Of me-
Judicio,ts teachers and indulgent
parents save young urchins a world
Of trouble BY a convenient deafness.
Bankers and 1noney-lenders often
are extremely hard Of hearing when
unsafe borrowers are -importrnate.
| never hear man who runs after
me in the street, baw'ing my name
at the top of!his voice persons
that talk of fathose who are absent
those,who give me unasked advice
about my own affairs; nor those
who talk largely about things Of
which they are Ignorant.
If there are sounds of kindness,
Of mirth, of love, open fly my ears!
But. temper, or harshness, or hatred,