The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-08-12
NO. II.

1.-THE first course I respond to the ser
wants query with a nod !; he gene
rally understands that to be the last
dish he mentioned-say, cod; % he
asks me if it was cod l preferred; l
don't hear him, but nod sgain. and he
brings me cod. I iinges over my
fish until one of my neigAbors il
served with dish in the next couaBse
f-say, roast beef; I imn,edia&ely- or
der some roast beef; I know there IS
some, not because the servant says
so, but because Poe seen At. After
that it's easy enough to keep behind
my tneighbors a little. Some things
about this plan may seem awkward to
lyou; but practice makes perfect; 1
find it easy eneughf"
Sacques seemed satisfied. That
being all I wanted, we dropped the
subject.
/ ride a good deal by railroad. If
I had been a railroad conductor, in
stead of dry goods dealer, nobody
ever should know that was slight
ly deaf.
often form pleasant acquaintanccs
in the cars. Only last week
l made a friend of a very intelligent
| and .sociable Southern gentfeHaA,
in this way: had business in Al
bany, and went by Hudson River
thither. By me sat genflenau
wearing military coat, wxA whom
l was soon conversing. It was an
express train, and the stops were few
whenever these did occur i stepped
out upon the platfoyn, from habit
Of long standing, not returning until
the wheels had again st up tAeix
rumblisg. Finally, 1t one place I
did not 60 out, but kept my ssaf.
My military friend continss3 d.
conversation. I ksa suddenly lost
my hearing, his lips moved, but ]
heard no sound.
"What do you say t'' said I.
The lips moved again.
Speak little louder please"
Once more I saw the lips move
II don't understand yeu," I was
forced to say again.
The military gentleman grew rcd
in the face, and arose i'll his seat.
looking daggers at me-. There was
an audible tittering in our vicinity.
"D-n it Sir!" he declared, in .
tone of voice that heard perfectly
distinctly; "what do you meant"
The gentleman was from Virginia.
I protested had none but the most
courteous intentions. Tie cars
now began their motion, and the
wheels their rattling, and-my hear
ing returned. I proceeded at onee
to explain my ce,tduct in having be-
come afflicted with sudden deafness
when I was asked so plain a ques-
tion as, "Have you any tobacco about
youT'
"I ought to have informed yes,
Sir" / said to my companion, that
am slightly deaf-a little hard Of
hearing. You seem surprised. But
the explanation is simple. When
the cars are in motion, / hear even
better than those whose ears are not
defective. The cars, in moving,
make considerable noise That noise
you hear distinctly, Write ! Aear it
very slightly. You raise your voice
above the racket; but that racket
does not exist for me. I get the full
benefit of your raised voice, while to
you it does not seem greatly raised,
because the act of speaking loud,
amidst noise, is involuntary"
Owing to this simple fact being
little known, have been cruelty mis-
judged, and unjustly suspected of
sound hearing, by agreat many Of the
ignorant in the premises.
I was once travelling in a railroad
car aud heard voice behind mo-
say.
:.This old codger what sets right
afront of us is old Bykes, what keeps
the store in-street, what we broke
into stretcher ago come next July;
twig %
"Is that so, Jfm?" said another
voice; II never seed him afore. Amt
yer 'fraid he'll hear ye, thought Bet
ter cheese yer patter.''
''No, he said the deaf james;
''he's deaf as a dead 'un; nore'n
that, couldr't nobody hear us when
the cars make such noise more'n
that, don't yer see he's fast asleep2
J-s! wouldn't we cotch it, though,
if he know'd as how the coves was
a-settin' behind him what ar&cked
his cellar-door with a jimmy and
prigged such jolly haul Of swag7"
Mr.. James M'knuckler, the we'll
known cracksman, proceeded to re-
count his interesting exploit with
considerable partially-suppressed hill
arity, while 1 was judiciously rod
ding my satisfaction. At next sta
ton arose, stretched myself, and
walked out; entering another car as
the train moved off, and, through
a.,