Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-05-09
The art of Not.Hearing

The art of NOt-Hearing should be taught
in every well-regulated family. 1t is fully as
Important to domestic happiness as a cult
yated ear, for which so much money and
time are expended. There are so many
things which it is painful to hear, many
which we ought not TO hear very many
which if heard will disturb the temper, cor
rupt simplicity and modesty, detract from
contentment and happiness that every one
should be educated TO take in or shut out
sounds, according to their pleasure.
If n man falls into violent passion and
calls me all manner of names, the first word
shuts my ears, and ! hear no more. If, in
my quiet voyage Of life, find myself caught
in one of those domestic whirlwinds of
scolding, | shut my ears, as Il sailor would
iurl his sails and, making all tight, scud be-
fore the guile If a hot and restless man he
gins to inllame my feelings, ! consider what
mischief these sparks might do in the maya
zine below, where my temper is kept, and
Instantly close the door.
Does u gadding, misunderstanding fellow,
begin to inform me what people are saying
about me, down drops the portculis of my
ear, and he cannot get in any farther. Does
the collector OF neighborhOOd scandal task
my eur as a warehouse it instinctively shuts
up. Some people feel very anxious to hear
everything that will veX and annoy them
If it is limited that any one has spoken i'll of
them, they set about searching the matter
and finding out. If all the petty things said
of one by Needless or ill-natured idlers were
TO be brought home to him, he would be
come mere walking pincushion, stuck full
of sharp remarks. should as soon thank n
man for amptying ON my he'd bushe of
nettles or setting loose swarm Of mosqui-
toes in my chamber, or raising II pungent
fluqi in m hauqa ffnnapnllt nc 10 mi
me all the tattle of careless or spitefu peo-
pie. If you would be happy, when among
good men, open your ears when among
bad, shut them. And as the throat has Il
muscular arrangement by which it takes
care of the air-passage of its own accord, so
the ear should be trained to an automatic
dullness Of hearing 1t is not worth while
to hear what your servants say when they
are angry what your children say after they
have slammed the door what beggar says
whom you have rejected from your door; i;
what your neighbors say about your chill
dren; what your rivals say about your bust
ness or dress.
This art Of Not-Ilearing, though not
taught in the schools, is by no means un-
known, or unpracticed in society. 1 have
noticed that well-bred woman never hears
an impertinent or vulgar remark A kind
Of discreet deafness saves one from many in
suits from much blame, from not a little
apparent connivance in dishonorable con-
yersation
There are two doors inside my ears, a
right hand door leading to the heart, and
left hand door, with broad and steep pas
sage, leading out into the open air. This
last door receives all ugliness profanity,
yulgarity, misunderstanding, which suddenly
find themselves outside Of me-
Judicious teachers and indulgent parents
save young uTchins a world of trouble by Il
convenient deafness. Bankers aud brokers
often are extremely hard of hearing, when
unsafe borrowers are importunate. l never
hear Il man who runs after me in the street
bawling my name at the top of his voice
nor 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, oil
harshness or hatred, or vugarity, or fiat
terry, shuts them. Ii you keep your garder
gate shut, your flowers and fruit will be safe
you keep your doors closed, no thief will
run off with your silver and if you keel
youI ears shut, your heart will lose neither
its flowers nor its treasures.