Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-04-27
The Art of Not Hearing,

.Ine art O1 not nearing should DC taught in every well regulated family It is full as important to domestic hap pipess as cultivated ear, to develop which so much money and time are ex- pended, There arc so many things which 1t is painful to hear, very many which if heard win disturb the temper, corrupt 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 man falls into a violent passion and calls mo 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 seedlings, I shut my ears, as a sailor would furl his sails, and making all tight, scud quietly be- fore the gale.
 If hot and restless man begins to inAame my feelings, consider what mischief these fiery sparks may do in the magazine below. where my temper is kept and immediately close the door.
 Does a gadding, misunderstanding fell low begin to inform me what people arc saying about me, down drops the portcullis of my ear, and he cannot get in any further. Does the collector of a neighborhood's scandal ask my ear as a warehouse, it instinctivcly shuts up. Some people seem anxious to hear cv- erything that will annoy and vex them. If it is hintod that any one has spoken evil of them, they set about searching the matter and finding out. If all the petty things said of one by needless and ill-natured idlers, were to be brought home to him, he would become mere walking pin-cushion, stuck full of re- marks. l should as soon thank q man for emptying upon my bed n bushel of ncttles, or setting loose Hswarm ofants in my chamber, or raising pungent dust in my house generally, as to bring in upon me all the tattle of careless or spiteful people.
 If you would be happy, when among good men, open your cars; and when among bad, shut them. And as the throat has muscular arrangement by which it takes care of the air passages of its own accord, so the cars should be trained to automatic dullness of hearing.
 It ia not worth while to hear what ynnr servante cay when they arc mad ; what your children say after they have slammed the door; what your neigh bors say about your children; what your rivals say about your business or your dress,
 This art of not hearing, though un- taught in the schools, is by no means unknown, or unpracticed in society," I have noticed that well-brcd woman never hears an impertinent or vulgar remark.
 A kind of discreet deafness saves us from many insults, from blame, and and not little apparent connivance in dishonorable conversation.
 There arc two doors inside my cars "a right-hand door leading to the heart, and left-hand door, with a broad and steep passage out into the open air. This last door receives all the ugliness, profanity, vulgarity, mis- chief-making, which suddenly find themselves outside of me. Judicious teachers and indulgent parents save young urchins a world of trouble by a convenient deafness. Bankers are hard of hearing, when unsafe borrowers are importunatc.
 | never hear man who runs after me in the street bawling my name at the top of his voice nor persons who talk evil of those who arc absent; nor those who give me unasked advice about my own affairs; nor those who talk largely of things of which they arc ] ignorant.
 If there are sounds of kindness, ol mirth, of love, open fly my ears! But temper, vulgarity, or flattery will shut 1 them.
 If you keep your garden gate shut, your flowers and fruit will be safe. Ii you keep your door closed, no thief will run off with your clothes, and ii you keep your ears shut, your heart will loose neither its flowers or treas ures.