The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-04-12
tn. Ar,.rNot Hearing.

The art of not hearing
Taught in every well regulated family
n n fully asimporta,'t to domestic hap
niness as a cultivated ear, to. develop
wbicb so much money and time areoex-
nended. There are so many things
which it is painful to hear, very many
of which if heard will disturb the tenn
per, corrupt simplicity and modesty, de-
tract from contentment and happiness,
that every one should be educated to
take in or shut out according to their
pleasure. % pa HSi7I 'nt "rE A..
If man falls into a 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, 1
find myself caught in one of those do
nestle whirlwinds of scoldings,l shut
my ears, as o sailor would furl his saiis'
and making all tight, scud before the
gale. If restless man begins to IN
fame my feelings, consider what mis-
chief these fiery sparks may do in the
magazine below, where my temper rs
kept, and instantly close the door.
Does gadding, misunderstanding fell
low begin to inform me what people are
saying about me, down drops the port
CULTS of my ear, and he cannot get in
any further. Does the collector OF a
neighborhood's scandal ask my ear as
warehouse, it instinctivsly shuts up.
Some people seem anxious to know ev-
erything that will vex andannoy them.
II it is limited that any one has spoken
i'll of thsm, 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 become mere
walking pincushion, :tuck full of sharp
remarks. i should as soon thank q
man for emptying upon my bed a bush
ell of nettles, or setting loose swarm
of ants in my chamber, or raising a
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 ears; when among bad, shut
them. And Us the throat has muscu-
lar arrangement by which it takes care
of the air passages of its own accord, so
the ears should be trained to an auto
matte dizziness of bearing. 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 your neighbors say
about your children; what your rivals
say about your business, your dress or
your affairs.
This art of not hearing, though I'M
taught in the schools, is by no means
unknown, or unpractised in society. l
have noticed that well-bred woman
never hears an impertincnt or vulgar
remark. A kind of discreet deafness
saves one many insults, from much
blame, from not little apparent con-
nivance in dishonorable conversation
There are two doors inside my ears
a right hand door to the heart and
| left-hand door, with broad and steep
passage out into the open air. This
last door receives all ugliness, profan'
ity, vulgarity, misunderstanding, which
suddenly find themselves outside of me-
Judicious teachers and indulgent pa
rents save young urchins world OF
trouble by convenient deafness
Bankers and money-lenders often are
hard of hearing, when unsafe borrow
ers are importunate. l never hear
man who runs after Inc in the street
bawling my name at the top of his
voice; nor persons who talk evil OF
those who are absent; nor those who
give me unasked advice about my OWL
affairs: nor those who talk largely OF
things of which they are ignorant.
If there are sounds of kindness, OF
mirth, of love, open fly my ears! But
tie mper, or harshness, or hatred, or vul'
garity, or fiattery, shut them.
If you keep your garden gate shut,
your flowers and fruit will be safe. II
you keep your doors closed, no thiei
will run off with your silver, and if you
keep your ears shut, your heart will
lose neither it's flowers nor its treas,
ures.