The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-04-18
Artistic Deafness.

of the least understood, of social arts is
the art of not hearing. The many
know nothing Of it; the few comprehend
it, master it and practice it at once
deity and gracefully. Men seldom at
tempt it, and when they do they are apt
to blunder in its execution. They learn
its theory: they perceive its advantage;
they try hard to manage it, and are
commonly foiled even after they have
grown most confident of success.
This artistic deafness naturally falls
within the province of woman. and its
are never quite discharged except by
her. Her instinct, delicacy, tact and
quickness fit her for evading, or,
rather, forignoring, any question Or re-
! mark not welcome to her, and for
bringing to repentance and regret the
person who has been indiscrect enough
to offer it. She cannot carry off her
stimulation easily and bccomingly UNI
less she is distinctly fine, has had long
training in society, and owns the power
of anticipation to an extraordinary de-
gree.
Although SO few become adopts in
this social art, it is worth everybody's
while 10 undertake it and experiment
upon it, for they will improve by prac-
tice, and, by dilligent attention and con-
tinuous study will finally acquit them
selves without discredit. 1t saves deal
of friction; it mildly though effectually
rebukes all impertinence; it represses
scandal; it discourages egotism; it in
culcates modesty; it stimulates and
strengthens good-breeding; it is mod
ifier and sweetener of society. Where
there is any number of persons who
seem incapable of hearing the unpleas-
ant and undesirable, one may be sure
that in their circle unusual gentleness
of manners and refinement Of behavior
may reasonably be looked for. They
are guardians of the proprieties and
creators of the bie,sseGnccs which lie at
the foundation and constitute SO large
portion of all social elegance. What
can give better or higher idea of
strictly fine man or woman than the
consciousness that he or she ever pre-
sents to the ungrateful and indecorous
the ear of a statue?
To stifle incivility or Inappropriate
ness by nicely chosen words. to sting
an indelicacy to death by sarcasm,
to reprove by a glance. to deter by
gesture, is well, and involves and de-
mands peculiar talent. But each
and all of those are cumbersome and
awkward compared with the lack of
necessity of noticing their existence.
Not to hear paralyzes rugged energy
and abashes extreme holiness, espe-
cially when the not hearing is trans
parently an appearance, but at the same
time an appearance which must be
accepted as a reality. No man is proof
against this dissembled deafness. 1t
is worse than tie bitterest sarcasm,
than the sharpest rebuke; it blights
and withers when its feigning is fault
less. 1t is sort of triumph of mind
over matter, of art over Nature, of So
ciety over humanity, of discipline over
instinct, of tact of over passion-of in
dividuality, in q word, over race. To
do it perfectly, much rs it may have
been done, is always more or less of
an inspiration, and to see it so done is
curious, interesting and instructive.
Seldom is it a complete success, to
insure which many and varied attain
ments are called for. Men generally
show annoyance, or irritation, or I'M
mistakable self-control when they as
sumo not to hear. He who has said
the wrong thing, Willingly or unwit-
tingly, can generally see that he has
touched the quick, however skillfully
his touch may have been parted. He
who has intended cffense or determined
to wound perceives in most cases
that he has achieved his object, de-
spite silence and studied efforts to
deceive. Not so with woman.
The faintest flush in her cheek,
the slightest additional CLEAN in her
eye, the momentary flash of fresh
emotion in her face, alone betray,
when she is deep of instinct and
ingenuity, that there is commune
cation between her ear and her
brain. Being profound artist, not
even those scant symptoms are betoken-
ed. The words she has heard seem to
fall as UNDECIDED as if they had never
been uttered; sometimes tey appear to