Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-17

DISADVANTAGES AND CONVERSATIONS OF Dull

Deaf as a Post.
DISADVANTAGES AND COMBINATIONS OF Dull
HEARING.
Those who live much with deaf people are
Iully aware that their misfortune IS not en-
teresting questions than ssWhat?D an interro
cation which is too frequently put to them by
their dull cared friends. 1t Is unpleasant, toe
story twice, when the rest OF the party heard il
distinctly the first time, and it is disapreeabe
20 be obliged to speak In an unnatura1ly loud
that ones remarks are not OF worldwide i inser'
est. 1t Is provoking, too, to be requested to re-
peat another persons story before he has got to
fond Of gossip is source Of peril both to friend
and foe. ALI scandalmOngerS are dangerous.
but the deaf scandalmonger is such an unsafe
W1hoet hea 1a to 60 about
mishears another part, and fails altogether -
hear the remainder: He SEXES his scraps ann
PATCHES them a togethe9r from surmise. Armeo
spread it broadcast 1t is not often that he % :.
set hold of story In any shane 30 whom a.
can piece one together, he tells it to everybody
lie meets.
1t has been observed that, II one watches
dancers with closed ears, the result is ridic1,'
ious, as they seem e to be caperlng about to no
Iurl ose: HoIe aosuT9 however, is the appear
ance OF preacher when we cannot hear what
he says. The dancers, at any rate, seem good.
humored; but here we have man who annea nc
10 nave WORKED himself into passion with
81 me person or persons unknown, and we LONG
10 ADVISE MIN TO keep his temper, be things ever
so bad. From his manner we at one time infer
mat ne IS trying the effect of persuasion, at
announcer that or lnvective; we can hear his voice
raised or lowered, Quiver1ng with emotion or
railing in indignation, but we cannot distfn-
euish his articulations, nor can we make out
abusing an absent friend. Our attention being
unOccupied with the matter of his sermon. We
nave ample time to notice all his little tricks
gestures and wonder which attitudes or move
ments foretell an approaching conclusion.
Watching singing is little more amusing that
watching preaching. OF course, person who
part of song; but In large opera-house or
cOncert-rOOm, when far from the orchestra he
loses quite enough to mar the enjoyment Of the
solos except the highest shrieks Of the soprano.
When she lowers her voice, 1t gradually be-
comes more and more 1ndistinct, until she seems
to open her mouth without making any per-
ceptible sound, and these apparently mute
movements Of her lips are followed by an out
burst of uproar1ous applause, which contrasts
curiously with the TO the deaf person. dead ST.
less extraordinary is the effect produced by the
reader OF comic story when we cannot hear
word he says Unlike the case of the preacher
1t is the audience and not the speaker that
seems eccentric when the theme of the dis
course is amusing. Without apparent cause
their features twitch and their diaphragms be-
come CONFUSED. The appearance of others in
to those who are not themselves amused. very
odd, too, seem the movements Of a speaker and
his audience at a public dinner when we can
not hear him. He shutters and hesitates, smiles
and goes through various antics and then the
listeners cry "Hear, hear" and thump the
table until the glasses jingle.
Defective hearing is not without its effect
Preventing him from entering into general CON
versation, 1t has tendency to make him obser-
want, and he becomes lOOker-On in society.
He learns to notice quickly expressions of
the faces OF others. On the other hand, through
his inability to engage in ordinary discourse,
ne loses the habit OF repartee and generally
se,ce slow, dt1ident and awkward talker.
M1strusting his hearing, he practically obtains
most OF his information from print, in which
case he has time to draw his conclusions at
leisure. He is apt in consequence to lose the
facility OF rapid thought so necessary in good
conversationalist. He is, however, very tenac-
1ous of his leisurely- matured opinions, and
trusts to them implicitly, often gaining repu-
Of our hearing SO frequently Of people being
las deaf as posts and as obstinate as mulesn
The deafer man gets, the more distrustful he
becomes OF human speech, and he hesitates to
form decision on question unless he has seen
1t stated In black and white. His loss of sus-
cepttbility to the influence Of The voices of
others renders him less affected also by their
presence. Thrown so much upon himself, he
becomes absent, and feels alone among crowd.
A confusion of discordant sounds has little
power to annoy him, and the roar of great
city scarcely distracts him. He is not worried
by barrel organs or street cries. nor do equi-
noctlal gales or barking dogs disturb his slum-
bers; and he may always console himself with
the reflection that q large proportion OF the
conversation which he loses through his in
trinity Is not worth hearing. His lot may be
sad one, but it Is said that there Is no creature
so miserable or weak as to be ungifted with
any means Of self defense, and the deaf man is
Ia Annf 10
disapproved of, and when his errors and mis-
deeds have been pointed out to him in long
and passionate harangue, he can utterly dis
to repeat what he has .-lSQfardau Reuien