274 THE WONDERFUL HOUSE THAT JACK HAS 



harm, but by neglecting them or experimenting with 

 patent remedies, precious hearing power may be lost. 



Some people are not concerned about deafness in 

 one ear. They seem to think either that increased 

 power in the other will make up the loss, or that they 

 can get along well enough with one good ear, and that 

 it is not worth while to bother about the other. This 

 is a great mistake. Even if there is no chance of re- 

 storing the lost power to the diseased ear, the same 

 difficulty may occur in the good ear, and deafness in 

 both result. No pains or trouble should be spared to 

 restore the affected ear to a state of health. Very 

 likely deafness may exist for years in one ear, while 

 hearing in the other remains perfect. On the other 

 hand, the possibility of the healthy ear becoming 

 affected is always present, and the slightest cause 

 may bring about such a grave result. 



Altogether too little attention is directed to the dis- 

 abling effects and the unpleasant features of deafness. 

 The groping of the blind always excites sympathy. 

 The inability of the deaf to understand unfortunately 

 seldom makes much impression. It does not require 

 great imagination to feel for those who are blind, be- 

 cause the pathos of their loss is so self-evident. But 

 few are moved fully to sympathize with deaf persons, 

 since their loss and discomfort are not so noticeable. 

 Very deaf persons speak in abnormally loud or in ex- 

 tremely low tones, because they cannot hear themselves. 

 Often they are troubled by roaring and other unnatural 



