■408 
TH IS RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
March 28, 
IN BOOKLAND 
I, Freedom, Dwell With Knowledge, 
J Abide With Men by Culture Trained 
and Fortified. 
Deafness and Cheerfulness. 
It is said that there are about one 
million persons in the country who are 
more or less deaf, the condition running 
from a slight loss of hearing to total 
deafness. From correspondence we judge 
that a number of thousands of our own 
subscribers are in that condition. One 
of the best books for these unfortunate 
people is “Deafness and Cheerfulness,” 
by Dr. A. W. Jackson. This little book 
contains some of the soundest philosophy 
to be found in the English language, and 
is a tine example of first-class English. 
The author is a deaf man, so he knows 
his subject, and also what it means to 
live shut off in the silence. If possible, 
every person who is hard of hearing 
should read and study this little book, 
and it might also be well for the asso¬ 
ciates of the deaf man to read the book, 
for it will contain many lessons and ad¬ 
monitions for them. For some years we 
have made a practice of sending this book 
here and there as we came to know deaf 
people, in order that they might read it, 
and in each case we have asked them 
to tell us just what they thought about 
the philosophy which is taught by the 
author. Now we want to give with this 
a letter from such a man as a fair ex¬ 
ample of what cheerfulness in an afflic¬ 
tion may mean. This is from an elderly 
man who might easily have been made 
sour and discontented by his affliction. 
There is a lesson for all of us in the 
cheerful spirit he shows in his criticism 
of the book. 
Dr. Jackson has written a very read¬ 
able book upon an unique and very un¬ 
promising theme. My criticisms arc not 
so much with what the author has said as 
with what he has not said. A chapter 
might well have been added to ventilate 
the “Advantages of Deafness as a pro¬ 
moter of Cheerfulness.” Like every other 
subject, there are two sides to be taken 
under consideration. The compensations 
are worthy of note, because they con¬ 
tribute largely to cheerfulness. 
1. A partial or a total loss of hearing 
tends to quicken the power of sight, just 
as the blind are compensated by the sen¬ 
sitiveness of touch. Cut off from hearing, 
dependence is placed more upon sight; 
spectacles may still be necessary, but 
one has greater powers of observation. 
The deaf man sees everything. If he 
cannot as fully interpret nature and so¬ 
ciety as the man with hearing, yet he 
comprehends and appropriates both to 
a greater extent than some suppose. The 
music of nature is silent, but its poetry 
is vocal. 
2. Deliverance from confusion, disorder 
and nerve-racking furies of both nature 
and society when at their worst. Many 
a man and woman whose sensitive nerves 
are daily tortured with the babel of harsh 
sounds would give much for a few hours 
or clays of deliverance from the ever¬ 
present irritation; a time of calm quiet 
would truly be a rest sublime; such a 
rest would bring peace and when peace 
abides cheerfulness must reign. 
3. Freedom from the infliction of un¬ 
welcome words. Very much which greets 
the normal ear would better not fall 
upon the auditory nerve. Our cheerful¬ 
ness would be more constant and full if 
a considerable portion of talk which 
we are compelled to hear should lose 
itself in silence ere it disturbed our 
serenity. 
4. Second nature. If deafness comes 
on gradually, it produces a readjustment 
of our mental processes; in ? word it 
becomes second nature—as the fishes in 
a dark cave are sightless, yet disport 
themselves in their native element with 
as much apparent happiness as their 
neighbors outside in the light with full 
powers of sight. I do not say that in the 
case of the deaf these and other offsets, 
I might mention, are sufficient to make 
up for the loss of hearing, but I do claim 
they go a long way in that direction. 
A. G. BLOOMFIELD. 
A Neighborhood Library Branch. 
We have it right here in the house, 
so feel qualified to tell about it. This 
town is long and narrow, with a number 
of small villages in its limits. The main 
library is in the center, in the graded 
school building, open once a week, on 
Fridays. There are live of the branches 
in outlying villages where some friendly 
person will accommodate the books. The 
salary is nothing, but you make your own 
rules. There are 50 books here, changed 
every six weeks. A public school is near, 
so half of the books are supposed to be 
juvenile, and the children can come any 
school day for an hour after school. The 
grownups come when they can. Books 
are to be taken out for two weeks, and 
renewed for two weeks more, and there is 
a rule about fines. But what we really 
do, is to suit rules to circumstances. 
Fines are not strictly enforced, as the 
state of the weather, the roads, the some¬ 
time absence of the librarian and various 
other things must be considered. 
Our humble branch is in the kitchen, 
on shelves made from shoe boxes. The 
kitchen is in an ell facing the street, and 
seemed the most convenient place, and 
most easily cleaned up in muddy weather. 
Father seems to think the books are for 
his own especial benefit. We have first 
A Dependable Friend. 
chance at the books when they are 
changed, and try to read all, so to know 
what to recommend. Nearly all the books 
are fiction, as the demand is all for this, 
but in course of time one may get special 
books wanted from the central library. 
Readers vary in number, being more 
in number when the mills are closed or 
in school vacations. The people are 
more interesting than the books. Small 
boys demand the Alger books. One lad 
spent half an hour on his knees 
personally examining the 50 books to see 
none was an Alger, then departed with 
none. One small girl asked for the “Alge¬ 
bra” books. Many children like the most 
sensational, one honest girl saying of a 
“Motor Girl’s” volume: “My sister said 
she never read such a lovely book !” But 
they all read all the books, and one small 
boy from a large family next door shows 
a very true taste, but wants large print. 
He would like Kipling’s Jungle Book 
next. 
One young man thinks he likes prob¬ 
lem novels or something instructive. lie 
was very enthusiastic recently over 
Sheldon’s “A Builder of Ships,” and has 
recently had “The Parish of the Pines” 
and “A Year in a Coal Mine.” He gets 
books for his family and a neighbor shut 
in by the care of a childish old mother. 
There is a bright young school girl who 
comes in the evening with a companion 
and takes several books, usually charged 
up a month ahead. A number of peo¬ 
ple read these. A tired young school 
teacher wants something bright and 
short in good print; this is charged up 
some time ahead, we do the choosing. 
Then there is a friendly neighbor who 
takes half a dozen books in as many 
names for the benefit of an incurable in¬ 
valid on an outlying farm. These gen¬ 
erally go for a month and are read by the 
neighborhood. 
The circulation of books, including 
those read by the family of three in¬ 
veterate readers, ,is about one hundred 
a month. Sister, who really took in the 
books, when no one else would, is too 
delicate to do church or club work, yet 
wanted to do her little to help. This 
seems to be the thing she can do. There 
is seldom anything that bothers her; she 
doesn’t mind having the books here at 
all. Perhaps someone else, reading this, 
many find a similar opportunity. 
Sister, following the advice of an ex¬ 
perienced acquaintance, finds it most con¬ 
venient to allow grown-ups to come in 
when they wish. But she does not try 
to stay in if she especially wishes to go 
out, usually putting a. card on the outside 
door marked: “Out, Leave Books to be 
Returned.” But she found it best to 
make a rule that children should only 
come for an hour after school. 
One has to keep a record of the books 
and Sister calls this her easiest way. She 
uses an ordinary wide five-cent composi¬ 
tion book. 
Name Number Time Due 
John Jones. 441 Jan. 15 
Paul Knight . 40 Jan. 15 
Susie Robinson .. 67B Jan. 10 
The line is crossed off when the book 
is returned, and a new entry made. This 
is only possible because there are seldom 
more than 20 books out at one time. For 
a week while Sister was away, and for 
many more weeks when she was out and 
father was in, the branch nearly ran it¬ 
self. People came in, crossed off the en¬ 
try under their names, chose a new book, 
recorded it and went out. The books are 
sorted into several different piles under 
general headings of Grown-ups, Boys, 
Girls and Little Children’s. The children 
like it, and Sister finds it much easier. 
Massachusetts. edna s. knapp. 
Where Brains Are Needed. 
“I claim it takes more brains to farm,” 
said Ebenezer 3rown, 
“That what it does to git ahead and 
make a splash in town; 
Why, I know six or seven chaps from 
this here neighborhood 
Who went away to cities, where they’re 
busy makin’ good. 
“You take Chicago and New York—size 
up the big men there— 
The lawyer, doctor, merchant and the 
multi milli on a i re— 
You’ll find they’ve all been farmer boys, 
or lived in towns, at least, 
Where they could have a chance to 
learn the ways of bird and beast. 
"Now take these city chaps who come to 
cultivate the land— 
I don’t mean millionaires who farm for 
fun, you understand— 
But take the common city folks who try 
to farm, and say! 
It’s pitiful the way they try to make 
their farmin’ pay. 
“I’ve saw a dozen of ’em fail; I never 
seen one yet 
Who managed to be prominent or not 1 
get into debt; 
And so I claim a man may make an aw¬ 
ful splash in town 
And not have b. .ins enough to farm,” I 
said Ebenezer Brown. 
—S. E. Kiser. 1 
When you write advertisers mention 
The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick 
reply and a “square deal.” See guaran¬ 
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