Then there were the two old people who had become estranged. Both were very deaf, without imagination, and very stubborn. They quarreled over some trivial misunderstanding, and refused to speak to each other; for years they had lived in the same house, with never a word passing between them. Probably the original trouble was due to a misunderstanding of words, but when the deaf are obstinate and “set in their ways,” you have the human mind like an oyster depositing a thick shell of prejudice around the germ of charity and good nature. This is one reason why they of all people should continuously read good poetry and stories of human nature; this is their best chance for keeping in touch with common humanity, and if a man lose the contact he is no longer a full man.
So these old people lived together and yet never addressed each other. There was one ear trumpet between them, and they always waited for visitors to come before trying to communicate. They had been known to call in some stranger who chanced to be passing in order that he might act as intermediary. In truth, the old couple still loved each other in an odd, clumsy fashion, and both would gladly have broken the silence had not the pride of each refused to “give way.”
One day the neighbor’s boy came to borrow some milk, and both seized upon him to act as interpreter. He screamed an explanation of his errand to the old lady.
“Pa tried to milk old Spot, and she kicked him and the pail over. Ma wants to borry some milk to feed the baby.”
“Tell him to get the pan off the pantry shelf.”
The boy delivered the message and the old man got the milk.
“Tell her I want my dinner.”
The boy did his best to scream this into the lady’s ear, but his feeble voice cracked under the strain. The listener got only one clear sound.
“Says he’s a miserable sinner, does he? You’re right; he is. I’m glad to see he’s getting humble. Tell him I’m waiting for dry wood. If I don’t get it, I’ll raise Cain!”
The boy ran over to the man with this message. The part about the wood was easy for there was the empty wood box. The rest of the message was too dull for his ears. So he hunted up pencil and paper and told the boy to write it out, while his wife sat congratulating herself with: