Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 305, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1916 — At the Opera [ARTICLE]

At the Opera

“There were about 4,000 persons out to hear ‘Parsifal’ the night I wed, remarked Mrs. Grim to her husband. “Is that so?” responded Grim. *T didn’t know there were so many deaf p. ople in the country.*’ “What are you talking about?” demanded his wife. “One thousand people slightly deaf, not altogether deaf, deaf, and middling deaf.” “I don’t see the point yet. ‘Parsifal’ isn’t for deaf people, tho parts of It are rather stormy.” ’ s ‘ “Deafness is really an advantage at «ny of Wagner’s biqwouts. But what 1 meant was that at such places of en tertainment there" is always one deaf man to every three or four persons \, ho can bear. “I’m sure I don’t object in the least to the deaf people being there. But 1 (io object to the people who go there with the deaf people. There is always a person who persists in explaining things to the deaf person. The explanations are uncalled for, and the deafness is perhaps a sort of protection against them. “The last time I went to hear the opera I paid eight dollars for a seat. Everyone kept asking me if I was going and then every one always looked supercilious when I said no, so I finally changed my mind and went. Having paid so much for a seat, 1 wanted to hear the music. “Hanged if an old lady deaf as a p-.st and rich as cream, didn’t line up right behind me! There were four Mends with her, all anxious to talk io her. I think she owned the theater because no one objected to the recitations on the part of those who were with her.

"The old lady couldn’t heai a thing. Everything had to be repeated three c.r four times. Even then there were some things she never did hear. I got interested in and wanted to fake a hand. At one stage they were i 11 trying so hard to get her to comprehend that I could hardly stand it. They didn’t know how to talk to a deal person. Thpy didn't enunciate clearly. I was always good at enunciation. "At last, when they were al) talking together, unable to get the old lady to comprehend at all, either thru stubbornness or meanness, I rose elaborately from my seat and turned and faced them. "‘Excuse me,’ 1 said, ‘but I can be of assistance? Let me try.’ "With that I placed my two hands around my mouth and shouted loud and clear: ‘‘‘They say your dress Is coming open in the back.”’-