CHAPTER 8
That battle of the classes was a decisive one in one sense, it ended such disgraceful affairs. Destroyed furniture, disfigured faces and sore bodies were not conducive to smooth class running. In chapel two days later, after the Faculty had investigated matters, the students were given to understand that there must be no more of it. Some of the ringleaders were put on probation.
One evening, a week later, I was studying alone in my room, when I was aroused by the familiar knocking device at the door. This arrangement for attracting a deaf student is a window weight at one end of a rope with a knob attached at the other end. The rope is run through the wall on a pulley with the weight on the inside of the partition, incased. The weight is raised from the outside by pulling the rope, and then allowed to drop with a bang, thus arousing the roomer. The hapless Ducks found this knocker a source of torment when used by upper men long after retiring hours.
I opened the door, and in came Fred. Fred, Dick, and I were near the same age, but I was not so strong as they. The two had done farm work nearly every summer, while my work had been light. Fred sat down, and with this surprising news, opened the conversation,
“ Mickey, they’ve spotted you. ”
“ Spotted me? Who, and what for? ”
“ The students—even your own classmates. ”
“ But what for? ” I repeated.
“ They say you’re not one of them. ”
“ Not one of them—what do you mean? Quit holding back, Fred, come out with it. ”
There flashed through my mind several acts on the parts of students that did seem unnecessary, words and conduct now and then I had silently taken exception to, but had not given the matter second thought. Now Fred was probably to bring about an awakening.
“ They say you’re different and have got the swell head. ” I was resentful of such an appraisal of myself.
“ Maybe I’m different, Fred; but I haven’t got that other thing they accuse me of—they just think so. ”
“ You’re right, Mickey, I understand you because I know you better than the other boys do, except Dick. All these students have been through the institutions, and are molded somewhat alike; you have told me your life story, and I can understand. You’ve seen more of life and the world, and that has told in you; you have an unusual command of English and can talk quite normally. I know that advantage does make some mutes and even ‘ semi-mutes, ’ as they are called, jealous— ”§
“ What’s a ‘ semi-mute’? ” I broke in.
“ I’m one, ” he laughed. “ We fellows who lost our hearing when we were tots, but had learned to talk some, and can still talk, but not so well, not so plainly as you can. It’s a queer appellation, but it sticks to us. ”
“ But they shouldn’t be jealous, ” I argued.
“ I know it; but it’s a case such as you often find among women. If one woman has a finer hat than the others, the others are jealous. The mutes feel their lack of English, and where they find one of their number, like you, with an extra supply of it, they’re jealous. The boys have also found you know a pile more than a Duck is expected to know—you’ve seen so much of the world, you know—that is responsible for the ugly word, or words, they use. Don’t pay attention, however; likewise, I would say, don’t give them a chance to let their idea grow, just hold in a little until they know you better, and I think you’ll come out all right. ”
“ I hope so, really, Fred, I do hope so. ” A current of amusing enthusiasm swept through me, as I pictured what the boys might have in store for me while harboring such an idea.
“ Want to hear some more? ”
“ Go on. ”
“ You’re neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. ”
“ Then what in all hell am I? ” I snapped.
“ I don’t know myself. You see, by the same course of reasoning they place you so. School loyalty and rivalry is strong, your brief stay at an institution doesn’t quite place you—you are nothing, just nothing, as they say, and you don’t know signs, can’t half understand them, can’t read the lips, don’t stand for any school, or institution. Maybe they class you with Topsy, weren’t born and never had a mother! ”
“ The devil! ” I exclaimed, “ What next? ”
Fred laughed. “ And when you get out of here and mix with the boys all over the land you’ll be a lone bird. And if you ever amount to anything there won’t be any school to claim you and broadcast your name. And if you get into troubles with the boys here, if you make rivals, which generally leads to enmity, you’ll feel it later on, and you won’t have anyone to stand by you. ”
“ Look here, Fred, are you stuffing me? ”
“ Not a bit of it, old boy. ” He suddenly shifted the course of conversation, which led me to think that he had been having some fun at my expense, while I was taking it all very seriously. “ Do you read our paper, The Deaf Man’s Times? ” he went on. I had to admit that I had never given it much attention, just a glance over it. “ Then there you are again—not in the swim. Why, that paper is chock full of our doings all over the country. The deaf in every part of the country know what is doing among the deaf in other parts. It’s just like a regular newspaper. If you or I should distinguish ourselves for good or bad, you may be sure it would get in The Times—look out! ” He paused a moment to see the effect. I remained quiet, a good listener. Fred continued. “ You know we’re organized, our tribe, and you can hear, or read, all about what’s doing, and what our illustrious men are doing. They’re the big guns among us. Gee! They make a lot of noise, those big guns, but somehow they never hit the target. Maybe there isn’t any target, or their aim’s bad, or they don’t put shells in with the powder. But they keep up a pile of enthusiasm, anyhow, and that keeps the boys together, more or less so. When I get out of here I’m going to be a big gun, too, Mickey, you wait and see. ”
The door opened, and in came Dick. He had been down in the reading room poring over The Deaf Man’s Times, just arrived.
“ What’s news? ” asked Fred.
“ The Factory Men’s Safety Act is causing the deaf to lose their jobs. It’s all hysteria on the part of the bosses. We fellows don’t get injured any more than the hearing workmen—not so often—but we are fired and they are not. Ignorance and prejudice, as usual. ” Dick threw himself on his bed.
“ Anything more? ” pressed Fred. He turned to me as if to read in my face if I now saw the purpose of The Times.
“ Bunny’s landed another pest. ” My face broke into a quizzical smile. Fred turned to me.
“ He means Rufus Ford, the deaf poet-boxer-wrestler. He’s after those beggars who pose as deaf-mutes and ask from door to door. ”
“ What did he do to him? ”
“ Beat him up and sent him yelling down the street. Bunny’s small, but he can bore in like a champion—and he does when the case warrants. ”
The conversation wound up when Dick said he wanted to turn in. Fred left for his room.
The next morning I was standing on the back porch, or platform, above the steps, turning over pages of my Latin book, when splash! a deluge of water came down upon me! I was drenched, and my book was badly soiled. I looked up, expecting to find an apologetic face leaning out of a window. I saw no one. Shaking off the water that clung to my garments, I entered the building flushed with indignation.
“ What does this mean? ” I demanded of a student, angrily, not caring if it was a senior I faced.
“ Did they soak you? ” he grinned. “ Come with me, I’ll show you something, ” and he led me to the reading room. On a table, among other papers and magazines was a copy of The Deaf Man’s Times. My attention was called to a paragraph, and I read.
“ Among the students in the Duck class of our college is Michael Dunmore from the Rosemont Institution. We wish ‘ Mickey, ’ as he is called, a happy and successful career, but we must remind him that his stay at our school revealed in him a bad case of ‘ swell head ’ which we feel sure college life will cure. ‘ Mickey, ’ however, is a great boy, and ought to make a rattling good student, after he has been groomed a little by the upper men. ”