Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-03-10


q man. She Haffers ms very pret,;,x
in her uoie-but I knop il. The rea.
son that aduIssion is act displeasiog is,
that though untrue, il saows one. to be-
OF consequence enough in orc way or
other. TO induce people 10 lie TO make
US their friend-thsti is their eonccrn.''
Chiiihood.-ChiIdren are but little
people yet they form very Important
part Of society, expend much Of our
capital. have considerable influence on
many laws, employ great portion Of
our population in their service. and
occupy half the literati Of our day. in
labours Tor their instruction and amuse-
ment. They cause more trouble and
anxiety than the national debt: the
Io.eliest Of women in her maturity Of
charms breaks not SO many slumbers,
nor occasions 50 many signs az che did
IN her cradle; and the handsornest of
men with full grown mustachios, must
not tlatter himself that he is half so
much admired as he WAS when in pet
ticoats. Without any reference TO
their being our future statesmen, phi
losophers and magistrate. in miniature
disguise, children form, in their pre.
sent state of pigmy existence, a most
influential class of beings; and the ar.
rival OF q mewling infant who can
scarcely open its eyes, aud only open
ITS mouth, like an unfledged bird. for
food. will effect the most extraordina-
.ry alteration in q whole household /;
substitute affection for GOODNESS, duty
Tor dissipation, cheerfulness for gravi-
ty; unite hearts which time had divid
ed, soften feelings which the world
had hardened; teach women Of fash
ION to crlticise pap, and grave metaphy-
sicians 10 crawl on all four.
From DR.. .4rnoffs Element, Of Physics.
TIE EYE.-"The nature Of the eve
as camera obscura is beautifully ex
hibited by taking the eye of a recently
killed bullock. aud after carefully cut.
ting away OF thinning the outer coat of
II behind, BY going with it TO a dali
place. and directing the pupil towards
any brightly Illuminated objects; then
through the semi transparent retina
left at the back Of the eye may be seen
"a minute but perfect picture Of all such
objects; a picture, therefore, formed
on the back OF the little apartment or
camera obsepra, by the agency Of the
convex cornra and lens in front. Tn.
derstabding from all this that when a
man IS engaged In what is called look
ing at an object, his mind is, in truth,
only taking cognizanec of the picture
or 'inpression made on his retina, il
exci'es admiration in Us to think of
The exquisite dcIicacy Of texture and
oil scnsibility which the retina must
possess, that there may be the perfect
| perception which really occurs Of even
the separate parts Of the minute images
there formed. A whole printed she, I
OF new spaPer, for instance, NAV be re
+ presented on the retina,on less surface
than that 81 finger nail; and vet not
only shall every word and letter be 81.
parately perceivsblr. but even any i'm
perfection of a single letter. Or, more
wonderful still, when at night an eye
is turned up to the blue vault of hra.
ven, there Is portrayed on the little
concave of the retina. the boundleAs
eopcaye Of the sky, with every object
IN proportions. There moon in beau
tifui miniature may be sailing among
her white edged clouds. and surround.
ed by thousand twinkling stars: SO
that TO an animalcule supposed to be
within and near The pupil, the retna
nigh, nPPesr another starry firmamen,
with all Us glory. IL the images in the
human eve be thus minute, what must
they be IN the little eye Of a canary
bird, OF Of another animal siuaIle5 zgiIf!
How wonderful are the works Of ns
ture.