Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-05-19
For the Mountain Democrat.
THE HUMAN EYE.

Intrinsically beautiful and intricate as the human
eye ever appears to the rejecting mindi there Is
nevertheless, in the opinion VI the skcp'Ical too
much of rnmunce--tOO much Uf i'll. sustuncd i'm
pOrtunce-in short too much Of the beau ideal inter
woven with the functions Of this deservedlv high
priced aud useful organ. The Muses. have wOrshlped
at its shrine. Ii Is the rack upon which, il is said
hearts have been broken. II has capivnted youth,
and iumned the pathway of the old; been II dag
yer to the vicious aud light VI hope and mercy IA
the good and has converted men and women, from
tlnU lmtnemOrial, into idoaturs aud lunatcS hat
potency hnth the eye! saith one lit iSthe mirror
Of the Sou attcstS another; and the window u the
mind grows the third. II isa trte saving, though
not truiSnl, the third thrust reveals the charm.
This Sickly scntincn,alism will do ut Il feast Of
icOn-but acnmmDn- sense anal sis will show that
after all IL is but servant Of the BRAIN aud in con-
slant communication with that august tunctionary,
dong all the outdoor drudgery Of collecting and
conveying knowledge Of external objects to ITS INA s.
ter, spy, ulSn To be dreaded for ITS activity and
vigilance
is occupation, though presumed to be legitimate
and honest Is occasionally subvcrtcd, aud we then
hnd il swaVinK in the low scale Of ElsehoOd aud
intrigue. It's curiosity amounts Oitcntimes H. i'm.
pudrnce, and il Isever the lookout for something
new or strange 10 convey 10 its patron. ! mil I
speak in plural sense. but one ut time Of such
mischief seeing detectives is sufficient for man Of
my cillbrc Ia encounter. KnIght.erraut like, il Is
summoned for special duty, aud not untrequcntlv
fails IN its Mission, and then the brain IL chHgrincd
b. ctu-c the eve, like other lackcys, brtrays weak
spot IN It's character. We're it the portal Of the
mnd, as some crazy poets have asserted, 1t would
have character To lose hence, II is libel upon
The eve Ia aver that it is durmcr window, through
which the mind peers out upon the chungrabe and
ever changing world. The eve. abStractly consid-
cred. Is the most intricate, uctive ind industrious
Il the intellectual organs besides being u reporter,
If indispensable merits mf,im Of intelligence, the
loss 1T which the brain shuddcrs To contemplate.
1t APP ears To ~ under variety IT phases -. from
"S,Y'y Ntk n m"finy HU'"-bring solely ply scn,
with u" reference whatever to its Understanding
ais, difference Ot firm aud capacity. These phc
n"ncna are familiar, since .\dtar" has tit To
diversity tn" eve, H. well as IT other uud inferior
ui'l"cts Oi It's creation.
From lis occupancy e n prominent position in
i,c archaeological vrsIibulr, Is readily inferred lis
clu>c intimacy with the brain aud, in IT'S suhsrv.
mt cnIn NY, not unlike stad ministers Of foreign
r"hit,n- alWats ,.rGllccinE the spleudur ur
lr"iligarv 1T III" courts they represent.
In short that the eve possesses the wonderful
power 1t expression that has always been attributed
-thai t.e-iL!lx Ia Which the Qualities ii
tn n.Ind may br pr,jnlcrd. is merely sentimental
where j., 1t is the cnntract"n Ur relaxation If the
mas los at the ince that gives 10 those organs IL
,dr'r ,liug effect.
IT, tomuun. or commercial pdrldnct, the eve mnv
he sud To be practical "kns;dyrr"- and, morally
~ king, as W,1D,f will have IT, n "Htrr1ry bti.
'ict." II has borrowed extensively from the other
SENSES aud played "f upon the world that ii alone
i the c\positr 81 passion anu intellect III" senses
nie IL Jnlnt.S,uck company, and in their phy steal
confirmation claiming indsputable inrorpU' alive
principles, bv VIII Ch the eve may be president or
,rcIcHy is nevertheless certain that it alone IS
hot til" .i"n!nl. rejecting all the lights aud sllad-
oWs IL u" sublime and intricate maCninery IL the
human mad.
Take the whole race Of the g"npS Lom", the struc.
'nrc It Who's" minds are varied AS their faces -:
from III 80 endowed with uncommon vigor. dow
:" the vrrI"St gawk II the highway, ind 1t would
be- imnusSLr To detect single fruit IN .hc moral
and Iu'clcctual character MS 1t would be To deter.
uIne bv the sH' What they ate at their last meal.
the nal. h"ug Subordinate" to the mind. and gov
rtncd 10y circumstances, controls aud directs the
muscular organs, giving action and expression to
the PhNScai group.
It's IA farce To rnd"w the eye with potency that
does not bel nE to II.