Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-05-15
Blunders of Vision.

1t is estimated by those who have taken spe-
cial pains to investigate the matter, that tive
persons out of every hundred are decidedly COL
or-blind. Many comical mistakes have been
made on account of the inability of parties to
distinguish colors. The following cases are re-
ported in the Philosophical Transactions:
A gentleman relates how he was shocked,
lust before the marriage of his daughter, by the
appearance of the bridegroom in suit Of black;
for in earlier times it seems color was indispen-
sable to matrimony. Papa insisted that the
poor fellow should 60 home and assume some
less melancholy attire; but the bride, who would
probably have married him in sackcloth, like q
noble woman--at least SO we suspect-rushed
to the rescue, and declared that her lover was
correctly clothed in rich scarlet-colored dress.
Such was the fact. One day, after service at
church, gentleman went up to lady and in
ouired, with great concern, for whom che was
in mourning. For no one was the reply; why
should he imagine that such was the case? The
auerist exclaimed-was not her bonnet deep
blacks Certainly not; it was crimson velvet !!
person who had lost relative greatly scan
dalized his friends BY sealing his back-edged
letters with red Wsx, just as many an heir-at-
law would probably do, if, after testifying his
regard for the memory of the departed by using
sheet with the deepest and darkest of borders,
he were at liberty to symbolic his genuine sen
timents when he came to the seal. But this
was nothing to the blunder of an upholsterers
apprentice, who was sent to purchase some black
cloth to cover a coffin, and returned with q
quantity of scarlet, under the impression that it
was as mournful sable as the occasion required.
Next let Us mention series of cases in which
one color is simply confounded with another
Red, for example, may be habitually mistaken
for green, or crimson identified with blue. Take
the former species of detect; for the cashing of
green with red is one of the most popular forms
Of hete,odoxy in regard to the hues. A gentle
man was asked if he saw any object stretched
upon hedge. He declared there was none.-
The fact was that red cloak happened to be
thrown over it, and though the exact position
was pointed out to him, he could not perceive
any difference in color between the garment and
the green of nature. Boys have more than
once become acquainted with their paracnro-
matism-not certainly under that title-by find
ing that their companions could make easy
havoc amongst the cherries, while they, from
their inability to discriminate between the hues
of the fruit and the leaves, were compelled to
explore the tree aboriously, and to commit their
depredations on very unsatisfactory SCALE
The same difficulty has attended their opera
tions whilst foragiDg in the strawberry beds.
Other most amusing instances are on record.
A gentleman was requested to pick out all the
greens from number of pieces Of stained glass
he selected the red, brown, claret, yellow and
pink; and when asked to say which was the
most emphatic green of the group, he unhesitat-
ingly fixed upon the claret A surgeon called
upon his tailor, intending to order q pair OF
brown pantaloons; be selected the cloth himself
but when the garment came home the color
proved to be as sanguinary as if be were on the
point of starting for the wars. He went on an
other occasion and determined to secure his fa-
vorite brown, but the result was just as unfor-
tunate as before. This time the color adopted
was violent green, and the poor fellow was
compelled to get the articles dyed in order that
he might not be mistaken for soldier or hunts
man. A nobleman, whose vision was similarly
affected, began to banter his lady one day for
| wearing scarlet dress. Her ladyship was at q
loss to understand the joke for her dress was as
verdant as the garb OF Spring. A gentleman
who was fond of drawing used to perpetrate
landscapes in which the trees were adorned with
red foliage; and when be attempted to execute
marine view, his wayes-contrary to all pre-.
cedent. except they were intended for the Red
sea-were tipped with fine crimson crests.