Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-04-20

cause it stops the current; always know
when come to the tree"
Not many months back a traveller wat
riding, on one of the bleak and stormy night,
for which the past year will long be remem
bered, over dreary district of hill, down. nnt
dale, in Central Yorkshire. He had weary
way to go, and his whole route lay 10 the
teeth of the wind and tempest, which threat
eued to sweep him from the road. AS he
struggled on the night grew dark and The
storm more furious. Not relishing the idea
Of being belated on that wild spot, he sci
spurs to his steed, and, trusting to the ani
mails instinct and -footedness, galopet
| through the darkness towards his destination
He had reason to repent of his precipitation
for the horse dverged from the track, and
became entangled 10 clump of gorse and
shrub, and be himself was thrown, but, fortu
nately, without any serious injury. He was
able to mount again, and to recover the path
and, proceeding more cautiously, arrived al
the village inn where be intended to put M
about midnight. Here, on dismounting, be
discover ed that he had lost his watch, which
had been severed from the ribbon that served
as guard and had most likely fallen to the
ground among the gorse where he had been
thrown. He grieved at the loss of a valuable
tlme.pece, and bemoaned bis misfortune with
| the landlord
There was poor blind man sitting 10 the
bar, who Immediately rose and volunteered to
go in search Of the missing watch. The case
appeared hopeless to the traveller, who could
scarcely describe the spot where his misfor-
tune had overtaken him, and who deemed the
attempt to recover it on the part of blind
man as supremely ridiculous and, indeed, he
limited as much. 10 spite of this discourage.
ment, however, the blind man seized his staff
and set forth in the midst of the wind and
pouring rain He knew the district better
than the traveller did. He traversed the six
miles Of stormy heath and mountain and,
needless of the driving scud, commenced bis
search Having arrived at the spot, be set
his ear to the ground, and CROPPED through the
gorse in all directions the wind howied, and
the long grass whistled around him, but
amidst those wild and melancholy sounds he
was able at length to identify the still small
ticking of the watch, which be recovered,
placed IN his bosom, and brought back in
triumph. Here is an exploit rivaling almost
the fairy feats Of Fipe.ear himself; it is one,
however, for the truth Of which we can voucb,
while it is one which it is most certain shat
none other than a blind man could have
accomplished.
IL IS prODaOle lnaI, III inOSt OIlOu persons,
the faculty of the mind which phrenologists
have supposed to be demonstrated by the
organ Of locality, must be exercised and per-
fected to an extraordinary degree. A blind
workman, if he use score or more of tools,
always places his hand on the right one when
wanted, and will tell in an instant and even
after q considerable lapse of time, whether
his tool.box had been tampered with, or the
arrangement Of the implements altered
The perfection of this faculty is sometimes
exhibited in blind chess.players, who gene
rally attain to remarkable proficiency in the
most complicated of all games. We have
seen boys Of tender age. and who were born
blind, playing this difficult game in a masterly
way, and generally checkmating their more
mature antagonists. Their sole guide is their
sense of touch and it is astonishing to note
with what rapdity they ascertain all they
want to know by this means By merely
laying the palm of the hand and the finger
tips on the pieces as they stand, they master
in a moment the position Of the contendng
forces, and without being informed OF the
adversary's moves, make the necessary dispo.
siton to defeat him.