Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1865-10-14

Beautiful tear! Whether lingering up
on the brink of the eyelid, or darling
down the burrows of the careworn cheek
thou art beautiful in thy simplicity
great, because Of thy uodes,y-stroog,
from thy very weakness Offspring Of
sorrow! who will not own thy claim to
sympathy2 who can deny mercy when
thou plesdest? Beautiful tear
Let us trace tear to its source The
eye il the most attractive organ Of animal
b'dies. 1t is placed in bony socket, by
which it is protected, and wherein it finds
room to perform the motions requisite to
its uses The rays Of light which trans
nit the images Of external objects enter
the pupil through the crystalline lens,
aud fall upon the retins, upon which
within the space represented by sixpence
Is formed. IN all beauty aud perfection, an
exact image OF many miles of landscape,
every object displaying its proper color
and true proportions-trees aud lakes,
hills and valleys, insects and aow.rs, all
in true keeping, are there shown at once
and the impression produced thereby up
on the filamens Of the optic nerve causes
a sensation which communicates to the
mind the apparent qualities of the varied
objects We behold.
That this wonderful faculty of vision
may be uninterrupted, it is necessary tina,
the transparent membrane which forms
the external covering Of the eye shall be
kept moist and free from the contact of
Opaque substances. To supply the aud
which shall ,noisten and cleanse the eve
there is placed 1t the outer and upper
part Of the ball, . small gland, which
secrstes the lachrymal fluid, aud pours it
out at the corner OF the eye, whence, BY
the motion Of the Tide, it is equally spread
over the surface, and thus moisture and
clearness are at once secured.
When We incline to sleep the eyes be-
come comparatively bloodless and dul! -
The eyelids drop to shut out everything
which might tend 10 arouse the slunbering
senses. The secretion by the lschrymal
glands is probably all but suspended, aud
the organs Of sight participate in the
general rest When, eiior a long nights
sleep, the eyelids FIRST open. there is, there
fore. dullness OF vision. arising, prohcb-
~, from the dry Ness Of the corner then
occur the rapid motions of the eytlids,
tamiharly termed "vinking"- sometime-
instinc'ively aided by rubbing WITH he
hands-and after a few moments the
windows Of the body have been pro-
! r"rly cleaned, and set in order. the eye
adjusted to the quantity Of Ugh, i, must
receive, and W are awake" tor the dav,
and may gn forth to renew our acquain.
lance With the beauties of nature.
1t Is from the glands which supply this
moisture that tears flow. Among ph, sip-
logists it is welt known that emotioas-
Impressions upon the Nervous $, stem
exercise q powerful and immediate inilu-
"ence upon the seeretions. AS, Tor To-
stances, the mere though. of some savory
dish, or delicious fruit, or something acid
AS the juice of lemon-wil excite an
instant flow Of the sa'vary fluid into the
mouth. An emotion of the mind nnuen-
ces the fachrymal glands, which copiously
secrete and pour forth the crystal drops.
and these, Is they appear upon the sur
face of the eye, We denomina,e tears.
A similar action. called forth by ano,h-
er kind Of excitement, occurs when dust
or other irritating substance comes in
contact with the eye the glands instantly
ecreted abundantly, and pouring the
crystal aouid out upon the surface the eye
IL protected from injury, and the offending
substance is washed away. The feelings
which excite excessive laughter, or joy,
also stimulate this secrct;ou-the eyes are
said to "w~,er.' 1t ia only when the crys-
tai drop comes forth under the impulse Of
s"rrow-thus speaking the anguish of the
mind-thas it can properly be called a
tear. Hence its sacred character. and the
sympathy which it seldom fails to create
Every tear represents some indwelIing
sorrow, praying upon the mind and eating
out its peace. The tear comes forh to de-
clare the inward struggle, and to plead .
truce against further strife. How meet
that the eye should be the sea. Of tears
where they cannot occur unobserved, but
blending with the speaking beauty Of the
eye itself, must command attention and
sympathy.