Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-01-19

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Now person would say, after looking
| at them, that the top part of each one WAS
as large as the bottom part Yet such Is
not the fact The bottom part is much the
lsrger, as you will plaiuly see, IL you turn
the paper bottom side up. Can you tell
why your sense Of seeing Is so greatly led
aStrayp
Again; the sun, or the moon, Just after
! Il has risen, or just before 1t Sets appears
10 be much larger than when you look at
it nearly overhead. OF couIsc thcre is
not q particle of difference as you may
| demonstrate To n certainty, il you will
! arrange two fine threads OF silk which
shall Iust cover thr moon at rising, and
then look at 1t when overhead But how
is II that your senses are SO hewildered'
! There Is a reason, and philosophers under'
stand 1t well, but you would not, ii | were
! to give 1t. The different appearance arises
solely from mental deception.
| You have hoen abroad at night IN the
| winter when the air WAS sharp, and cold,
and clear; when not a cloud obscured the
entire, armament overhead you have seen
the whole sky glittering with the light OF
stars and planets, large and small, 1t
seemed rs il there were millions OF those
| twinkling points and no doubt you
| would have considered the number abso-
lutely countless But your eyes misled
! you greatly. You never saw n thousand
! stars at one time, with your naked eyes,
/ in your lifcl You can satisfy your
| self of the truth of what ! say II you
| will take a section of the sky some
clear night, and count tho stars
which are winling at you from the space
| You will bc quite astoniRhed 10 tlnd the
number so small With the assistance OF
the telescope, indeed, you may see count
less millions of stars bu, not with the eye
alone.
Your sense Of taste Is as liable to de
ccive YOU as your sight Pinch your nose,
and then taste of cinnamon, You think
you are chewing pine chip Let me
hIinlfold YOU, and then Offer you, alter.
nately, grated horseadish and grated
turnip. They will both taste precisely
alike
without holding the nose, if you taste
Of glass of buttcrmlk and q glass Of
claret wine seyGHl timcs, one after the
other your sense Of taste becomes 80 con
fused, If | may use the expression, that
YOU cannot tell one from the other
Your sense Of feeling is no more rein,
bic than the rest. Gross two fingers on
either hand shut your eyes. and let some
one nut Il pencil or marble between them
/ and YOU will think there are certainly two
! pencils or two marbles as the case may he
! 90 into parlor, in which there is no tire,
und put your hand alternately upon the
marble mantle, the wooden chairs, the car
! pet You would say that tie marble WAS
| the coidest, the wood next, and the carpet
warlncst of all But they arc all nj pre-
/ csely the same temperature,
| II you wish 80 prove that this apparent
| difference Is Que OF your own mind misled
! by the senses, take three vessels Of water
/ one NJ the freezing point thirty two de
| rrees, one at about summer heat ana one
at say one hundred and fifty degrees, 81.
well on towards the boiling point Put
/ ono hand into the vessel at thirty-two de.
crecs, and the other into that Ill one
! hundred and fifty degrees After holding
them there few Bocouds, tirnge both
| hands into the water at summer heat TO
| one il Will feel warm, while TO the oIhcr 1t
| will feel cold.
| The senye Of hearing seems to be the
| most perfect and reliable OF al, Next TO
| il il the sense Of smell Both are liable
| to become blunted from too frequent use,
/ though they very rarely nislead the mind,
| You do not often hear the striking Of @
| clock which YOU are accustomed 10, unless
YOU are expecting it, or waiting for i, You
20 into the weaving room of factory,
1 where YOU think the noise Is deRirnlng
hut the worknen there hardly notice u.
The gardener who is constantly nj work
among flowers never notices theH ira
GRANGE but you 10, OF your casual and un'
frequent visits.
From these facts it would seem rs If our
Creator rave Us the nice sense ~ hearing
and smell 10 be used gparingiy, If We would
preserve them nuimpaired.
Notwithstanding the imperfectinns Of
our eycsighi, think all win admit that 1t
Ia really the most precious to us ot our
FIVE senses. and the Que We should be most
ungillinp 10 part with. We can hardly
ennrDera!e the blessings which II bringsto
us And there seems to be- Infinite Wis.
dom In the very impeHeetioHs 4 hose
I fraiI nrgunS--thc eyes suppose Ja' ach
eve were a telescope, Of what use would
/ they be N us in all the common and every.
I day occurrences Of liiey We do not need
tslescoDjc vision 70 see the faces Of our
I friends or to observe and enjoy the beau
! ties Of tic natural world around US, Or for
| the ten thousand exigGncies Of practical
I life.
! II our eyes arc not perfect, we can make
/ them practically SO by Gringing 10 their
! assistance the help Of the other senses, as
I we'll ~ delibcratiou and care in heir use,
and the correct judgment whi inteili-
Fencn gives Us.
! Let such young renders as desire To
! pursue this subject farther 30 through tho
animal kingdom, aud note the variety
Of faculty of sight and smell possessed
/ by tho various members thereof Each
creatures abilities seem 70 be IN exact pro.
portion 70 i,s need The cat for instance,
seeks her prey IN the night, and we there
forf. find her posassged Of a most wonder.
fi power of sight II IL sometimes eaid
tha' she can sec plainly In total darkness
but lAis ~ ngt fr1I@ 1hc dog trpcas bis
pres through the forest, and We find bis
power Of soilo~ng la,il by the sease Of
smell ty be simply mafyaiDns
Bat not as maryeioJs % The pnNeis ~
the iDex are Ia the same dircellen Ie
needs no tril He cau sineil a toeaeouple
of miles OF 80. and keep out Of harm q
1 waF,
Some years asp aa Eugiish hrntes was