The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-08-21
How TO Look at Pictures.

Most people understand the principle
of the stereoscope. They know that
when nature is looked at with both
eyes, each eye sees a somewhat differ
ent yiew-though from the way in which
these views are combined the difference
is not generally recognized-and that
in order to give the true appearance of
objects, receding and standing apart
from each other Gas viewed with both
eyes,, two different pictures must be
taken, which must Likewise be cop-
bined by means of lenses, as is doneen
the stereOscope and when this is prop
erly managed, the pictures no longer
look like fiat surfaces, but like the
things themselves they are intended to
represent, the objects all appearing to
be in actual C019u ute relief. That a
great deal more Is seen with two eyes
than with one (Nhen looking at things
arOund) can easily be shown by simply
holding mp q finger at spans length
fran1 the faee, and al tAe same time
ls(sncll as a tl,iu.bIeA Of 60 az behind It
yard or two off. It will be found I'M
possible to make the finger hide the
thimble with both eyes open bnt if
one eye be shut, the finger can ut once
be made to conceal the thimble from the
sight. Again, should a single painting
snch as that OF a statue in a niche In the
wall, may be Sc. well executed that at q
considerable distance it is almost impos-
slbie to decide whether it is a statue or
only representation of one-and peo
pie have been deceived by such mural
paintings when looking, for instaha Q,
from the boxes of a theatre to the walls
opposite, under the influence of artifi
clal light-still, there are no means at
present known, or likely to be known,
by which single drawing, (of landscape,
scenery, shipping, buildings, and so
forth), whatever it's truthfulness or ex-
cellence, can be made to represent at a
distance, say OF from two to five feet,
what would be seen with both eyes when
looking upon the shipping, buildings,
etc. or what would be seen when two
stereOscOpic pictures are combine
though a single drawing can, and often
does, represent very exactly the scene
presented TO one eye by nature.
The conclusion to be drawn from this
Is that the proper mode Of looking at a
drawing or picture is to do so with one
eye only, for if looked at with both
eyes, you can Immediately detect that
it is a mere picture on fiat surface (be-
cause, as before stated, there must then
be two ecbures to make perfect de-
ception), whereas. if only one eye is
used, and the head is held perfectly
still, then Gas the mind is under precisely
the same circumstances as 1t would
be if the real objects themselves were
being looked at with one eye, and hav-
ing no means of detecting any differ
ence between the representation and
the real things represented) at a short
distance a drawing, after a few seconds,
does almost seem TO be stereOscOpic, or
no longer appelrs as a mere fiat surface;
and this is the point to which we wish
to draw attention. The same reasoning
will Of course apply TO photographs and
good sized engravings, especially to
these of buildings (such as the Forem
at Romeo, cloisters, and interiors, and
views of bare trees. Whether the fore
going explanation accounts for the phe-
or not, there can be no doubt
that the pleasure of quietly studying
saod drawings viii be greatly enhanced
by Locking a. them with one eye only.
Scandal.
There is nothing in social life more
ignoble and contemplate than what
Byron calls "the abominable title tat
tie" of those who delight in circulating
scandal, who gloat over, even while
they profess to deplore, the details OF u
slanderous story, whose very manner of
deprecating credence IN the tale con-
firms the listeners belief in its truth
fulness. How many there are of these
in every circle, who
know how, with a skillful touch, to
heighten the tints of a slanderOus rumor
with insinuations worse than open lies,
because they can not be met by open
denial by mingling sneers with smiles,
and by q pretense of candor. And the
pity of it is that they shound find so
many people willing to listen; that 50
many would rather believe evil than
good of their neighbor. Nothing spreads
like a scandal, and the worse and more
unlikely~1t is the more readily 1t OBJ
tains circulation and credence. Society
is quite as much to blame as the scan
dal-mongers themselves. 1t is as mean
and disgraceful to listen to slander as
to utter one.
1t is common trick with slanderers
and scandal mongers to scatter their
vile inventions broadcast among the
community, and then point triumphant
ly to the wide circulation their stories
truth. They bespatter a1man with mud,
and CRY out upon him for dirty fellow.
Calumniatel calumniate !" is their
motto; some of it viii stick" Per
haps the most effective, as well as the
meanest, way of slandering is to do it
with affected pain and reluctance, as If
well-nigh heart broken at hearing evil
things whispered round about man so
dearly loved and honored. An adept IN
this method Of slander can work Infinite
mischief.
There is something marvellous iSthe
gay a slander grows as it passes from
mouth to mouth, we'll illustrated by the
the well-known story of three black
crows. Without intending, perhaps, to
exaegerate or be untruthful, each one
who repeats the story adds something
of his own, and by the time it has gone
the rounds of society it has grown into
q hideous Frankenstein, monster OF
untruth and malignity. This may be
tested by the game of 'exaggeration,
where one whispers n story, couched ~
as few words as possible, to the person
sitting next him. He repeats 1T IN the
ear of his neighbor, and so on through
a circle of ten or twelve, each one try
ing TO tell the story Just as he heard
it. The last person in the circle tells 1t
aloud, and in nine cases out of ten 1t
will be found that it has gained some
thing every time it has been told. The
moral of all this is expressed in the line
already quoted from Tennyson, "Sgeak
no slander no, nor listen to it.
AT OLD Orchard Beach, on the coast
of Maine, a quaint old custom is still
observed with annual regularity. A