Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-08

seen by his uncle. The newspaper presented 9
theory upon that subject revealing some Gu
r1ous facts and circumstances. It appeared IN
the first place that Captain Brown had defect
In his right eye, which rendered that important
ted by all his neighbors and acouaintances that
ms LETT eye was uncommonly bright and eff
dcient, so that he was an excellent watchman.
was scientific fact In regard 70 the vision of q
single eye, not generally known. It was this:
h IN the normal eye Of every person there Is
the axis Of vision. This blind spot lof which
We are wholly unconscious) may readily be
fe re6 oy the aid Of two dots located 70
inches apart. Hold the page as in reading,
about twelve inches from tile face. Close the
right with the left eye. The dot to the left will
mIyster1ousiy vanish. It is covered by the
blind spot. The experiment may be varied in
nlckeis Ut the adjustment of distances is exacD
may be used with success Objects on all sides
OF the dot lor button, or nickel will be per.
SeITeo OUT OF the corner of the eye, but the ooC
Itseu seems TO have melted into the wnite
paper. II you look across a street and have the
aaIrrangement OF distances in the same proper
n0n as In the experiment have suggested, a
window or door can be made to disappear in
the same mysterious manner.
surprised upon learning of this defect in his
vision. He may think that he perceives the
entire side OF house when in fact there is a
place several feet In diameter which entlreiy
escapes him. The newspaper stated that Cap
tain Brown had become convinced that this de-
rec. IN ms vision of which he was unaware unti
II was demonstrated to him, had prevented him
from seeing Orlando on the important occasion
in question.
lighted in the curious experiment described SO
mtnutely in the newspaper. We found 1t en-
tireiy successful with every one who tried It,
and a matter Of amusement aud surprise to all
the neighbors. No one had ever heard of the
bind spot before. But it was found a very COM
Plete ana satisfactory solution of the mystery.
no rbnv, r<r1,k
sented a pleasing picture of my deliveranee.
the illness of things warns me not to Interfere
with it. But it Is important to tell the whole
truth In this matter, and shall not fOrbear.
, am sorry to announce that the Joyful intel
ligence which lifted the dark shadow from my
was not discovered until years had passed
away. In point of fact, neither the book nor
the money which had been lost was found
newspaper, and which we had Rugged to our
hearts and rejoiced over and cried over, and
from which had gained health and vigor, was
based upon set of fallacious circumstances,
curiously devised and falsely manufactured for
my especial benefit. In behalf Of my happi-
ness and with a view to my relief, pious trick
II there Is such thing. had been played by a
kind-hearted girl. You can say that the pres
ence Of political and legislative management
in this city had dulled her moral sense, if that
is your view. do not attempt to place the re-
sponsibility. All affirm is that a fraud which
made every person who was interested believe
that the book and the money had been recov-
cred was planned by the brain and executed by
the hands of Phoebe smith
In considering the at OF which am about to
tell you, think it right that YOU should re-
member how young she was, and reflect upon
the motive which induced her to resort to de-
had seen as perhaps no one else could except
my mother or my sister Jane) the anguish had
been made to suffer. However wrong it may
have been to deceive, it was certainly very no.
bic to wish SO earnestly to save me from deep
sorrow.
The plan Phoebe adopted was simple and
effective. She secured another copy of The Pr
rates Own Book, and wrote Orlando's name in
1t, initiating his handwriting, and adrotly
placed 1t in his chest with money of her own,
when after his loss, the chest came back from
Sea and before it was supposed to have been
opened.
1 have already stated that Orlando ran away
the very day the book and the money disap-
peared: This TACT gave great plausibiity to
Phpbe's deception. Fortunately for my peace
of mind, did not know of her plot in my be-
half until advcntitious circumstances revealed
II, long subsequent to the events have related
Neither was it made known TO any one. The
secret was profoundly buried by Phoebe in her
own breast. l have been amazed when con-
templating the breadth and completeness OF
her deception. viewed in connection with her
youth and the sincerity OF her heart. 1t would
seem that from her own recollection OF the lost
volume, and from the captains description Of
the money, she so succeeded in duplicating
BOTH that no thought ever occurred to any one
that the substituted articles were not the orig
inals. Besides putting the boot, and the money
SO skilltui!y In the chest where they were dis
the probable manner Of the loss, which i'm
pressed itself upon Captain Brown and all the
friends, and upon the newspaper reporter and
the public, as the truthful explanation of the
occurrence.
AS one of the consequences of subsequent in
vestigation, am able to go back in the course
of my narrative and state TO you what poor
Phoebe was doing when i was sorrOwing over the
dark calamity that had fallen upon my career
passed through various difficulties in Obtaining
thirteen dollars. A dealer in secondhand
volumes identified, by his small label and price
she had purchased at his store and made use of
as have described. This searching and iden-
LITIGATION took place after PhOebe's death
and nearly four years after she was my pupil
You can Imagine what a curious task and
labor Of love it was for her associates and
and strange deceit which had marked the
achievement which she had buried from the
eyes OF the world. The hidden life of this
young girl was found to be very interesting
1t came to light, in tracing the course of
Phonbes scheme, that her main anxiety had
been to find some reasonable hypothesis that
landa visited the office of his uncle and secured
the book without being observed. When once
the book and money were discovered in the
chest, of course that left the burden of account
ing for the mistake that, apparently, had been
made, upon the shoulders of Captain Brown.
had failed to see Orlando. Phoebe evidently
dreaded this point, and made preparations OF u
subtle and curious nature to furnish her uncle
)" !Gu al eACuse dppedreu ListG she D:tQ nrSt
taken into the account the fact have already
mentioned, that the captain had defect in his
right eye. And now come to the point where
Phoebe, as it seems to me, showed her greatest
skill and power of combination. You may re-
member TO have seen curious book, found in
many school libraries, entitled Brewster's Nat
ural Magic. In that work which veals, i'm very
plain way adapted to the minds of the young
some OF the wonders Of science, Phoebe found
experiment demonstrating it, l have de-
scribed. Her application of it was ingenious
The first item remembered about it is that soon
after the news of the loss OF Orlando had been
received, and while they were still waiting for
the return of his chest, "the blind-spot expert
ment' came into vogue with Phoebe and her
friends. 1t is remembered that Phoebe Smith
first called attention to it, and devised various
changes TO render 1t more interesting
Notwithstanding her youth, and the benevo-
lent motive which influenced her. Phoebe died
without having made q revelation of the decep-
ton she had practiced. / think we can under
stand how. in a moral atmosphere where sue
cessful political management is regarded with
approval, she might have been led to associate
such deceit in a good cause with virtue. have
been confirmed in this view by the fact that
their sense Of the superative merit of her effort
IN my behalf. Some of the women contem plated
her herOism with wonder and fearful admira-
ton. They made mention of her sacrifice of
truth and veracity for me as the Hottest
possible example of praiseworthy, womanly
devotion. To do such a deed as she had done
In my BEHALF and pass away from earth with
out any mention OF it, seemed to them ain exhi-
DitiOn Of human goodness that was extremely
bright and dazzling. am compelled to think
that these kind friends admired her benevo.
lence and its success all the more because of the