Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-07-05
Troubles of Near-Sighted Man.

Near-sighted people labor under a
great number of annoyances and
enbarrassments, little suspected by
those who enjoy natural vision.
Just imagine that to you the whole
landscape appears as one smooth out
line and even the larger hills and
other great objects are dim and indis-
tinct, how near soever they may be,
as are, to good eyes, the far-ofl'
mountain ranges. Objects moving
about, unless very close, are either
unseen or confused, so that, whether
they be men or beasts,you know not.
All faces of people close to you are
alike. Whether they are white or
black, you cannot say. All colors
combine into kind of pale dark.
In brief, nothing can he plainly dis
tinguished until it gets right under
your nose. Near-sighted people can
often guess at the identity of those
they know familiarly with great ne
curacy from their habit of noticing
their movements, and frequently
surprise their intimates in this way
The greatest annoyance TO the
near-seers Is from the jealousy and
suspicion of neighbors and Others
who get offended because of not
being recognized when met. Many
people have the foolish suspicion
that when they are not spoken to 10y
acquaintances, that they are despised
10y them. IL there any person in the
world who feels so much above an
other as not To speak to him? The
truth is that people who do not
notice others are in low spirits, have
no confidence In themselves. And
this Judgment from appearance Is
only one out of hundreds we habit
ually make mistakes about. The
poor, low spirited person who has
not vim enough In his heart tospeak
or who Is too shy or shame-taced Is
deemed proud and overbearing,
while the one who IL full of "self-
conceit, "whose high opinion of him
self causes him To cxclaim to his ac-
quaintance, "liello, Billy boy, how
goes It, How, How, How, How'sall.
Ia tn, Billy me lad" such n one is
spoken of 10y his acquaintances us
Zip top" "Ain't hca jolly fellow?
None of your stuck ups. Plain;
easy rs old shoes" Whom In truth
hc IL the stuck up one. The modest
reserved one, the dispirited and near
sighted has too much respect for you
To dare be familiar, 1t would seem
rs though people like To Ice run over,
mp, crowded to one side 10y
, good humond, high spirited fel-
low.
Perhaps il were best for every
or half blind man to
10 as old Pres. Bronson of Kenyon,
Lord of Gambler Ohio, was wont. /
Not being able To tell u horse from n
nan across the street. nor an OK
cam from stage coach, he ~
.olved 10 take his hat on every time
le met anybody, aud So went travel
ny along, grinning aud bowing his
,ald pate, hat oili To every hog, COW
md horse he met.
The near-siehtcd are prone To
nave very grave, ii not low spirits.
rhe writer knows him,elf how /; is,
low oiten has he met with scowl.
ny, indignant looks of tllvw
ownsmen, the ~nld offended ca
'rossion of friends Who accu~vd HAN
4 pride, yes pride, "sIuck up, "ot
lis age too "thoughL IA VS. tup
mart for Ihat'-all bt,Su., hr IA
iis half dasod, l.w spirited ~,lt
tsorp,iou, passed thcm oN tujv,
then at tht sauic tlwv d. .gd n
lilit enough Ia bear the hiss of a
, os', icl alone ss1N I'D ioa tu a.
The official nalecluV, ia lh,