The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-19
THE GIFT OF SIGHT.
A Blessing Few Realize Till They are
About to Lose It.

Blessing Few Realize Till They are
About to Lose it.
Few of us realize the blessing We have in
our eyes till We are about to be deprived of
them, says the New York Ledger. We
often speak of the comparative blessing of
the various senses, all but musicians, and
those whose chief happiness ia in music,
AGREEING that they would rather be deaf
than blind, few even going SO far as to
say, and that in the face Of the welll- known
content of the blind, that they would
rather be dead than blind. if the
choice lay with themselves In view of this
very evident value that we set on our eyes,
10 II not singular that We take so little care
OF themF ls it not strange that we go heed
lessly expose them to all extremes of heat
ana cold, of light and darkness and semi
stances that We strain them, and disregard
and forget them, till all of sudden they
obllRe us to remember them with stinQs Of
pain and blurs of shadow, if no worse7
Every child is told, from the first reading
OF the nrst story, to put away the book
the mother or aunt bending forward for the
last ray OF light on work or paper when the
twilight begins to purple the air and make
It necessary to strain all the fine nerves of
the eye in order to distinguish one thread
or one letter from another. We all know
merely the back Of the legs. but the whole
body; and if the whole body, then the eye
with it, that portion SO closely and init
mately connected with the brain, the organ
OF all sensation; but. tired out, we throw
ourselves down and take book and put the
eyes at work. the eyes as tired as any of the
rest of US. and in SO doing give the brain also
more work and more fatigue; or We take up
the needle and do this bit Of line stitching
thinking We are resting everything but our
nngers meanwhile; and when we are too iii
10 90 anyth!ng else. we are apt to think we
are not too i'll to write letters, to read q
hight novel. or to look at pictures, and for
get that the eye has been weakened With
all the rest. and needs shadow and nothing
-nothingness, if we except modifying
baths and the care that vital organ should
always have.
just as many of MS think it wise to save
an hour and add it to life by doing piece
of sewing in the morning before Breakfast.
or will have our children up and at their
lessons on an empty stomach, without at all
recognizing that the body needs refresh
ment before beginning its tasks, and that
the eye is badly weakened by the effort
body has been strengthed by the morning
meal, the fact being that nothing should be
oone, neither walking, nor studying, nor
sewing, TILL cracker or crust has been eaten,
or one has had the sustenance afforded by q
glass OF milk or something of that sort
Never should we allow any ono suffering
under an enfeeblinR disease. or recovering
from an acute Illness to use the eye at ali.
never should We disregard the situation Of
tne windows in our children's school-rooms,
. guy tosold the children to be seated 90 that
sne nent rails into the eye from the front.
ths4 . should We allow bed to be PLACED go
mat the light is in the face Of the sleeper.
ana and always should We make sure
!nat the ewes have good night rest BY hav-
ing !ne sleeping room completely dark, and
letting any fanciful love Of seeing starr or
moon or sunrise be Rratified in another
NOT can mothers be too careful In the
nv Ma5ter OF their children's studies after
niRntiail, They should prevent and forbid
q moch studying then as poesi-
oae. and when the exieencies Of
ooL ! present system of education
maze absolutely necessary, they
saGui9 provide the fullest and best liQht 70
p Se 1aa, never permitting any use OF the eyes
~ nsaeinR fre-light or any uncertain
tl.,, !. anu when they detect the hrst symp-
sht , =, ouoe!lEsaght IN child, they should
chi1a stt p.ca! advice at once. and have the
Wha Mt go with glasses to relieve the ssrain,
aonlng, or suffering from hlov. Il n AZ Al
times the time to be most osSsfui ana =
sne Trouble Is serious in the leest 70 have
s. aavice, and try NO other applicstion
pi .ot;e.1 IMAM very hot or cold water,
sss tss ostning. pure water and pure aiy.
ss- ~ 49, A, iust enough work, and al the
~ - vu take, Is what tia eVo nooiaa M
.sS1 - AIy OF the rest Of The body for r.
e.nss atn and the pesssryaAioa q T.