The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-12-03
manitomof pilot.
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 3, 1891
READING BY LEMP.LlChT.
Pertinent Points on this Pernioioua
Practice.

On the Care of the Eyes was the
title of an article | was much inter
ested in recently. says Robert }. Bur-
dette in the \. Y. HeraLd. NV nenl-
orv is neither so accurate nor so I'M
aginative as it was a score OF years
AGO, but the article in question runs.
as near as | can guess by memory,
something like this:
Have a Teading-lamp for night
USE" There is II great deal Of wisdom
in this In brightly lighted room at
noon, or as late as 3 o'clock y. M. II
the room be on the sunny side OF the
house, person with strong eyes may
be able to read coarse print without
injury. But after o'clock ut night,
and in a very dark room, most people
will lind lamp Indispensable to COM
Portable reading, especially IN Tine
print or poor paper The learned
physician who writes tie article does
not say that the lamp should be light
ed, but, speaking a a laYman. should
certainly advise lighting the ihunlln-
ator. | may be wrong in this, but
nevertheless such has been my own
custom. and ! can now read circus
poster liz TWO COlOES NlluOul lIlC anu Va
glasses pectacles. that Is.
Hold the book at your focus.
This is rule that any person able TO
read should commit TO memory. Very
few people realize the Importance of
this aid to preserving the eyesight.
Until read this valuable rule | used
to prop my book up on the other side
of the room, where | could not distin-
guish the print from the margin, and
try to read. Ibid not suppose il made
any difference about the focus. And
many people, | have no doubt. who
supposed they were blind because they
could not see TO read book at a dis
tance of $50 yards. will upon learning
this rule and putting it into practice.
soon find that they can read quite well
enough to drive every body out of the
room. The medical profession has
been very remiss IN its duty that it did
not publish this rule long ago.
Reading in bed is strongly advised
against; it is injurious. | should say
so. | have always found it so. If you
get comfortably fixed you read about
one page and then find the blooming
book isn't cut, and the papercutter is
downstairs. and your pocket-knife is
in the pocket OF your trousers. hang
ing away over near the coolest win
dow. The colder the night the more
the book Is not cut. You get settled
DOWN again, and the lamp smokes.
You fix it and drop back again. The
pillows you piled up have fallen down
and your head comes crashing back
against the headboard of the bed. 1t
is late mt night and the bang brings
somebody out into the hall with 4
shrek of WHATS the matter?n After
awhile order is restored and YOU get
quiet, then interested, finally absorbed,
and then somebody comes out into the
hall crying What's the matter?'
again. You say, Nothing; it's all
right.
but your lamp is burning"
Yes, Won say. II am reading"
A wall OF dismay and rebuke follows
this confession. '.What! in bed?"
1t is a matter of quarter of an
hour before the book tastes right
again, and then once more the appeal
ing voice comes drifting from distant
room
Are you going to read all nightP"
You say-but it doesn't matter what
you say; the public is not interested in
your commonplace remarks. But
whatever YOU do say elicits pathetic
sigh that makes your heart ache and
secures you quiet for yourself and
your book once more. And then, Just
as you get to place where you just
couldn't stop for anything in the
world the bcggarly lamp falters. turns
yellow, grows black in the face. and
goes dead out, dry rs a bone. There
Is no fun and no good reading in bed.
1t doesn't help matters much to sit
up in your den, or, if You prefer, your
study, and read. 1t annoys the rest of
the family. l have tr eel it,and always
experience great 4 iiicuity in getting
to bed quietly after l o'clock. One or
two challenges in quick. frightened
tones that always thrill me with terror
by their very earnestnesS. | am sure to
encounter. Sometimes | remove nv
slippers and glide along the hall with
the stealthy tread of ghost that has
intentions on the hat-rack The very
quiet is startling and the challenge
comes:
Who's there?'
And ! have To say Its me-" |
never think to say at is T. and ex-
plain. On the other hand. | some
times seek to avoid unpleasant noto-
riety by walking boldly down the hall
with the tramp of policeman. Then
the voice. or 1t may be two or three
voices. SAYS or say:
What's thai?'
Which is still worse. because the i'm
plication is that am not a human be-
ing, but a thing