Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-11-17
WONDERFUL LENSES.

Glasses That Can lie Changed By the Pres
sure Of the Thumb.
In 1s43 q petty accident happened at
Phillips academy, Andover, Mass. A
dinner-bell was broken, and the pieces
Of metal were carelessly thrown away.
A student Of moro than average
thoughtfulness picked up tho pieces
and carried them home. He Iut them
In . cruciblo In the kitchen stovo, and
mentioned 10 his family the apparently
unimportant circumstances that he was
going 10 make telescope.
His father did not discourage the as
piring boy, but became interested In
his purpose, and gave his own trained
genius TO the accurate shaping and pol
ishing Of his sons reflector.
Thus. an accident at q dinner-beli
was Of value TO science, for the boy
astronomer became the head Of q firm
that makes the greatest refraoting tele-
scopes In the world.
Years passed. New systems and
suns, new planets and satellites had
been discovered. Great observatories
had been built, when q group Of
Harvard students found themselves one
day inspecting tho unsssuming shops
In which were made the instruments by
means Of which these wonderful dis
coveries had becomee possible.
They were a rolliclxing lot OF boys,
Just crossing the outer threshold OF
science. They stood, half-carlessly,
before huge lens, forty inches in d.
ameter and nearly foot thick. The
maker pointed TO II with pride, but
cautioned his visitors not TO touch II.
How long did It take the glass-work.
ers to make this disk ready for polish.
ing? Six moDths9" A student asked the
question as though he himself were Civ.
ing the information.
at took four years." said the tele.
scope-malxer, quietly. ''The workmen
failed many times before. they succeed
ed
The boys uttered ordinations Of sur
prise.
And how long will II take TO polish
it7" asked another.
Two years This forty.inch lens has
fifty-foot focus That is, IL must catch
the rays Of star upon every point Of
it's surface, and refract them 70 com,
mon point exactly atty feet away. I,
one ray falls but the breadth OF hair
from that focal point the glass In de-
fective."
But how can you do it?" said one OF
the group, sobered by the thought Of
such a problem.
with patience and without machin
cry" replied the lens-malter. ut 10 oil
done with the trained eye and n def
hand. A dab Of bceswax here, = bit OF
rouge there, or the pressure of this
thumb on the defective shot-that 1,
ALL"
"Thumb2" exclaimed tho thoughtful
student. Can you wear that fiinty
glass down with the bare thumb"
The maker Of the lenses, seeing that
the student was the one in twelvo-ths
earnest boy-the real seeker after
truth-took him into another room
and walking up 10 table showed him
tense that had been laid aside. Their
the master gave the tempered glass 9
few sharp rubs with the thick Of hi
thumb.
III that had been q perfect lens" h,
said, with an authoritative smile, "thos,
rubs would have changed It's shap,
enough TO ruin IL, perhaps beyond RENE
dy."
The heart Of the telescope and tn,
heart Of man have many points IN com
mon. II takes years of toll and pa
thence to perfect either. Which need
the Amer polishing, the lens or the soul
The one Is made 20 reflect the stars; tn,
other God Himself.
Spiritual and scientific laws arc moi
so far apart after all; and perhaps thi,
incident OF the wonderful lens will
help US TO realize the sensitiveness Of
our own hearts to benign or malig I
pressurs. -Youth's Companion.