The National tribune., 1893-08-17
EDITORS CHAT.
Comments and Suggestions on Timely C. C.
Topics.
DUTY OF sELF-DENIAL.


DUTY OF sELF-DENIAL.
A C. C. friend in attendance upon the Worlds
Fair writes for little advice. She has had just
certain amount of money given her, and can use 1t
in one OF two ways She can buy herself a Winter
oHfit Mt the present cut prices, something she
needs very much; or. she can go home and use
the money in sending members Of her family to the
Fair. Which, shall she do?
il viii be that ia either case our friend pro-
poses to make sacrifice, since when one goes 10
the Worlds Fair the temptation is 10 stay as long
as the money holds out But here comes pTu-
dence, suggesting a supply Of Winter clothing, and
here comes consideration which would take the
money which might be we'll spent by the owner nj
tbe Fair anu applies 10 others.
Now this is a hard question, sure enough. Let
US see if we can answer it. II is just like this:
II the friends at home able TO go to the
Worlds Fair they are equally able 10 have earned,
or saved. the money 10 go. There has been ample
time in which arrange for it. Our friend could
not have earned the money to go; sine = not strong
enough.
Again, if our c. c. friend is wise enough to save
money enough from the Fair to buy her Winter
clothes she ought have them. There is no self
isiiness in that.
Per sc. our C. c. friend VIII bny herself some
comfortable clothes and let her friends be comfort
able at home What do the C. c. say to this decis-
len?
On the duty Of self-denial just word. There is
a ssIf-deBial required of u.s. which benefits others
at expense. This is the self-deninl which
ministers to the poor and needy, which helps the
helpless and inspires those who have no hope. Let
MS be careful how shift responsibility when
brought face TO face with such as these.
On the other hand. there Is n self denial which
burdens the donor to contribute to the sefishness
and whims Of others. And how many are the
IF this mistaken of duty?
The mother who tolls and drudges TO save
tboughtIess and idle sons and daughters; the wife
who denies herself needed help in her homework
and her sewing that her husband may indulge
himself in tobacco and other useless if not hurtfui
Iuxuries; the weak and the delicate sacrificed 10
the strong and overbearing; there is no merit in
self-denial which is found in a category such as
this
SCIENCE AND THE SENSES.
What search-ligiit true science has been in
clearing up the illusions that have beset mankind,
through the mystifcation of the
Bret Harie true philosopher when he
inquired Are things what they seem, or are
visions ahoui?"
We canuot trust our senses; but science will not
nisIead and with her magic wand removes many
a cobweb hanging between and the sunshine of
trnth
The valne Of photography IS beyond estimate in
making plain the paths of truth. When the great
Lick telescope the largest in the world, detected
but one comet in the appearance of the recent
cratic visitor from the worlds Of space the photo
graph took snap Judgment and pictured q double.
BY the ftsis-light pictures criminals have been
photographed ia tlIe very acts of crime. Instania
neOus photography is quicker than motion itself;
IL is the thought of motion.
The runaway horse the bird on the wing the
flying locomotive, LIae culver of a muscle or the
twiching Of a nerve are ali Transmitted in a flash
by the marvellous camera.
And now a new use has been found for the photo
graphic ari-not TO make plain what H. but to make
certain what is not. This test promises TO dissolve
into airy nolugs whole train Of visual phe-
nomena which the seuseso Of man have held as real,
Ehen such belief did violence 10 itself
The experiences of two young Bostonians while
a tsnrnsy through India last Summer, taking
their cameras with tltem, is in paint. They
witnessed exhibition 10y ftkir in a small village
outside Of Calcutta. The fakir performing the
usual experiment Of lnlsking rope descend from
The cioIisis aud "A come down the rope, who
of.
The exhibition was in open square before 1000
spectators. Everyone plainly what hap
peffng- The two Bosionians, with their cameras.
took numerous snapshots of The exhibition ian its
various Stages. They intended to write article
upon The sui CT for a magazine and illustrate IL
direct from photographs
They Developed the plates with much interest
upon their return Boston recently but were noI-
plussed when they saw the results. The pholo-
graphs revealed the fakir surrounded by the crowd
with astossi~Emeni, bewiidermeni and horror pic.
tured heir fces But the extraordinary decapi-
iHtion they had Witnessed did not show upon the
sensitive plates.
Tine crowd standing around was apparently look
ing nj nothing in the photographs. What they saw
had not happened at all. but they merely saw It in
their minds eyc-an illusion OF the Senses.
Yet here fully ihousand people, fully
Awa<e. who all saw the picture which the photo
graph told never existed. Surely "seeing is be-
Iisvlng" - maxim inRDPiicable TO the days OF
hes
Ing, unless the senses put on the spectaees of
science.