The reporter., 1900-02-01

from horizon to horizon. 50 delicate. so
semi-lntnite, and yet the light coming 95..
Geo. 600 miles at the rate OF 2O0, 900 miles
second Is Obliged to halt at the gate OF the
eve, waltlrg uutil the portculIls be lifted,
Something hurled 100000 miles and
striking an instrument which has not the
agitation OK even wlnklng under the power
OF the stroke.
Thefe also is the mercitul arrangement
OF tho tear gland by which tho eve Is
washed and through which rolls the tide
which brings the relief that comes in tears
when some bereavement or great loss
strikes us. The tear not an augmentation
OF sorrow, but the breaking up OF the arc
Ito oil frozen grief in tho warm gulf stream
| OF consolation, 1n5apacity to weep is
| nlHdhess Or death. Thnnk God for the tear
glands and that the crystal gates are sd
easily opened, Oh, the wonderful hydrqu.
llt apparatus OF the human eyel Divinely
constructed vision. Two lighthouses at the
harbor OF tho Immortal soul under the
shining of which tho world sails in and
drops anchor.
What an anthem OF praise to God Is the
human eye! The tongue Is speechless and
clumsy Instrument OF expression as COM
pared With It, Have you not seen the eye
Hash Tlth iEdig1ation, or kiudle With en-
| LhGsiasn1, of expand with devotloni or melt
with sympathy; Or stare with fright, or
leer with viliainy, or droop- with sadness.
| or pa!d with envy, or fire with revenge, or
! twinkle With mlrth, or beam With love? 1t
| Is tragedy and comedy and pastoral and
| lyric in turn. Have you not seen its up
| lifted brow OF surprise, or It's frown of
wrath, or its contraction OF palnP II the
| eye say one thing aud the lips said an 9TH
or thing, you would believe the eye rather
| than the lipsl The eyes os Archibald Alex
undet and CHARLES Gi Fidney were the
| mightiest part Of their sermons. George
| Whteaeld enthralled great assemblages
with bis eyes, though they were crippled
with strablsmus. Many a military chief
| tain has With look hurled q regiment to
victory or to death. Martin Luther turned
! his grent eye OH an assassin who came to
| take Ills HE, and the villain fed. Under
the glance OF tho human eye the tiger,
with five times mans strength, snarls
back into the African jungle.
| But those best appreciate the value OF
the eye who have lost 1t. The Emperor
Adrian by accident put out the eye OF his
servant, and lie said to his servant: "What
! shall pay you, In money or in lands-any-
thing you ask me2 l an so sorry put
| your eye ont" But the servant refused 10
| put any financial estimate on tie value OF
! the eye, and when the emperor Urged and
| Urged again the matter he saidI "Oh, en-
| peror, want nothing but my lost eyel"
| Alas for those for whom thick ard i'm
| penetrable veil is drawn across the face Of
the heavens and the face Of ones own
kindred.
That Was patte scene when a blind
man lighted a torch at night and WAS
found passing along the highway and some
one said, "Why do you carry that torch
can see, but carry this torch that others
may eee me and pity my helplessness aud
not run mo down." Samson; the giant,
with his eyes put out by the Phlistines,
| Is more helpless than the smallest dwarf
| With vision unchanged. All the syrI>
pathes of Christ were stirred when He
| saw BartimeuS with darkened retina, and
the only snlYe He ever made that we read
OF was a mixture Of dust and saliva and a
prayer with which He cured the eyes OF q
blind man from His nativity. The value
OF the eye shows as much by its catas-
trophe as by its healthful action. Ask the
man who for twenty years has not seen the
sur rise. Ask the man who for hAlf a century
has not seen the face of friend. Ask In
the hospital the Victim OF ophthalmla.
Ask the man whose eycsight perished in r
powder blast. Ask the Bartimeus who
never meta Christ or the man born bllnl
who is TO die blind. Ask him.
How 1t adds to John Millions subimity
OF character when we find him ut the call
OF duty sacrificing his eyesGht. Through
studying ut late hours and trying all kinds
hal for twelve years baen coming toward
blindness, aud after awhile one eye was
entirely gone. His physician warned him
that IL no continued reading and writing
lie would lose the other eye. But he kept
on with his work and said after sitting in
total darkness: "The choice lay before me
between dereictlon OF supreme duty and
loss OF eyesiglF. In such case could not
listen to the physicians, not II Ksculapius
! himself had spoken from his sanctuary. l
could lot but obey that inward monitor.
know not what spoke to mo from heaven"
Who OF us would have grace enough to sac
rIfce our eyes mt the call OF duty?
But, thank God, some have been enabled
to SEQ without very good eyes. General
Havelock, the son OF the more famous
General Havelock, told me this concern
ing his father: in India, while his father
md himself with tho army were eacamped
one evening time after a long march, Gen.
eral Hayelock called up his soldiers and
addressed them, saying in words as near
az I cen recollect: "SoldIers are their 200 or
800 women, children and mon at CaWnpur
at the mercy OF Mana Sahib. and his
butchers. Those poor people may any houi
ba sacrificed. How many OF you will &c
with me for the rescue oil those women ano
children? I know you are all worn out
and so ami. But all those who will marcl
with me to save those women and children
hold uu YOUR hand" Then Hayeloek
said: 1T is almost dark, and my eyesight
f. very poor, and I cannot see your raised
hands but I know they are ali up
Forward to Cawnpur!' That hero's eyes.
though almost extinguishel in tho service
of God and his country, could see aeros:
India and across the centuries. But lei
any body who has one good eye be thanK
full and all who have two good eyes be
twice rs thankful. Take care of your eyes
and thank God every morning when you
open them for capacity to see the light.
do not wonder at the behavior OF pool
man In France. He had been born bind
but was n skillful groom in the stables.
The recoil OF this question IS tremen'
dous. We stan / at the centre OF vast clr'
cumference of observation. No privacy
On US, eyes of cherublm, eyes OF seraphim
ewes OF archaDgel, eyes OF God. We may
not bs able to see the inhabitants III other
worlds. but perhaps they may be able t(
see us. We have not optical Instrument
strong enough to descrY them; perhaps
thew have optical instruments stropt
enough to descry us. The moie cannot SCI
tine eagle midair, but the eagle midsky car
see the mole mdgrass. We are able TO se'
mountains and cAverns OF another Worln
but perhaps the inhabitants OF other WORDS
can see the towers OF our cities, the hasl
OF our seas, the marching OF our process
sious the white robes OF our weddings, tut
, black scarfs OF our obseQuies. 1t passes
ont from the guess into the positive wnel
, wa are told in the Bible that the lnhaoit
ants of other worlds do come TO this
Are thev not all ministering spirits sen
| n those who SllH d