Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-01-18

eye. according as the light is greater or
less, contracting or dilating. The eye of
the owl is blind in the daytime, the eyes
of some creatures are blind at night, but
the human eye so marveously construct
ed it can see both by day and by night.
Many Of the other creatures OF God can
move the eye only from side to side, but
the human eye. so marvelously construct
ed, has one muscle to lift the eye and an
other muscle to lower the eye and anoth-
er muscle 20 roll it to the right and an
other muscle to roll it to the left and an
other muscle passing through a pulley to
turn 1t round and round, an elaborate
gearing of six muscles as perfect as God
could make them.
There 10 also the retina gathering the
rays of light and passing the visual inn
preston along the optic nerve about the
thickness OF the lamp wick. passing the
visual impression on to the sensorium and
on into the soul What a delicate lens,
what an exquisite screen, what soft cush-
IONS wha; wonderful chemistry Of the
human eye, The eye washed by slow
stream of moisture whether we sleep or
wake, rolling impcrccptibly over the peb-
BILE of the eye and emptying into bone
of the nostril, II contrivancc so wonderful
that it can see the sun 100000 OF miles
away and the point of a pin. Telescope
and microscope in the same contrivance.
The astronomer swings and moves this
way and that and adjusts and readjusts
the telescope until he gets it to the right
focus. The microscopic moves this way
and that and adjusts and readiusts the
magnifying glass until it is prepared to
do it's work, but the human eye without a
touch beholds the star and the smallest
insect. The traveller along the Alps with
one glance taking in Mont Blanc and the
face OF his watch to sec whether he has
time to climb it. Oh. this wonderful
camera obscura which you and | carry
about with us so from the top of Mount
Washington we can take in New Eng
land, so at night we can sweep into our
vision the consultations from horizon to
horizon. SO delicate, so semi-infinitc. md
yet the light coming 95,0O0,000 of miles
at the rate of 20O. 600 miles a second is
obliged to halt at the gate OF the eye.
waiting until the portcullis be lifted.
Something hurled 95,000.O00 of miles and
striking an instrument which has not the
agitation Of even winking under the
power of the stroke.
AntneIn Oh t'TalHes
There also is the merciful arrangement
Of the tear gland by which the eye is
washed and through which rolls the tide
which brings relief that comes in tears
when some bereavement or great loss
strikes us. The tear not an augmcnta-
ton of sorrow, but the breaking up of the
arctic OF frozen grief in the warm gulf
stream Of consolation. 1ncapacity to
weep is madness or death. Thank God
for the tear glands and that the crystal
gates are so easily opened. Oh. the Won
dcrful hydraulic apparatus of the human
eye, Divinely constructed vision. Two
lighthouses at the harbor Of the immortal
soul under the shining of which the world
sails in and drops anchor.
What an anthem OF praise to God is the
human eye. The tongue is speeches.
and q clumsy instrument of expression as
compared with it. Have you not seen the
eye flash with indignation. or kindle with
enthusiasm, or expand with devotion, or
melt with sympathy. or stare with fright,
or leer with villainy, or droop with sad
ness, or pale with envy. or fire with re-
venge or twinkle with mirth. or beam
with love? 1t is tragedy and comedy and
pastoral and lyric in turn. Have you not
seen it's uplfted brow of surprise, or its
frown of wrath. or its contraction OF
pain? IL the eye say one thing and the
lips say another thing. you believe the eye
rather than the lips. The eyes of Archi-
bald Alexander and Charles G. Finney
were the mghtiest part Of their sermons.
George Whitefed enthralled great as
scmblages with his eyes, though they
were crippled with strabismus. Many n
military chieftain has with n look hurled
a regiment to victory or to death. Martin
Luther turned his great eye on an assas-
sin who came to take his life. and the viii
lain fled. Under the glance of the human
eye the tiger. with five times a mans
strength, snarls back into the African
jungle.
But those best appreciate the value Of
the eye who have lost it. The Emperor
Adrian by accident put ont the eye of his
servant, ard he said TO his servant,
What shall ! pay you in money or in
lands-anything you ask me? ! am so
sorry ] put your eye out" But the serv-
ant refused to put any financial estimate
on the value of the eye and when the EN-
peror urged and urged again the matter
he said. 20 emperor, | want nothing but
my lost eye" Alas for those for whom a
thick and impenetrable wall is drawn
across the face of the heavens and the
face of ones own kindred. That was q
pathetic 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 when you
can't sec?" All" said he. II cant see
but i carry this torch that others may see
me and pity my helplessness and not run
me down" Samson, the giant. with his
eyes put ont by the Philistines, is more
helpless than the smallest dwarf with Wis
ion unchanged All the sympathies of
Christ were stirred when he saw Barti-
meus with darkened retina, and the only
salve he ever made that we read of was a
mixture of dust and saliva and a prayer
with which he cured the eyes of a man
blind from his nativity. The value of the
eye shown as much by its catastrophe as
by its healthful action. Ask the man
who for 20 years has not seen the sun
rise. Ask the man who for half II centu-
ry has not seen the face of friend. ASK
in the hospital the victim of ophthalma.
Ask the man whose eyesight persisted in
a powder blast. Ask the Bartimeus who
never met Christ or the man born blind
who is to die blind. Ask him.
John Millions Sacrifice.
How it adds to John Millions sublmity
OF character when we find him at the call
OF duty sacrificing his eyesight. Through
studying at late hours and trying all
kinds Of medicament to preserve his sight
he had for II years been coming toward