The free press. (Southern Pines, N.C.) 1898-19??, 1900-12-07
LOOKING AND SEEING.
THERE is A VAST DIFFERENCE BE-
TWEEN THESE TWO ACTS.
1t Is Important to Cultivate the Pow
er of Observation Even In Ordinary
Things "A Faculty Possessed by
All, but Developed by Few.

1t is the hope and desire of all par.
ents that their children shall make
some sort of a mark in the world when
they grow up. They do not in the ma
Jority of cases expect that their off,
spring will become famous and make
names that will live for ages but they
cherish the thought that they will be
successful men and women in some
profession or business. That is the
keynote, that success shall be their
portion.
Yet it is fact that most parents
neglect or pay very little attention to
one part of the child's education which
Is of the highest Importance. They do
not train the perceptive faculties.
Power OF observation will help you
more than anything else in your strug-
gle for existence, and yet there are
comparatively few people who are
keen observers. One small fact will
prove this latter statement. The man
who observes everything, he who sees
everything he looks at, is singled out
either as an inquisitive person or a
clever one, and this shows that he is
an exception.
1t is easy to give instances Of this
lack Of perception even,in the ordinary
things of life Some years ago an art
icf In, -
ers had to draw an advertisement in
which the central figure was a cock in
the act of growing Nothing seemed
easier. but when he set to work the
difficulty-does the cock show it's
tongue prominently when it crows.
Every one Of the hundred men employ
ed by the firm had seen cock crow
scores of times, yet not one of them
could answer the question. The artist
had to go to friend who kept fowls
and chase the poor rooster round and
round the yard until it crowed.
A schoolmaster, wishing to test the
perception of his boys. asked them how
many times they had seen COW or
pictures Of that animal and found, as
he had expected. that all the boys had
seen the creature more times than they
could remember. Then he offered to
give small prizes to the boys who could
correctly answer this question. Are
cows ears above, below, in front Of or
behind it's horns?' Only two boys
gained prizes. and theirs was guess
work
Now sit down and test yourself in
some such simple manner. You have
all seen horse down" Can you de-
scribe how it rises? Does it get up on
it's fore feet first aud then on it's hind
feet or does it kneel first, then get on
it's hind feet and finally on it's fore
feet?
However, you need not confne your
self to the animal kingdom in testing
your perceptive faculties. Many sub
jects will suggest themselves to you on
reflection.
AS an excuse for this want OF obser-
walton it is often urged that "a man
can't know everything" but the excuse
is bad one There is great differ
ence between knowing little or nothing
and knowing everything. When the
faculty has been trained, it requires no
more effort to note the points of the
object looked at than it does to glance
At that same object and come away
none the wiser.
The chances of success in life are on
he side of the man who knows GER
ain things because he has learned
lbout them by using his senses instead
If having to go to book for all that
le wishes to know. Books are indis-
as there are SO many things
which cannot come within the range of
'ur observation; but, wherever posi-
lie, we should use our senses to ac-
- G,,rs4