The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-04

eye be open or shut, to bring the two
sights and the object into line-that is to
bring the barrel and its two sights into
coincidence with the axis of vision of the
right eye. If the position he maintained
unchanged, and the right eye closed, so
that the image of the left is attended to,
the sights will no longer appear to be in
line, either with the object or with each
other. They will appear to have deviated
to the right of the object From the
right shoulder, with straight stock, it
would be impossible to bring both sights
into line with the left eye and the OBJ
ject; and, if either of them We're brought
into line, and the rife fired, the projec-
tile would go far to the left of the point
aimed at
For the many forms of shooting which
do not require the shooter to draw
bead" the combined use of both eyes is
conducive to accuracy. A rabbit crossing
a ridge or a snipe before it begins twist
ing, is more likely to be caught with both
eyes than with one. But the sportsman
in these cases is not conscious of the
sights of his gun or of their relation to
the object. He throws the barrel into
what he feels to be the right direction,
and in doing this he is guide partly by
vision of the object and partly by the
endowment known as muscular sense"
by which we are enabled to regulate the
amount of force employed in accordance
with the nature of the work that is to be
done. We estimate weight, for example,
by our muscular sense of the amount of
effort which we exert in order to sustain
the ponderous body, and if we attempt 10
lift something we commence by the en-
plOyment of an amount of force such as
think will be sufficient 40 overcome
the expected resistance. In like manner
we estimate the precise position and dis
tance of an object of vision mainly by
our muscular sense" of the effort exert
ed by the eye muscles in so moving the
eyes that the images presented 10 the two
are blended or fused This fusion does
not occur spontaneously. If we look at
the flame of a street lamp, say hundred
yards away, we begin with mental con-
seriousness that there is only one lamp
there, and, if we saw two close together,
we should Immediately bring the eyes into
the relative position necessary to combine
the two images, so that the physical i'm
preston might coincide with the mental
knowledge.
Many people would at once form an al
most unconscious estimate of the distance
of the lamp, and by moderate practice
such an estimate may be rendered very ac-
curate. But if we close one eye and place
before the other a glass which entirely al
ters the aspect of the flames, say a plano
cylindrical leus which will give ii the ap-
pearance of a long line of light extending
in direction perpendicular 10 the axis Of
the cylinder, and If we then open the 9TH
er eye, the images received by the two
eyes will be so dissimilar that the stimulus
to any attempt to combne or fuse them
will be taken away, the spectator will be
reconciled to the spectacle Of a lire of light
with lamp flame near but not quite
touching it. The apparent distance be-
tween the two aspects of the flama will
differ in different people, and also will be
more marked in some positions of the CYL
inder (whether il be verticle or horiZont al,
for example), than in others; but perfect
fusion Of the two in which the line would
appear only as proongation of the flame.
is by no means common. Practically
speaking, in the great majority Of people,
the eyes when at rest are not directed TO
the same point in space, and only become
so directed as the result of a voluntary or
instructive effort, which is performed
more slowly and with more difficulty the
greater the degree of the massive devia-
ton, but which affords, by reason of our
muscular sense of its amount, an import
ant aid to our instructive or acquired pow
er of Judging of distances and dimensions.
The binocular shooter learns from the
muscular sense of his eye muscles the pre-
else position of the object which he sees,
and has acquired, by attention 10 the mus
cular sense Of his arm muscles the power
of rapidly bringing the barrel of a gun
into a direction corresponding with the
position of the object.
The master eye" is an unfortunate ex
preston, because it really means the more
promptly obedent of two servants. When
the axes are not both directed to the same
point one Of them must be misdirected
and the difference between the two is in
no way visual but simply muscular. A
person whose left is the ''master eye
that is, a person who rapidly directs the
left correctly. while the right is sdll a
Htile out Of liue-has no difficulty az all in
aiming with the right eye, assuming that
he has time in which to bring 1t 10 bear
upon the object As fer the "m5stec
hand" that is probably, as Benjamin.
Franklin pointed out more than a century
ago. mainly a result Of vicious education.
ANY young adult who will take the trouble
may acquire what is called ambideXtfr ity
by very moderate amount Of p,actice.
But, as Franklin said in his Complaint
of a Neglected Half-Brother" the LEFT
hand Is not only not taught a business bu.
Is usually chidden if it attempts TO folloY
one. +. Brundenel! Garter.
Harley street west, February.