Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-01-19


can see the sun o5.OO0.o0O OF miles
away and the point OF pin. Telescope
aud microscope in the same contri-
vance. The astronomer swings and
moves this way and that and adjusts
and readjusts the telescope until he
gets II TO the right focus. The micro
scopist moves this way and that and
adjusts and readlusts the magnifying
glass until II Is prepared to do its
work. bat the human eye without a
touch hchoids the star aud the small
est insect. The Traveller along the Alps
with one glance taking In Mont Blanc
and the face of his watch to sec whcth-
er he has time to climb IT, oh, this
wonderful camera obscara which you
and carry about with us. so from the
top OF Mount Washington we can take
In New England. SO ut night we can
sweep into our vision the constelln-
items from horizon 20 horizon So dell.
cate. SO semi-infpite. and yet the light
coming 95.C0O.O0o miles at the rate of
100000 miles second is obliged 20
halt Mt the gate OF the eye. waiting
until the portcullis bc lifted Some
thing hurled 0J.O00.O00 miles and strik
ing an Instrument which has not the
agitation Of even wlnking under the
power OF the stroke.
Divine Construction.
There also is the mprciful arrange.
ment of the tear gland ~ which the
eye is washed aud through which rolls
the tide which brings the relief TINT
comes In tears when some bereave-
ment or great loss strikes us. The tear
not an augmentation OF sorrow, but the
breaking up of the arctic OF frozen
grief In the warm gulf stream Of con-
ISOLATION. IncapGcity TO weep Is mad
ness or death. Thank God for the tear
glands and that the crystal gates are
so easily opened. Oh, the wonderful
hydraulic apparatus OF the human eye.
Diyinely constructed vision. Two
lighthouses at the harbor of the i'm
mortal 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 speech
less and n clumsy instrument of OK
preston as compared with IL. Have
you not seen the eye fash with indiS-
nation. or kindle with enthusiasm. or
expand with devotion. or melt with
sympathy, or stare with fright, or leer
with villainy. or droop with sadness.
or pale with envy. or fire with revenge.
or twinkle with mirth. or beam With
love? 1t is tragedy and comedy anc
pastoral and lyric In turn. Have you
net seen its upliftcd brow OF surprise,
or its frown of wrath. or It's contrac
ton Of pain? If the eye say one thing
and the lips say another thing. you be-
lieve the eye rather than the lips. The
eyes of Archibald Alexander and
Charles G.. Finney were the mightiest
part of their sermons. George White
field enthrallcd great assemblages with
his eyes, though they were crippled
with strabismus. Many military
chieftain has with look hurled a rcgi-
ment to victory or 10 death. Martin
Luther turned his great eye on an as
sassin who came TO take his life. and
the villain fed. Under the glance of
the human eye the tiger. with five
times n mans strength. snarls back
into the African Jungle
But those best appreciate the value
or the eye who have lost IT, The EN-
peror Adrian by accident put out the
eye OF his servant. aud he said to his
servant: What shall I pay you. In
money or in lands-anything you ask
me? am so sorry put your eve
out" Put the servant refused to put
any financial estimate on the value Of
the eye. and when the emperor urged
and urged again the matter he said.
"Oli, emperor. want nothing but my
lost eye" Alas for those for whom n
thick and impenetrabie veil Is drawn
across tho face Of the heavens and The
face OF ones own kindred.
That was pathetic scene when
-Sfnd man lighted 6. torch nj night aud
was found passing along the highway
and some one said. why do you carry
that torch when you can't see?'' "ah."
said he. ~ can't see. but carry this
torch that others may see me and pity
my helplcssness and not run me
down. Samson, the giant. with HIS
eyes put out by the philistincs, Is more
helpless than the smallest dwarf with
vision unchanged. All the sympathies
or Christ were stirred when he saw
Bartimeus with darkencd retina. and
the only salve he ever made that we
read OF was n mixture OF dust and
saliva and n prayer with which he
cured the eyes OF n man blind from
his nativity. The value of the eve
shown as much by It's catastrophe as
by Its healthfui action. Ask the man
who for 20 years has not seen the sun
rise. Ask the man who for half
century has not seen the face of n
friend. Ask In the hospital the victim
OF ophthalmia. Ask the man whose
eyesight persisted In n powder blast.
Ask the Bartimeus who never met n
Christ or the man born blind who Is
TO die blind. Ask him.
God Given sight.
How II adds 10 John Millions suhllni-
ity OF character when we find him ut
the call OF duty sacrificing his eyesight.
Through studying at late hours aud
trying all kinds OF medicement to pre-
serve his sight he had for ~ years
been coming toward blindness. and aft
er awhile one eye was entirely gone.
His physician warned him that IL he
continued reading and writing he
would lose the other eye. But he kept
on with his work and said after sitting
In total darkness: 'The choice lay be-
fore me between dereliction OF a SUI
preme duty and loss of eyeslght. In
such case could not listen to the
physicians. not IL Esculapius himself
had spoken from his sanctuary. I
could not but obey that inward mont
tor. know not what spoke to me
from heaven" Who OF us would have
grace enough to sacrifice our eyes n.
the call of duty?
But thank God. some have been en-
aoied TO see without very good eyes |
General Havelock. the son of the more |
famous General Havelock. told me this |
his father: In India. while |
his father and himself with the army
were encamped one evening time after |
a long march, General Havelock called |
up his soldiers and addressed them.
saying in words rs near as can recol-