Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-02-22
HOW WOMEN SPOIL VISION.
Their Wells Are Sight Traps, and some
Are Worse Than
Others.


upon the subject of the veil, but
where you will find one to maintain
that such an adornment fades the
complexion you will find ten to aver
that no penalties would prevent them
from wearing the adornment, says
the London Mail.
Go and ask an oculist his opinion,
and what he has to say on the topic
is to plump condemnation upon every
veil that is worn. Yet he will admit
that, while some nets are extremely
dangerous and deleterious to the
eyes, others are almost uninjurious,
There are fashions in nets and
gauzes, and many are the variations
with which the veil is worn. But in
England it always covers the eyes,
and it is here that the danger arises.
OF all the wells ever tried the ideal
one is yet to be discovered. Some
women can trace step by step
its evolution throughout the century.
They have heard their grandmothers
talk about the white lace fall" that
used to be liked, and themselves can
recollect the thick green, blue, gray,
white and green gauze horrors worn
to protect the complexion from tan.
Those wells were followed by thin
ner silk ones, which in their turn
were deposed in favor of those OF
thread lace, after which came the
many denominations still exploited, to-
witt mesh nets dotted and patterned
in various ways.
Just now women are beginning to
shorten nets and falls considerably.
Indeed, in Paris they are wearing
most curtailed ones again, and feel
ing has also come in there for the
utter Punishment OF the veil. A moro
uncomfortable and imbecile affair for
afternoon teas than the mask the
chin veil is cannot be imagined.
1t is sign of grace, perhaps, that
the question which is being much de-
bated now among smart people is
whether the veil does not accom-
plish so much harm to the visual or
gans al 70 outweigh all other consid-
erations in its favor. They wonder il
veil could not be contrived that
would leave the eyes uncovered, while
1t beautifed and protected the rest
of the face. AS pattern nothing
could be better than the Turkish
woman's yashmak, which is justly
held to be the most modest face COW
ering in existence.
Now, as to good and bad patterns
of wells, considered not from the point
of view of beauty, but of visual ex-
pediency.
The very best is veil as fine as
gossamer, which can be most becom-
ing, too. 1t has no spots at all upon
1t, and so does not worry the poor,
tortured eyes that have to dodge
spots, or vainly and unconsciously
try to focus them, one of the worst
possible exercises to which weak or
imperfect sight can be put. The ret
rograde step is taken by Russian net
yelling, which need not, however, be
very fine, for it is unspotted.
Then come the. quite condemned
wells, which have chenille spots all
over them; they are bad in proper
ton as their dots are close and large
or scanty and small; but they are less
sight-wearing than veil that is pat
termed as well as dotted, veritable
agony to sensitive sight. White wells
are often much more evil in their eff
fects than black, for the material, be
it tulle or net, possesses a faculty for
dazzling the vision and making every
thing seen through it wavering and
ill-defined. Finally, has not the case
been proved that those who are con-
scious Of strain, lack of clarity OF
sight. or WEAKNESS after wearing a
veil. should give up the task of look
ing smart at the expense Of vision.
Even the strong argument in favor
of wells OF n sensible and clear mesh,
which the oculists do not attempt to
deny, namely, that such nets do keep
the eyes from the assaults of grit,
especially during drive, or while
cycling or motoring, should not appeal
70 the weak-sighted.