The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-05-16

should the printed matter be we'll Sc
lected, but also the proper light, the
amount, the kind and the direction
from which it comes.
The natural stimulus of the eye is
pure white sunlight, and this is the
best kind for the eye to work with.
The softest and most pleasant is the
difused sunlight of the Northern
sky. This cannot always be had,
but one should approximate it as
nearly as possible. The rush and
demand of civilization are so great
that we must resort to artificial light
frequently. The best artificial light
is that which most nearly resembles
the soft colorless light of the sun.
It should also be q steady light.
There are many kinds of lamps and
globes and shades used to this end
and some are to be greatly commend
ed. The excess of yellow rays in
nearly all artificial lights should be
absorbed by a tint Of blue. The
coming light is undoubtedly the elec-
trio. So soon as its divisability can be
had, that such strong dazzling light
can be controlled and properly used,
we shall have light almost identl-
cal with that of the sun. Indeed
some even hold that the sunlight is
nothing more than electric rays.
The amount of light is also to be
regulated. One can have too much
light as we'll as too little. More
harm, however, is done by reading
with dim light. This brings US now
to consider the direction from which
the light should come, in the act of
reading.
We all known that the light fall
ing on our book from in front is quite
trying and more trying is the light
coming f1om below us. The most
convenient direction for the light to
fall is from above and preferably
over the left shoulder.
The advantage of this is we do not
get the reflections from the paper
and also if writing, we are not an
noyed with the shadow of our own
hand or body. This leads us now
to the consideration of the proper
construction of a school room.
The room should be oblong in
shape and lighted by high and large
windows. If an excess of light be
admitted it can be controlled by
shades. The shades should roll from
below upward rather than from above
downward, in order that all the light
may come from above the head. The
windows should be made in one of
the long sides of the room, with the
rows of desks running parallel with
the short sides and facing so that
the light will fall from the left. A
large room with windows on all sides
can never be properly lighted. There
is an architecture for schools as we'll
as for palaces, and the benefits of
the one are no less than those of the
other. The real beauty of either is
the perfect adaptation to it's uses.
The size and form of the desk and
it's relation to the seat are an i'm
portant factor in the proper care of
the eyes.
1t is simplicity to put different
size children in the same size seat
and to use the same desk. If the
desk be too low the child will lean
forward and cause too much blood
flow to the brain and produce head
ache and general discomfort, not to
say anything about the development
of short sight, spinal curvature, gen
eral deformity and compression of
all the internal organs. A model
desk should have the following con-
struction:
"lhe back ought to be straight,
and consist of a piece of wood only
three inches broad. If this is fixed
at a proper height, viz, close above
the hips, it supports the loins sufh
ciently to make it easy and comforta-
BILE for even the most delicate chill
dren to set perfectly upright. The