Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-31
School Girls Who
Abuse Their Eyes
BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER.

| copyright, 1900 by Joseph D. BoNlesD
Considering. Dorothy. that your eyes are
not only given you for ornament. but
for use and that as they have to last you
during your whole life, you ought to take
more care of them than you do. What
| color are they-hazel, gray, blue, brown or
| black? Whatever their color may be it
| is the one that best suits your face, and
| whether you know it or not, your friends
are of the opinion that you have the pref
| test eyes In the world.
A great deal of expression is in the eye.
Eyes that are wtde-open and straightfor-
ward, that look others fully in the face.
that have nothing to hide. are very beau
tiful eyes. whoever has them. OF course,
they are set off by the long ringing lashes
and the well-defined eyebrows that. to
speak constitute their frame. No girl can
be regarded as plain or unattractive who
has good, clear eyes. with the silken lashes
and delicately penclled brows that artists
and poets rave about.
What troubles me Is to notice the liberties
many young girls take with their eyes.
They sit reading at that hour of the day
when the light is waning, and the ef-
fort to discern what is on the page Is con-
tinuous. If 1t is hard for you to see, your
eyes are being unduly taxed. There is a
popular impression that young people strain
their eyes by gazing at distant objects.
They much Oftener strain them badly by
hand. Thus, the near-sighted person or
the person whose eyes do not see equally,
is always subject TO a strain which is
wearing on the eyes and Is the obscure
cause of many headaches.
II you find In the school room that you
do not easily read lines or figures on the
blackboard. or If you have trouble in look
ing out places on the map or hunting up
words and definitions In the dictionary, you
may be very sure that your eyes need at
tention Very likely an oculist would
help you at once by fitting you with the
right lens. and you would realize what you
had not known before, that you had been
doing your work with a handicap that
put you at a disadvantage. No one can
do her best If she feels fretted. irritated
and harassed. A girl who is nervous can
not stand well in her classes.
Not long ago, a girl friend of mine who
had devoted many hours of every week
to music for some years. found the notes
blurring before her, and suffered good
deal Of torture and pain when she at
tempted to read the pages that had been
hitherto as plain as print. The specialist
whom she consulted told her that she had
so recklessly used her eyesight that al
though mere girl, she had the eyes of an
old woman.
I should be very sorry to think that any
girl who reads this would make such
shadow the rest of her life.
In reading, det the light fall over the left
shoulder. and sit so that 1t will do so
rather than facing 1t If you can. Do not
attempt to study with an insufficient light.
A students lamp that burns steadily is a
good investment.
Frequent bathing with cold water
strengthens the eyes. 1t Is a good plan
to I'LL q tumbier to the brim with pure
water and then wink the eyes in 1t so that
a drop or two will sift under the lids.
physician has said when you get any
thing In the eye In order to get it out
the lower Nd should be pulled down, the
eye should look down toward the floor
and slightly toward the nose. II nothing
Is found In this part then the upper lid
can By turned back and search made here"
One jannot very we'll do this for herself
ana the friend who does 1t must have a
steady hand and very deft touch.
3 Remember while working, to sit as erect
az you can. Do not stoop. DO not read
In a train or carriage. where the constant
movement of the book obliges a continual
change Of focus Very fine needlework u
well-known oculist has said that the |
ideal book has good type. well spaced ON |
ungiazed paper. book should be held |
nearly on . level with the eges ana = |