Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-03-28

Copyright, 1907, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
am only an optician, but have al
ways had a prediction for expert
ments which my friends called fan
tastic. AS l put the finishing pol
ish on particularly delicate job, am
not ashamed to say that l trembled
as l sat on the verge of failure or sue
cess Il knew not which it would be.
II my skill and patience were to be
rewarded with success, l should have
mastered one of the most interesting
secrets in the world and invested my
self with a power which would be of
tremendous value to me.
If, on the other hand, all my toll
and science were to go for naught,
the disappointment would assume the
proportions of a calamity:
Which would 1t be-
1 poised in my hand the glasses
which had just put into an ordinary
commercial frame. They were not,
to outward appearances, different
from the high grade optical lenses
made for special cases. But they
held, or they did not hold, a power for
which the human race longed from
time immemorial-not, as Bobbie
Burns sang: ITO see themselves as
others see Them" but to see others as
they really are.
Think of being able to know for
sure, through the agency of some in
ner vision, that saw beneath the out
er shell, the real, exact, inner sort of
beings our fellow men are. What
lot of mistakes 1t would keep us from
making! 1t would be money in our
pockets and peace in our hearts every.
day of our lives.
Without entering into scientific de-
tails or optical technicalities, may
briefly explain that l had been for
years working to produce a lens
which, operating along strict scientific
principles, would link psychics and OPP
tics together. developing the so-called
sixth sense through the forces which
lies at the base of the various phenom-
ena associated with what is vulgarly
known as "crystal-gazing." But the
application of optics Invested those I
hoped to produce of the fantastic char
acter of the crystal phenomena. In a
word, my lens, if a success, would ad-
dress itself to the inner ego-vision and
the wearer of these innocent looking
glasses would see the men and wOm-
en- about him. not as they appeared to
others; not possibly as they appeared
10 themselves, but as they really were.
Nothing could be hidden from the all
penetrating gaze directed through
these lenses.
Do you wonder that I was nervous
as l sat there in my library, eager and
yet afraid to put the great secret to
the test? My friends had chaffed me
for dreamer; even my wife regarded
the whole matter as rubbish. What
triumph l should have over them all
II had solved the secret! If had
failed, no one should ever be the
wiser.
With a sudden crossing of the men,
tai Rubicon, clapped the glasses upon
my nose. A curious exaltation stole
over me as stared out Of the win
dow. This sensation was succeeded
by one of drowsiness and then l
seemed to be drinking oceans of chlor-
oform and inhaling whole atmospheres
of ether that infinitely exhilarated me
and then lulled me to the most deli
cious languor.
! awoke feeling as though l had
rested for week. / longed to try the
glasses on 3 subject, but there was no
one in the house save the maid. My
wife had gone to church and I re-