Year: 1869

OF all birds have peculiarity of strue-
ture which enables them to see and
hear distant objects equally we'll, and
this wonderful power is carried to the
greatest perfection in the bird of prey.
When we recollect that an eagle will
ascend more than mile in perpendic-
ular height, and from that enormous
elevation will perceive its unsuspect-
ing prey and pounce on it with unerr-
ing certainty, and when we see the
same bird scrutinizing with micro
scopic nicely an object close at hand,
we shall at once perceive that he pos
sesses power Of accommodating his
sight to distance in a manner to which
our eye is untitled, and of which it is
totally incapable.


Ii we take printed page we shall
find there is some particular distance,
probably ten inches, at which we can
read the words and see each letter
with perfect distinctness; but if we
move page to the distance of forty
inches We shall find it impossible to
read it at all; scientific men would
therefore, call ten inches the focus or
focid distance Of our eyes. We can
not alter this focus except by the aid
Of spectacles.


But an eagle has the power Of al
tering the focus of his eye as he pleas
es; he has only to look at an object
at the distance of two feet or two
miles in order to see it with perfect
distinctness. The ball of his eye is
surrounded by fifteen little plates,
called sciorotic bones. They form a
complete ring, and their edges slight
ly overlap each other.


When he looks at the distant OBJ
ject this little circle of bone expands,
and the ball of the eye being relieved
from the pressure becomes fatter, and
when he looks at a very near object
the little bones press together, and
the ball of the eye is thus squeezed
into rounder and more convex form.
The effect is very familiar to every
body. A person with very round
eyes is near sighted, and only sees
clearly an object that is close to him
and person with fiat eyes, as in old
age, can see nothing clear except at a
distance. The eagle, by the mere
will, can make his eye round or fiat,
and see with equal clearness at any
distance.


cone MORE UNFORTUNATE" THE
telegraph has already told of the pit
iful suicide in Chicago OF a girl, Mel
lie Dorsett, who had been seduced
from her home by young man nam
ed George H. Burr, travelling agent
for New York drug house Her
cloak was found on the wharf, and
her hat floating in the river, but hel
body has not been recovered. In the
pocket OF the cloak were found sever
al letters written by Burr to Nellie,
and one by her to him. This letter
tells a story of desertion, love and de
spair, such as we are seldom called
to read, even in these days of love
sensations. 1t is as follows:


"Dear George: 1t is not in anger
| write to YOU now. | have no ours
es to heap upon YOU, but only love
and forgiveness. Oh! George, if you
had only known how fervently, how
passionately | love you, you would
not have deserted me so cruelty.
left home, parents, everything for you
George, trusting in your loye-fol
you did love me once and, oh how
my heart yearnS for return of It's


devotion. But do not reproach you
| am weary and shall soon be at rest
and God, perhaps, will forgive the er
ror of poor girl so unworthy of His
love. [ have left my watch for Mrs
Foster to give to mother; my rings
and your little locket have been put
up in a package for you. could not
leave you, dear George, without to
ken Of my love, and if this last act of


mine should touch your heart, | shall
be happy i'll death. Pray for me-
Good night, good night. NELLIE.


PRAYING FOR OUR ENEMIES The
first prayer ever offered up in the
American Congress, in 17T7, contain
J ed tue following invocation for our en-
emies:


Defeat the malicious designs of
our adversaries !; convince them of the
unrighteousness of their cause; and
If thay still pprSiSt in Sanpuinary ppr