TWO EYES VerSUS ONE EYE. 65 



seem quite able to understand how it is done with one 

 eye closed. But, it may be asked, if you were driv- 

 ing a nail into a valuable piece of furniture, which 

 would be irreparably injured if the hammer were to 

 miss its stroke, would you shut one eye or not? 

 Does the wood-chopper, as he swings his axe to strike 

 every time into the same place, shut his left eye for a 

 true aim ? does the barber who shaves you ? or the 

 Indian who shoots with bow and arrow ? In drilling 

 rocks, when one man holds the drill for another to 

 strike a tremendous blow with his sledge-hammer, 

 does the striker squint, and aim so as to be sure to 

 hit the iron drill, instead of breaking the arm of 

 the holder ? I never saw one that did. Indeed, 

 you may search through all the mechanical arts in 

 which it is necessary to make a correct line of work 

 with the eye for a guide, and you will find that it is 

 successfully done with both eyes open. All such work 

 can be done by the experienced workman, with two 

 eyes as well as with one. 



The sportsman who shoots with both eyes open 

 covers more space around him than one who closes 

 one eye ; he marks down his game better, and has a 

 clearer knowledge of its flight. And with practice it 

 will come easy to him to avoid shutting his eye. A 

 child, in first using the hammer, would probably not 

 hit a nail one time in five ; but he will learn to hit it 

 correctly with both eyes open, as readily as with one 

 shut. Two eyes are made for almost all the uses in 

 life, and their united vision will not ordinarily deceive 



