READING, BOOK PRINT, AND GLASSES 71 



gas, or electricity ; but whichever kind of light it is, the 

 way it slants toward our book or our work is a matter 

 of great importance to the eyes themselves. 



Take a book, stand with your back toward the win- 

 dow, and try to read. Your shadow falls all over the 

 page and makes it 

 almost as bad for your 

 eyes as if you were in 

 a dark room. 



Now turn squarely 

 around and face the 

 window. This is un- 

 comfortable, too; 

 because if you hold 

 the book slanting up- 

 ward, as you ought 

 to do, the page is 



in the shadow again, while the bright light is in 

 your eyes. Of course this is as wrong as possible. 

 Try again. 



Stand with your right side toward the window. This 

 is quite fine, you think; the light is on the page and 

 your eyes are in the shadow. Yes, that is very well for 

 reading; but if you were writing, the shadow of your 

 hand would fall across the page and bother you a little. 

 Put your hand up as if you were writing on the page, 

 and see what I mean. 



