WHICH IS THE MOKE POWERFUL? 93 



quers that is, it is the light from those objects which are 

 most strongly illuminated, on whichever side they may hap- 

 pen to be, that makes the greatest impression on the eye. 



Thus the objects in the open air are usually much more 

 brightly lighted than those in the room, and so, in looking 

 out at a window, we see the trees, and the houses, and the 

 people in the street, the light from which is strong, and is 

 transmitted to us through the glass, while we do not see 

 the objects in the room reflected in the glass, because the 

 light from them is much feebler ; and though it is reflected 

 just the same, notwithstanding that the transmitted light 

 is coming through, it does not affect our vision much in 

 presence of the brighter light that is transmitted. 



But if you hold a candle, a lighted match, or any other 

 bright light before a window, you see the reflection of it at 

 onee in the pane, even in the daytime. You can also see 

 even a piece of white paper reflected in a window-pane, 

 unless there is a very bright light outside. 



So, in the evening, when the room is lighted up, while it 

 is nearly dark outside, the objects in the room are then the 

 best illuminated, and the light reflected from them over- 

 powers altogether, in the effect produced on the retina of 

 the eye, that coming from the street, and it is much more 

 difficult to see any thing outside on account of this reflec- 

 tion. You have to hold your hands up on each side of 

 your face to cut off" the light from the objects in the room, 

 which would otherwise be reflected too strongly. 



This explains the reason why it is sometimes, especially 

 in a bright day, difficult to see plainly what is in the shop- 

 windows along the street, especially if the panes are of 

 plate-glass. You see the objects in the street by the re- 

 flected light in the panes, because the light from them is 

 stronger than the light from the objects within. 



So, in the daytime, when the light is stronger without 



