154 THE HOUSE I LIVE IN. 



and if it did no other barm, I am sure we 

 should soon become blind. Those people who 

 let the full blaze of a candle, or lamp, or 

 bright fire, shine on their eyes, do a great deal 

 towards making themselves blind ; but they 

 are sometimes a great many years in finishing 

 the work. 



Another use of the eyelids is to ward off 

 small bodies from the eyes, as sticks, chips, 

 stones, &tc. The power of the eye is wonder- 

 ful in this respect. It will sometimes close so 

 swiftly as to shut out an object which could not 

 possibly have been seen ; just as if it almost 

 felt it coming before it arrived. It does not 

 always close quickly enough, however; for 

 , blacksmiths, stone cutters, &tc., sometimes" 



have their eyes more or less injured, 



THE EYEBROWS. The eyebrows serve as 

 a sort of defence to the eye, by catching a part 

 of the dust that would otherwise fall into them. 

 Perhaps they may have other uses than this, 

 but I have not room to enlarge. 1 should like 

 to describe the eyelashes, and mention their 

 uses, and also speak of several other mem- 



