29* DISORDERED EYES. 



failed me in going up ftairs^ that the world, with all 

 its beauties and amufements, became indifferent to me, 

 and was no better to me than my own folitary apart- 

 ment. 



While my eyes continued to do their office as for- 

 merly, I feldom felt the time hang heavy ; but at the 

 beginning of the fecond winter they began to give me 

 pain by candle light, which rendered reading very 

 irkfome to me. A journey to Alberftadt, which I made 

 in raw, cold weather, inflamed them to a great degree ; 

 and, on my return, I was not able to write or to read 

 in the day time without much pain, and by candle- 

 light not at all. The feat of the pain was chiefly in 

 the corners of the eyes by the nofe, where a white 

 purulent matter gathered. When at work, it was al- 

 ways as if I had fine corroding fand in my eyes. The 

 more I read or wrote in one day, the more red were they 

 the next. In the right eye I felt more pain than in the 

 left ; probably this proceeded from the habit of leaning 

 my head on my left hand, fo as that this eye was co- 

 vered, and confequently the right was more ftrained; 

 It is almoft inconceivable to myfelf how I came not to 

 think of this, till — it was too late. The perpetual 

 burning and itching in my eyes made it fcarcely poffible 

 for me to keep my hands from rubbing them, though 

 that only ferved to make them worfe. 



If I happened to be but one minute in a room where 

 the chimney fmoked, or Only went through a houfe 

 where they were warning with lye, I might reckon 

 upon it that I could not ufe my eyes for the refi of that 

 day ; and not only f6, but muft be tortured with ex- 

 ceffive pain. A walk for a quarter of an hour in the 



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