Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1910 — SEEING DOUBLE. [ARTICLE]

SEEING DOUBLE.

• —-t—: . * _• A well-known oculist of New York City tells a story of one of hls patients who proved rather more than a match for him. The patient was a quaint old fellow from one of the rural counties of the State, fifty years of age or more, who strolled leisurely Into the dootor’s office, and after taking an optical Inventory of the place, Including the doctor himself, remarked that he was afraid that hls eyes were "gltting a leetle out o’ kilter,” and he guessed the doctor had better "take a peek at them.” He was seated and, as a preliminary, was invited to look through a prism at a photograph. “Why, now,” said he, after squinting a while, "this Is curious. I Bee two photographs. What makes me see like that?” The doctor, who la something of a humorist and Inclined to be jocose with certain of hls patients, replied that this phenomenon was certainly very Interesting, and that while possibly it indicated some slight abnomallty, it yet had its compensating advantages. "With double vision you have a great advantage over me, for example,” he continued, smiling, “for you will be able to see twice as many beautiful things in the world as I can. You will have twice as many friends. Your family will be doubled. You will have twice as much real estate and two pocketbooks instead of one, and when ■you hitch up your horse to drive out, you will have a span.” The old fellow did not say much In reply, but seemed to be pondering It; and meantime the doctor completed hls examination, and having made the appropriate prescription, It came time to receive his fee, which in this case was ten dollars. Very slowly the old man, still pondering, drew forth a roll of bills, and carefully selecting a five, looked hard at It for some moments, then proffering It, said quietly, “Here’s your ten dollars, doctor.”