The Litchfield County post., 1828-05-15

to one particular spot near your pocket hole, upon which place your fingers moved necessarily during your discourse,I T percei- we'd your fingers from habit, moved as if they were fumbling amongst bunch of keys.'
 "'Sir,' said the lady recovering her good humor, I acknowledge that you are right; I flor many years, carried bunch of keys under my apron, (when aprons were in fash Ibn) and it is likely enough that ! should get the custom of feeling for the key that would probably be waned.'
 "We were all pleased with the success fnI effort of rational physiognomy par
 icularly the gentleman with the cane, ,who seemed delighted at the discontinue of he landlady. q will be hanged said beif you discover who am; I think am d bit of judge upon these subjects, and eio not know a single point about me, from which you could m ke a god hi.'
 "'Sir,' says the officer, 'what you have first said, would make me suspect that you were upon the turf, nntwi. hs anding your dress and department. which would lead me to think you were rich merchant,F or perhaps an alderman; but a physiognomist depends more upon the category of acci- dent than that of dress. If my art does not deceive me sir, you are an auctioneer.'
 "'And so | am, sir, but how the devil did you find>that out? you have not heard me utter twenty sentences since we met, and not a word in my ,o0y has escaped my lips.'
 "'That is very true, ,'replied the officer: but whenever you though you had a con- elusive argument, you always knocked down the prize in dispute to yourself, with your cane instead of the usual hammer of business. J appeal to the gentleman op- posite to you, who has pargied very many blows with great dexterity.' This obser- vation readily confirmed and the conn., pany joined with me in admiring the saga city of our fellow traveller. He passed me over very slightly observing, that, like peculiar in my manners. The genteel, young man. whom have described as the fifth passenger, smiled at this remark, and offered himself to the nquiring eyes of the judge, demanded what he supposed him to be?
 ''Sir.' said the wary officer, T acknowl- edge that, for long time, was at fault with respect to you; your knowledge of literature, and easy department, led me to believe that you were gentleman of fortune, ,who lived in the best company; but I am inclined to pronounce that you 1 are haberdasher, or silk mercer "'I am, m st certainly said the young man, blushing, son to MT. .-,the silk mercer, on Ludgate-hill; and I shall now be much obliged to you if you will let me know by what signs and token you discov- cred my occupation.'
 "'Sir,' said our hero, whenever you talked eagerly you drew the slight switch that is in your hand through your finger & thumb precisely to the length of a yard and the accuracy with which this motion was repeated, convinced me that long practice alone, could have made you SO expert
 "The young mercer was much pleased with this explanation; he wassmore flat tered by being known to be nerchant,eE, at the same time, to be taken noticeeof for good manners and good sense, than to pass 1 for a man of the ton, without being supp posed to have cultivated his mind. The anatomical physiognomist was the on- ly person in the company who felt morti-
 Gcation: by pretending to knowledge be- yond the true bound of his art, he over- looked the obviousRindications of charac- ter, which would have occurred to com- mon observer and though he might not have discovered the occupations of the landlady, the mercer and the auctioneer, by bunch of keys, switch, and gold- headed cane, he might have divined that the lady was not West Indian, that the mercer was not remarkably choleric, and that was not of a melancholy tempera- ment. I -"I am aware that what have written, may appear extravagant and improbable fate that often befals the relation of real incidents, in works of entertainment. The phy>iognom cal anecdotes, which are pre- served ill the Foregoing pages, are. howev:- CT, true"
 Misfortune is like the black mountain of Bomber, at the extremity of the sultry kingdom of Lahore; while you are ascen-l ding it, you see nothing before you but barren rocks but on gaining the summit, ligh expands over your head, and at yonr feet is tho kingdom Cashmere In fact |