The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1860-09-19
Expression of the Month.


an ugly mouth. To the most regular fea-
lures gaping mouth, or ugly, dropping,
and badly formed lips, will give an air of
listless ignorance, OF half idiocy, which is
repulsive. Firmness, general decision,
cruelty, softness, and gentleness of mind,
love OF our fellows, eloquence, spite, vim
dictiveness, generosity, and strength of
character, are all indicated by the mouth.
1t is incumbent, therefore, with astnte and
cunning men-with those who are crafty
and polite, and who plot against humanity
--to conceal the play and workings of the
mouth. As Cesar covered his badness with
laurel crown, so modern Caesar covers
his lips with thick dropping moustache;
in this, too, nature has admirably aided him
Forester the Bow street runner, and Fouche
Napoleon's celebrated chef of police, almost
invariably detected the guilty by noticing
the play of the lips. Forester, in his curl
Gus "Memoirs, !" has frequently told Us that
he saw "guilt upon the lip" OF more than
one whom he suspected land his sagacity,
if not unerring, was great. But who can
watch the play of the mouth when it is
covered by a thick grove of monstache
All the celebrated police agents, from Fou
che TO Inspector Whicher, have been COM
pletely puzzled by such. 1t is well, there
fore, on important occasions 10 conceal the
mouth. 1t is too snre an index OF charac-
ter.
Thin, pale lips are supposed to be indi-
cative of ill-temper. They are more surely,
perhaps. the consequences o! weakly and
not too healthy habit of body. A very thin
neither lip, clenched teeth, and pale cheek
have been for ages the stock in trade of The
ficiitionist when he wishes to draw a con.
spirator; and the painter has followed him.
Judas, inS many of the Italian pictures, is
seen biting his under lip. Richard the Third,
as portrayed by Holingshed and by Shaks-
peare, had similar habit. Men of ner-
yous and excitable temperament have, es-
pecially il suspicious, habit of pluckiug
at their lips and distoring their mouths.
Small mouths are very much praised and
have been for long time much in fashion.
Fashionable painters and artists for the
"Book of Beauty'' have carried this small
ness of mouth 10 an absurdty. Yon will
see engravings of ladies with mouths con-
siderably smaller than their eyes, which, of
course, presumDg The face TO be in due
proportion, is much monstrosity as if
the mouth, like that of giant in a panto-
mime, extended from ear TO ear. The fe
male mouth should not be TOO small. From
what We can gather from contemporary por-
traits, supposing them to be true, both Eiiz-
abe:h and Mary, Queen of Scots, had
mouths much too small to be handsome =
That of the former, the greatest female
monarch who has ever existed, should have
at least indicated her capacious mind
That of Queen Charlotte was ugly; that of
the princess of that name was true Bruins
wick mouth, exhibiting the two front teeth,
from the shortness and curious elevation of
the upper lip, which is perpetuated n the
males of the present royal family. The
house of Hapsburg has also a very ugly
mouth, celebrated as the Austrian mouth.
Certain masters of the ceremonies have
written much on the expression cf the
mouth. at Isl" says one, ''the feature
which is called into play most frequently
and, therefore. even where beauty of form
exists, careful training is needed, TO enable
it 10 perform correctly lis manifold duties
An elegant manner of ullerance renders
words, Insignificant in themselves, agreea-
Bile and persuasive. In the act of eating,
skilliul management is necessary A laugh
(, is very severe test to this feature.o
| Mr.. Dickens, whose observation is very
/ wide, has ridiculed such teaching, when he
makes one of his superfine old women in
struct her pupils in the formation of the
/ lips by uuering three magic wo1ds-pota-
toes, prunes and prism. And we presume
that when Lord Byron nearly tainted at the
sight of his vile enjoying a rumpsieak, the
skiilful management of his Ada's mouth
was neglected.
Turning from such foppery to the poets,
we may conclude by saying that from the
Greek Anthology, downward, 10 the fluent
young fellows who write songs for music
Publishers, thousands of lines have beer
written in praise of ladies' mouths The
Latinists and the Italians have paid great
attention 10 This feature rosy lips, pearly
teeth and violet breath have been for ages
the stock in trade of the poets. But, per-
haps, the best things said of them are by
an Irish and English poet; the Irishman
hyperbolicalIy, likens the mouth of his
charmer to ''a dish of strawberries smoth-
cred in crane !" and Sir John Sucking
paints TO the life the pretty pou.ing under
lip of a beauty in his "Ballad on a We'd
ding :n--
"Her lips were red, and one was thin
Compared 10 that was next her Chin
Some bee had stung it newly"