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 idocy, which is
repusive. 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.
I. 1t is incumbent, therefore, with astnte and
cunning men-with those who are crafty
and polite, and who plot against humanity
Ito conceal the play and workings of the
mouth. As Cesar covered his badness with
laurel crown, a modern Caesar covers
Ills 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,n 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 CON-
| pletely puzzled by such. 1t is well, there
| fore, on important occasions 10 conceal the
mouth. II is too sure an index of charac-
ter.
Thin, pale lips are supposed TO be indi
cative of illtemper. They are more surely,
perhaps, the consequence o! weakly and
not too healthy habit of body. very thin
neither lip, clenched teeth, and a pale cheek
have been for ages the stock in trade of The
ficiitionist when he wishes to draw con-
spirator; and the painter has followed him.
Judas, in many of the Italian pictures, is
seen biting his under lip. Richard the Third,
as portrayed by HoIingshed and by Shaks-
peare, had a similar habit. Men of ner-
yous and excitable temperament have, es-
pecially il suspicious, habit of pIucking
at their lips and dsiorting their mouths.
Small mouths are very much praised and
have been for long tins much in fashion.
eBook of Beauty" have carried this small
ness of mouth 10 an absurdity. Yon will
see engravings of ladies with mouths con-
siderably smaller than their eyes, which, of
course, presumiDg the face 10 be in due
proportion, is as much monstrosily 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
Z That of Queen Charlotte was ugly; that of
the princess of that name was true Bruns-
wick mouth. exhibiting the two front teeth,
I from the shortness and curious elevation of
the upper lip, which is perpetuated in the
males of the present royal family. The
house of Hapsburg has also very ugly
mouth, celebrated as the Austrian mouth.
Certain masters of the ceremonies have
written much on the expression cf the
mouth. sit 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 utlerance renders
words, Insignificant in themselves. agreea-
Bile and persuasive. In the act of eating,
skiiliul management is necessary. A laugh
is very severe test to this feature
Mr.. Dickens, whose observation is very
wide, has ridicued such teaching, when he
makes one of his superfne old women in
struct her pupils in The formation of the
lips by utlering three magic wo1ds-pota-
toes, prunes and prism. And we presume
that when Lord Byron nearly tainted at the
sight of his vile enjoying rumpsteak, the
skillful management of his Ada's mouth
was neglected.
Turning from such foppery to ls poets,
Greek Anthology, downward, to the fluent
young fellows who write songs for music
Publishers, thousands of lines have beer
written in praise of ladies' mouths. The
Laiinists and the Italians have paid great
attention TO 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 lrishmsn
hyperbolieaily, likens the mouth of his
charmer to 'sa dish of strawberries smoth-
cred in crane )" and Sir John Sucking
paints 10 the life the pretty pousing under
lip of beauty in his 'sBallad on a We'd
ding -
sHer lips were red, and one was thin
Compared TO that was next her chin
Some bee had stung it newly"