The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-05-16
The Language of the Eye.

The eve can threaten like loaded,
leveled gun, or can insult like kicking
or Kissing, or in its altered mode, by
beams Of kindness, it can make the
heart dance with JOY. The manners
Of the eye reveal all the interior of the
man, though our language is made
quate 10 paint them. When thought
strikes us, the eye is fixed, and remains
gazing at distance, and in enumera-
ting the names of persons or countries,
as France, Germany, Spain, England,
Bohemia-the eye winks at each new
name. There is no nicely of learning
sought by the mind that the eyes do
not vie in acquiring. "The artist"
says Michael Angelo, "must take his
measure with tools not in his hand, but
in his eye." And there is no end of
the catalogue of its performances,
whether in indolent vision, of health
and beauty, or the strained vision of
art and labor. The eyes are bold as
lions, rowing, running, leaping, here
and there, far and near. They speak
all languages. The wait for no intro
duction. They are no Enlishmen !; ask
no leave of age or rank; they respect
neither poverty nor riches, nor learn
ing, nor power, nor virtue, nor sex, but
intrude and go again, and through and
through you in moment of time.
What foundations of life aud thought
are discharged from one soul into an
other through them! The glance is
natural magic-a mysterious communi-
cation established across the house be-
tween two entire strangers, and moves
all the springs of wonder. Communi-
cation by the glance is in the greatest
part not subject to the control of the
WILL 1t is the bodily symbol of identi-
ty of nature. We look into the eyes
to know if this or the other form is an
other self. The eyes will not lie, but
they make faithful confession of what
inhabitant is there. The angels that
inhabit this temporary human form
show themselves at the doors, and the
imps and demons also. The revela-
tions are sometimes terrific. The con-
fession of low, usurping devil is there
made. The observer will seem to feel
the presence of horns and hoofs where
he looked for innocence and simplicity.
1t is remarkable that the spirit which
appears at the windows of the house,
at once invests itself in new form of
its own to the mind of the beholder.
Eyes converse in their language as
much as the tongue, with the advan-
tage that the ocular dialect is under
stood all the world over. The Ian.
guage of the eye is very hard 10 coun-
terfeit. You can read in the eyes of
your companion while you talk wheth-
or your argument hits him, though his
tongue will not confess it. There is a
look by which man shows he is going
to say good thing, and look when
he has said it. Vain and forgotten are
all the the fine Offices of hospitality if
there be no holiday in the eye. How
many furtive invitations are avowed
by the eye, though dissembled by the
lips. A man comes away from a coEpa-
ny; he has heard no important remark,
but if in sympathy with the society, he
is innocent of the fact of such a stream
of life as has been flowing to him
through the eve. There are ewes which
give no more admission into them than
blue berries. Others are liquid, and
deep wells that men might fall into.
And others are oppressive and devour-
ing, and take too much notice. There
are asking eyes, and asserting eyes,
and prowling eyes, and eyes full of
faith, some of good, and some of SIMS
ter omen.-EnaersoR,