The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-01-08
EXPRESSION OF THE MOUTH.

The mouth is a feature upon which very much
OF the character of the face depends No woman
can be pretty woman who has an ugly mouth.
To the most regular features gaping mouth, or
ugly, dropping and half formed lips will give an air
OF lstless Ignorance, or half idiocy, which is
pulslve. Firmness, general decision, cruelty soft
ness and gentleness of mind, love o. our fellows,
eloquence, spite,> vindictiveness, generosity and
strength of character, is all indicated by the
mouth.
1t is incumbent, therefore, upon astute and cum
ming men-with those who crafty and polite,
and who plot against humanty-to conceal the
play and workings of the mouth. As Caesar cover
ed his badness with laurel crown, so modern
Caesar covers his lips with thick dropping
moustache; in this too, nature has admirably aid
ed him. Forester, the Bow street runner, and
Fouche, Napoleons celebrated chief of police, al
most invariably detected the guilty by noticing
the play of the lips. Forester, in his curious
"Memoirs," has frequently told that he saw
guilt upon the lip Of more than one whom he
suspected; and his sagacty, if not unerring, was
great. But who can watch the play of the mouth
when it is covered by the thick grove of mustache?
All the celebrated police agents from Fouche to
Inspector Wicher, have been completely puzzled
by SUCH 1t is well, therefore, on important &C.
casions, to conceal the mouth 1t is too sure an
index of character.
Thin, pale lips supposed to be indicative of
ill temper They are more surely, perhaps the
consequence of a 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 fctiOnist, when he wishes to draw a
conspirator; and the painter has followed him.
Judas, In many of the Italian pictures is seen Bit
ing his under lip. Richard the Third, as portray
ed by Hollingshead and by Shakespeare had a
similar habit. Men of nervous and excitable tenn
have hahit
plucking at their lips and distorting their mouths.
Small mouths are very much praised, and have
been for long time much in fashion. Fashion
able painters and artists for the "Book Of Beauty"
have carried this smalness of mouth to an absurd-
ty. You will see engravings of ladies with mouths
considerably smaller than their eyes, which, of
course, presumng the face to be in due proportion
is as much monstrosity as if the mouth, like
that OF giant in a pantomime, extended from ear
to ear
Certain masters of the ceremonies have written
much on the expression of the mouth at is"
says one, 'the feature which is called into play the
most frequently; and therefore, even where beauty
OF form exists careful training is needed to enable
it to perform correctly its manifold duties. An
elegant manner of utterance renders words, in
significant in themselves agreeable and persuasive
In the act or eating, skillful management is ne
cessary. laugh is a very severe test to this
feature"
Mr. Dickens, whose observation is very wide, has
ridiculed such teaching, when he makes one of his
superfne old women instruct her pupils In the
formation of the lips by uttering three magic
words-potatOes, prunes, and prism. And We
presume that when Lord Byron nearly tainted at
the sight of his wife enjoying rump steak, the
skillful management of his Ada's mouth was ne
elected.
Turning from such foppery to the poets We
may conclude by saying, that from the Greek An
thology downward to the fluent young fellows who
write songs for music publishers, thousands oflines
have been written in praise of ladies' mouths.
The Latins and the Italians have paid great at
tention to this FEATURE resp lips peary teeth, and
violet BREATH have been for ages the stock in trade
of the poets. But perhaps, the best things said
of them are by Irish and English poet; the
Irishman, hyperbolically, ikens the mouth of his
charmer to ga dish of ripe strawberries smothered
in cream" and Sir John Sucking paints to the
life the pretty pouting under lip of beauty, in
his "Ballad on Wedding"
"Her lips red, and one was thin
Compared to what was next her chin
Some bee had stung it newly"