The weekly union record., 1864-01-30

From a lecture by Ralph Waldo Emerson
on the Conduct Of Life" we ertrac, the fol
lowing remarks on the varied expression Of the
cves OF the human family:
Ewes are bold as lions-roving, running.
Ieapinc here and there far and near. They
speak all languages they wait for no intro
duction; they are 10 Englishman; ask no
leave of age or rsnk they respect neither
poverty nor riches, neither learning nor power,
nor virtue nor sex but ntrudc and come
again and 90 through and through you. in q
moment OF time " hat inundatOn Of life and
thought is discharged from one soul into an
other. through til Ia. The glance is natural
magic The mysterious communication estab-
Eshed across house. between two entire
strangers. moves all the springs of wonder.
The communication by the glance is in the
greatest part not subject TO the control Of the
will. 1t is the bodily symbol Of identity Of
nature. We look into the eyes 10 know II this
other form is another self, and the eyes will not
lie but make 4 faithful confession what inhab
liant is there. The revelations are sometimes
terrific The confession of u low, u,urping
devil is there made, and the observer shall seem
to feel the stirring Of owls and bats, and horned
hoofs. where he looked for innocence and sim
pliciiv lis remarkable, too. that the spirit
that appears at the windows Of the house does
at once invest himself in new form OF his
own, to the mind Of the bchoder,
The eyes Of men converse as much as their
tongues, with the advantage that the occular
dialect needs no dictionary, but is understood
all the world over. When the eyes say one
thing and the tongue another, practised man
relies on the language of the first. II the man
is off his center, the eyes show it. You can
read in the eyes of your companion whether
YOUR argument hits him. though bis tongue will
not confess it. There is look by which a
Man shows he is going to say good thing,
and look when he has SAID it. Vain and
forgotten are all the ine offers and Offices OF
hospitality. if there is no holiday in the eye.
How many furtive inclinations are avowed by
the eye. though dissembled by the lips. One
comes away from a company 10 which it may
easily happen be has said nothing. and no i'm
portant remark has been addressed to him
and yet, il in sympathy with the society, be
shall not have a sense OF this fact, such stream.
Of life has been flowing into him and out from
him through the eyes. There are eyes. t. Be
sure, that give no more admission into ,he man
than blueberries. Others are liquid ayd deer
WITS WAL n lDhl iuNo pAbO's o'e
aggressive and devouring. seem TO call out the
police. take all too much notice, and require
crowded Brosdvays. and the security OF mill
ions, to protect individuals agains, them. The
military eye | meet, now darkly sparkling
under clerical, now under rustic brows. III.
/ the city of Laced1mon It's stack OF bayon
cts. There are asking eyes, asserting eyes
and eyes full of fate-some of good and some
| OF sinister omeu. The alleged power to charm
/ down insanity, or ferocity in beasts, is power
behind the eye. 1t must be a victory achieved
/ in the will before it can be signifed in the eye
/ 'Tis very certsin that each man carries in hi
eve the exact indication Of his rank in the i'm
meuse scale of men, and we are always learning
10 REID it, \ complete man should need NJ
auxiia7ies to his personal presence Whoeve
looked on him would consent 10 his will, beinl
certified that his aims were generous and uni
( versal The reason why men do not obey u
is because they see the mud at the bottom Q
our eye.