The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-13

The Eyebrow.-The eyebrow is one of the most
expressive features in the human face. We
must all of us have observed how prodigiously
its lines vary; how in one case the eyebrow will
slant upwards from the roet of the nose towards
the temple-as in the popular idea of Mephis
topheles-or the reverse way, the eyebrows elc-
waited where they approach more nearly towards
each other, and dropping as they near the tenn
pies This slant will very commonly be eXhi.
bited in devotional pictures of saints and Others
engaged in supplication. Sometimes, again,
these features will adhere to a line which
is very nearly or quite straight; and some
times-very commonly, by-the-way-there
will be an angle at OF near the middle of
the eyebrow, an obCuse angle with the point
upwards. Lastly, this feature will oc-
casionally describe the segment of circle,
presenting that arched form which is so much
and so generally admired. All these foIms and
endless variations OF each OF them, are taken by
the eyebrow, and not one of them without
great influence on the expression of the eye
an influence, too, increased immensely by those
lines and wrinkles by which the eyebrow Is sur
rounded, or into which parts of it are merged,
as in the case of that powerfully marked upright
line so often to be observed at the junction OF
the eyebrow with the nose, What "a tale these
wrink les tell when anxiety and apprehens ion
lie behind them They get to be set when
such anxiety has lasted long, and impart to the
eye sort of strained look which it is distress
ing 10 witness. We get what is called an anxious
eye, but is 1t the eye that is so anxious, or may
When the good news comes, and anxiety is
at an end, that subtle dragging of the skin into
almost invisible wrinkles ceases, the forehead
relaXes the permanent wrinkles become less
deep, and people say "his eye frightened at
the good tidngs." Does the eye brighten in such
a case Is the briiliancy on its surface sus-
ceptible of increase or decrease under the in1u-
ence OF transient emotion That long-endured
sorrow or illness may dull the surface of the
eye and that protracted prosperity and splen-
did health may give it brightness, is not denied;
hIf arp l11t1n
any one say that momentary triumph Will
make the surface of the eyeball become sud
denly more polished than it was before, or a
sorrow make it less so? | believe that the
chief tangible power of expression with which
the eye itself is gifted lies in its capabiity OF ra-
pid movement. When our supposititious piece of
good news arrived, it is probable that at the
none ent when the muscles of the face relaxed
and the skin became loosened from previous ten
sion-t seems probable that at that moment the
eyeball would move sharply, and this move
n ent causing its brilliant surface to eaten the
light, would make 1t seem to brighten. This
power OF movement in the eyeball is OF great
Importance. In an expression OF cunning, the
eye moves to the corner OF the eyeaperture, ana
/ in anger ii will move and stagger as it were 1ol
an instant, before hiking on the object which has
excited the passion. Now, every movement OF
the eye causes change OF position in the light
which the brilliant surface rehecs, so that II
seems 10 be brighter than before. 1t so hap
pens that al these regions outside the eye are
remarkable for their feXibility and capacity for
/ CDalge. Let us tuluh lOT nov
they are all convulsed and altered by what
we call a frown. The bro is lowered in All
instant, and its shape and position actually
changed, while the skin which moves with 1t
descends in a terrible and ominous fold ACROSS
the eye, which is by this actually reduced IN
size; the deep wrinkles between the eyebrows
become deeper yet, and many more are forcibly
developed in new Fuckerings of the forehead
not there before; and as the brow is propelled
forward, as well as drawn downwards by the
action OF the frown, a shadow is cast into the
dark cavity over the eye which adds to the Sims.
ter effect of the whole. Presently the brief
madness" passes away, the brow relaXes the
dreadful lines and FUCKERS are smoothed away
from the iorehead; the eyelid, pressed down
before, rises, and the expression Of that eye, 50
fierce and terrible just now, is once again calm
and serene. And how much, ] cannot help ask
ing, does the eye itself go for in all this? Fo7
something, no doubt; Tor, if it had not been
there, the frown would have been nothing; yet
in that great convulsion it did not itself change
perceptiby. 1t acds changed, no doubt, but
that was by the wonderful convulsion which
passed over the regions surrounding it; but the
white spherical object with the dark spot in the
midst was still there behind-there, when the
brow descended heavy with rage-there, when
the cloud lifted, when the forehead became
smooth, and the man himself again reasona-
BILE soul.-"On he Expression of the Eye," in
MdcnliHdT'S Magazine