The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-10-24
TEE ExpREssION OF THE EYE.

AnQ now much, cdHu0I uelp ASKING.
does the eve itself go for in all. this 7
= = + The quiyering contraction Of
moments irritability, the momentary
Frightening up which goes with the
quick PERCEPTION of a jest, the little half
developed thought Of suspicion crossing
the mind, the kidding of a generous
impulse, or of swift surprise, all things
affect more or less that wonderous ex-
preston machinery which we have
been considering, and set it all in mo-
ton. No doubt the eyeball itself is
affected in these cases of transient feel
ings; but here I think it will again be
found that the element which this organ
contributes in the shape of EXPRESSIVE
ness is motion, or little else. IL moves
swiftly and suddenly as each different
feeling asserts itself III the face, and by
such OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES not change
helps to enforce the expression of
the moment. This is point to make
the eye moves, but the surroundings
of the eye change.
believe that may he even Nundera-
ting the effect of these surroundings.
Consider in the case of an animal, the
effect of the ears even on the express
ion of the ewes. The ears laid back or
pricked forward, make the eyes look Vi
cious or intelligent as the case may be;
and with animals again we find that
what expression there is in the eye itself
is still given by movement. Aglimpse
of the white Of the eye on this side or
that of the great pupil will produce a
wonderful change The eye turned
back in horse, showing a portion OF
the white in the inner corner, irnparts
look of nervousness and temper
which makes us mistrust the animal in
whom it's phenomenon is observed, and
think twice befor we get upon his back.
And if the entou'age-a French word
which we want, and which can only be
translated "neighborhood I" or sur
roundings "-if the surroundings of the
eve have so much to do with its ex-
preston, how much more are they in
separable from its loneliness ? People
talk of a beautiful eye. Why, almost
every eye, as far as the eye itself goes,
if beautiful The pupil, with its ex-
quisitely true, yet softened edge, tinted
so perfectly, whatever its color may he,
and losing itself in the impenetrable
central spot, is, in itself beautiful OBJ
ject as it lies in the pearly white of the
eyeball. But how much does this go
for if the eye apertures through which
we see it, is small and ill-shapen, if the
lid is wrinkled and unsymmetrical, sur
rounded by heavy Jumps of flesh and
by an ugly and maliformed eyebrow :?
1t goes for nothing. The eye may be a
beautiful object in itself, but it is not
beautiful to us because all these sur
rounding parts are ugly.
They play at a game in France in
which certain members of a company
are entirely concealed with the excep-
ton of their eyes-everything is hidden
except the eve itself-and then it is the
business of the rest of the company to
identify the concealed persons simply
by their eyes. One who had played at
this game told me the difficulty of such
identification is incredibly great,
and he himself was unable to find out
his own wife when thus concealed.
More than this, it happened that on one
occasion a lady, celebrated for her beau
ty, and especially distinguished by her
fine eyes, la Duchess de NJ, was
drawn out engaging in this pastime,
there being only the other person hid
den besides herself, and this an old gen.
tleman not celebrated for his eyes.
The pair were Only concealed and
bandaged up with nothiog but their
eyes visible, and the person "a LADY,
who was to declare to whom the respec-
tive eyes belonged was introduced.
Without a moments hesitation she
walked up straight to where the old
gentleman was placed and exclaimed,
All, there is no one but la Duchess de
M who can boast such eyes as
these" She had made the choice, and
it was the wrong one. ~.