South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1871-11-10
Something About Faces.

each other. Even, an the cases of twins
whore "a strong similarity exists, there is
alsays 20 be hlund some p1ist OF d fIereure
by which these most intimately, acoaaint-
ed with than arc enabled, 90 distinguish
ono rfn,m the other q And II may be fur
ther1 observed, that Ihose n1ust alike In
early youth lose their resemblance 20 a
greater ar hess dogrpd, as al,a usi vauces ~
M face i,nyesthis,worid az ns,urd years
without having undereoas changes tia, as
tonish even the Boss iutImatc when com,
PARSONS are rsndored possible Ia this are
OF photographs, almost any dnc is able TO
make such comparisons, and 10 uotes how
the various circumstances and trials Of he
carve their Im press upon the TEXTURES. Very
tew have, however, fully estimated the in
tnito variety and number Of indirect, direct.
near and remote influences that have one
ratcd through ages % work on. the form
aud feature of every face upon earth.
o. A ,kilful physingnomist may Jfton de.
tcrmine character approximately by the
countenaucos of mon but, "a sheet of
paper printe1 and reprinted, must at last
beeomea confused tumble of indistiuguish-
able characters, so arc most peoples faces
too mnch interliued and crossiued, ~ the
confused imprint of circu instances aud a.
vents, to be ineligible oven to the most
pracuced reader of faces. Dr. 40
There are, indeed, some traits of charnc
ter and some passions that ordinarily stamp
themselves upon faces more consp cuously
than others OF these may be mentioned
cruelty, settled melancholy aud Jolly good
nature. AS rule, these traits arc easily
distinguished by look at faces but it Is
not uufrequeut that good faces conceal bad
hearts, and saaciimonious Appearances COW
or secret vices. -
man who was tried for and convicted
ot murder aud who confessed his crime be-
fore his execution, was admitted, while on
trial, 10 be as fine looking aud progresses
ing in appearance as any man on the bench
IN the bar, or in the jury box, yet that
court room contained some men whose lives
and record have been in the highest degree
honorable, and whose personal appearance
could scarcely be excelIed by any equal
number of men anywhere.
1t is notorious that circumstances of ca
sy living, the absence of business cares
and worries, will 90 much towurls smooth
ing away The marks Of crime while the
faces of criminals that have lived in cir
cums;ances of physical hardship gather a
rough brutality from which we instructive
ly shrink.
As the circumstance which give char
acter to the human face at birth have been
Infinitely various. and have acted through
long periods Of inc, it is not matter of
surprise that the results are So varied, but
rather that they should be even rs uniform
a they are. Wore it not that through
out nature there prevails The great law Of
compensation, and also the great law of re-
version (admirAbly st forth by Darwin,
there could be no two living things even
approximately alike There woull be
neither gcnera nor species, even if the wide
difference in structure and habits thus a
rising should not lead to the mutual des-
truction Of all
As circumstances shape our birth, so
they shape our lives aud mold our cbaTac-
tcrs Yet, with all tho bought and effort
toward social improvement that marks the
age, the effort Of society seems to be direc-
ted to making character adapt itself to cir.
cumstances rather than TO form character
by controlling the circumstances through
which character IS developed. Thus we
have failed 70 recognize the fact that phys
ioloeitul law is stronger than social law.
We DO cot yet ADM, the fact that il our
habits aud customs are such as to develop
the animal iu rs az the expense of tie men
tai and spiritual, ge shall have animals %
control by civil law or if We DO see this,
$50 DO NOT sec that civil law must prove ut
tcriy inadequate 10 control animals, that o.
beg only their IepraveI instincts.
Society, in assuming to govern DO; only
the DEPRIVED, but the healthy, instincts Of
our animal nature, assumes too much when
ii attempts % force violations Of physiolog
cal law. IS well might it legisate that
Weights shall fail upward they will fall
downward DO spite Of onactments aud 80
vii fhe stastrophes and crimes that have
lately shocked our community continue 20
happen So long as the circumstances that
lead % them are permitted % exist. If
we feed our children upon heating dot, and
place them where they are forced, like
/ plants under glass, into premature bodily
vel1pment, lct us blame ourselves only,
that their immature minds aud wills are TOO
weak Co contend with The strength Of their
passions which we have taken such pains
90 cultivate and 81, IN the temptations that
beset them, they oyerstep the bounds Of
social propriety, lct We not be surprised
shat 10 their efforts 20 escape the disgrace
society attaches 90 such lapses, they, some
of them. resort 10 dangerous practices, and
God a hoal escape iu dea,h.-.Scienhfc an.
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Careful observers IN Europe and the
United States, says recent writer, express
the conviction th-t the time is a. hand