Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-03-15
II. wHITMORR,
Publisher and PropIistor:


Men and women, and especially the
young, have always valued in high de-
gree their personal appearance; and
have likewise regarded the appearance
of others. The face has been the chief
object Of attention, though, when man
aboriginally went naked, the whole sur
face Of the body would have been at
tended to. Our sellattention is excited
almost exclusively by the opinion Of
others, for no person living in absolute
solitude would care about his appear
ance. Every one feels blame more acute
ly than praise. Now, whenever we know,
or suppose that others are depreciating
our personal appearance, our atteu-
ton is strongly drawn toward our
selves, more especially to our faces.
The probable effect OF this will be TO
excite into activity that part of the SEN
sorium which receives tho aensory
nerves of the face; and this will react
through the vasomotor system on the
facial eApillaries, By frequent reitera-
ton during nnmberless generations, the
process will have become so habitual, in
association with the belief that others
are thinking of us, that even a suspicion
Of their depreciation sufiices to relax the
capi,!aries, without ally conscious
thought about our faces. With some
sensitive persons it is enough even to
notice their dress to produce the same
effect. Through the force, also, OF asso-
citation and inheritance epr capillaries
are relaxed whenever we know, or i'm
agine, that any one is blaming, though
in silence, our actions, thoughts, or char
acter; and, again, when We are highly
praised. On this hypothesis we can
understand how it is that the face
bushes much more than any other part
of the body, though the whole surface
is somewhat effected, more especially
with the races which go nearly naked.
1t is not at all surprising that the dark
colored races should blush, though no
change of color is visible in their skins.
From the principal Of inheritance it is
not surprising that persons born blind
should blush. We can understand why |
the young are more affected than the |
old, and women more than men; and
why the opposite sexes especially excite
each others bushes, 1t becomes OBJ
Vious Why personal remarks should be
liable 10 gauge blHshing,
and why the most powerful of all the
causes is shyness; for shyness relates
% the presence and opinion of others,
aud the shy are always more or less
With respect to real
Ihsme from moral delinquincies, we can
why it is not guilt, but the
bought that Gtherg think us guilty,
ykich raises blush. A Hsn FeAectiHg
N a crime committed in solitude, and
tung by his conscience, does not blush
ret he will blush under the vivid recol-
eetlon of a detected fault, or of one
IN The presence of Others, the
Iegree of blpsbipg bsing closely related
o the feelings of regard for these who
ave detaeted, witnessed or suspected
ia '~uIt, Breaches of conventional
aies Of conduct, if they are rIgiqly in. !
sted ON by ouf equals or sgperiors'
item cause more intense bushes even {
IAN detected crime; and an act winch 1
really criminal, if not blamed BY our !
quals, hardly raises a tinge OF color on {
ar cheeks. Modesty from humility, or !
ON an indelicacy, excites a VIVID !
lush, as both relates to the Judgment {
r fixed customs Of others. = Dd11oin & Ii