, 1880-10-30

nature intended 10 burrows to be, the IN.
scrutabilitY of the eyes is attained at the
cost OF wrinkles which are unknown to the
most venerable savage. A certain rigidity
gradually settles upon the features, and the
scope and variety of expression become
limited because. the face having grown
accustomed to the contradiction rather
than to the declaration of what is within,
and one form of contradiction serving for
many varieties of declaration, the range OF
the facial movement naturally is circum-
scribed. Probably the face of a London
man would appear singularly torpid and
expressionless to u being of franker and
more spontaneous development.
All this, however, is not of itself suth-
cient to account for the formation OF the
city face for there are country dlssemblers
as we'll as city ~dissemblers, and a cunning
of the husbandman as we'll as a cunning OF
the stock broker and on the other hand
there are city men who are not given to
assimilation. but who, nevertheless, bear
the unmistakable stamp of the city upon
them. In order to get at the root OF the
matter, we must take into consideration
the physical as well as the metaphysical
conditions of metropolitan life. The first
impression which a man has on finding
himself for the first time in a great city Is OF
vague excitement, more or less accom-
panied by a sense of danger. The
multiplicity of objects, most OF which
appear fantastic to 40 eye accustomed to
rural scenery the confused and uDlntermit-
tent noises the hurried and entangled, yet
purposeful movements; and, above all,
the innunerable aud for-ever-shiftiDg pam
Drama OF unfamiliar human aces,-combine
to throw the visitor into a state OF mind
totally strange to him. And amidst so
much tumultuous life, he sees death
everywhere on the lookout for q victim!
Death waits at every street crossing; death
menaces the passer-by from every chimney
and scaaoldipg; and death turks IN the
obscurity of each narrow alley and dark
some archway. But if the visitor to these
strange regions looks at the faces OF those
he meets IN search of some reflection OF his
own perturbation, be looks 10 vain. The
countenance Of the city man, as he treads
his way aloug the street, is curlously
~impassive. At first glance, 1t appears also
to be unobservant but this it is not. For
although he seems to look at nothing, 1t
soon becomes evident thath e sees everything.
His thoughts are probably turned lnwards,
or are engaged with anything rather than
with what is gong on around him. The
central glance of his eye, SO to speak, Is
distracted or preoccupied ; but he me-
Chemically informs himself, out OF the
corner of his eye. Of everything that might
tend to obstruct, hinder, or threaten him /;
and though he passes through a Thousand
people without encounteriDg the gaze or
treading on the ltoes of any one OF thems
he will inevitably recognise an acqualnt'
ance on the other side OF the street, or
calculate to an inch the rate OF speed at
which hemust make the crossing in order to
escape the omnibus from one direction and
the hanson from the other. Such compo-
sure in the midst of turmoil will strike
the country visitor with astonishment.
Doubtless, custom and memory will &C.
count for o large part of it yet the impas-
sive face would probably appear tar less
impassive than it does, had not the contrac-
tior of the facial muscles. brought about by
the constant assaults Of innumerabIe ~
pressions, and the impossibility OF respond.
ing. to them all, become in q manner nxed.
The houses and the pavements, the venicies
and the hubbub, produce an effect upon
these muscles just the reverse OF tnaa
exercised by the hills and dales Of me
country; they press them in' instead -