Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1882-12-15
MAKING ONES OWN FACE.

- 80 1oy t%,Os A4Ay ~AOoA AAietys
saw little girl making new face fol
herself. although she did not know what
she was doing. Indeed, 1 often sec
boys and girls tracing upon themselves
lines that, after a time. become as dis.
tinct though not colored, as the tattoo
markings of the South Sea islanders.
In fact. you were the little girl who was
changing her face. and thought that
would write you ian open letter"
about it.
You have heard the saying that
"beauty is only skin-deep." and there
is another that may be new to you, that
ICED makes our faces, but we make
our mouths. Now, like most pro-
verbs. these are truths, but they are not
complete truths. But / think l can
show you how in great measure we do
make our own mouths and our own
faces.
You know very well that black
smiths arm is not only strong. but
large. because hard work has developed
its muscles; and it Is general truth
that all muscles increase by exercise.
But you do not see how a blacksmith s
arm illustrates anything in little girls s
face.
What docs our skin, so soft and
smooth in childhood. and often SO harsh
and wrinkled in old age. coverP You
say, flesh? Yes. And some other little
girl adds, fat' Very well. And the
boy who 10 studying physiology adds,
nerves and tendons? True. And then
you all know that bones support the
human structure-are the frame-just
as the beams and timbers of wooden
house, or of ship, are its frame. But
what is Gesh? Is it merely so much
softer fabric thrown over and fastened
TO the bones in . thick sheet like the
soft seat on the hard frame Of your
parler sole e. e. ssv-r:sl x'l hundred divisions.
or little bundles. called muscles.
Muscles and flesh are different names
for the same thing, Just rs the bricks.
and the wall OF q house, or the stones
and the pavement of street, are the
same. Only the muscles. unlike the
bricks and stones, are changeablc rs to
size within certain limits; for each mus
Gle Is. attached to the bone beneath 1t
by the tough, inelastic tendon. Now.
\ VI kuOW lI0 OVltS tAAA AIAAiiIA O<n1
nor change their length. But how. for
does your hand reach your
mouth when you eat? Because your
arm Is jointed, and some large muscles
are fastened by one end to its upper
part, near the shoulder. and by the 9TH
or end below the elbow. The muscles
contract, which. as your Latin reminds
you. means "draw together" and thus
grow shorter. and by means of the el-
bow Joint the lower part of the arm
flor the bone can not shorten) Is carried
around and toward the shoulder or the
face. as the case may be. But becom-
ing shorter, the muscles must become
thicker. just as, when stretched piece
Of India-rubber contracts, you see it
grow thicker and stouter as il grows
shorter. BY putting your band upon
It. you can feel the muscle Of your arm
swell rs it does its work. But you al
ready know that continuous and forci-
bic exercise causes the arm-that Is, Its
grow much more marked
and bulky. Let US stop moment to
see exactly what muscle means. Your
Latin dictionary will tell you, II you
don't already know, that mus means
m)use. and musculns q little mouse.
The old anaiomists who began to pry
into Natures secrets were impressed
with the mouse-like outline Of these
issues when contracted. and so called
hem little mice muscles. So all our
nesh il muscle. and II Is the little mice
under the skin that are the tell
Iales Of what is going on or has been
lone.
Now, your dear. soft face has its many
muscles. too. much finer and more deli
cate than those OF the body. by the ex-
ercise of which you express the emotions
gou feel II would take too long to ex-
plain how or why certain Of them
respond to and illustrate certain feel
ngs. and for the present you must &C
sept II as . fact Now, the secret Of
,ur first proverb lies in the further fact
hat nround l1o mou1h b o. q cho ley
muscles in the bods that Is not attached
% bone Il IL . muscular ring. TO which
,ther muscles are fastened. and moves
n whatever direction il may be in
retaining the seat and fashion
nto which IL may be drawn. And as
he bony parts Of the face. the nose. the
orehead, the cheek-bones, the jaws.
he whole fixcd contour, are what We
lave inherited. We can not Of ourselves
make much alteration in them. So.
Ilso. We inherit our mouth. but this, as |
Fell ~ = part Of the surface Of the |
We can. and often do.
alter; and Il is to these alter |
making Of faces-that We |
n old and young. shouId give heed
l viii not tire you, NY darling. by |
.oing into those details which belong 70 |
study that Is beyond your years but |
want you TO remember that those Who |
~ poeTish and knit their eyebrows and
vrinkle their foreheads cloud their
rows, 4 IL called-do % only BY the
perafioo Of little muscles, that work /
nore easily and grow very little every
me they are 20 employed There b
oof Of mnrling muscles that draw mp /
be corneu Of the mouth and expose
he canine teeth which in the savage
esh- eaters Of The forest and Jungle. are
oerss and strong. and always st work,
nd which, ! am SONY 70 ray. are some
ines too well marked n boys and men,