The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-18
MEN WHO ARE MARKED FOR LIFE.

MEN WHO ARE MARKED FOR LIFE.
marked for Life is the title of a certain
cheap story, or forid melodrama, or something
of the kind, it matters not what. To be
marked for life is the fate Of a great majority
of men. Some are marked by deformities-a
stiffened knee, a bent limb missing eve, a
crooked spine, an amputated arm or leg, a scar
in the face, or some such 'malfeaturep that the
bearer would fain get rid of. But these are
not all the marks that "make life a burden
to" sensitive souls. There are those who 90
through this earthly stage of existence be-
moaning less palpable misfortunes Red hair,
that can by no stretch Of the imagination be
admitted to the auburn category, and that has
passed the fusing stage Of golden" is
source of humiliation to some; freckles that
gather about the nose as though it were
hive and they were bees about to swarm are
another abomination; "a nose, the arc
Of which is subtended by a chord
proportionally too short, or one the "dip" of
which is too pronounced, is not feature cal
culated to enliven the possessor. Ears and
feet, that the owner had to take after all the
small sizes had been culled out; eyes of that
peculiar I'hemlock" shade that defies analysis,
and even then are far from pretty; hands that
could span the top of pork barrel-all these
are marks that nobody cares to carry, yet few
are willing to suffer amputation to get rid of.
But there are still other marks that fasten
themselves upon helpless humanity, and can
not be shaken off-rnarks that are no marks
at all in a physical sense, but that in a
psychic and moral aspect, assume proportions
far more unshapely than crooked spine or
withered limb. Some of us are marked for
life with the aspect Of Unborn timidity, as
plainly written in the countenance as though
craven with a chisel This is one
of the cruelest deforlnities that
man can suffer under. 1t is
standing invitation for the bully and brow
beater, who seldom fails to take advantage of
the facial cripple, whose blemish only too
plainly proclaims the timid spirit it vainly
seeks to mask. The man with the timid face,
whose eyes won't hold to the mark, and that
can't stare right into the portfolios of in
science, Isl of all creatures, most to be pitied.
He is the yellow dog of this very unfriendly
and selfish world. But the fault of excessive
gentleness is not the only kind that writes it's
title in the countenance of man. Baseness
cruelty, craftiness, lasciyiousness often stamp
their trademark on the face. The brutal
man may smile and smile and be villain
but he cannot smile the villainy out of his
face and features. 1t will Turk in his eyes,
ambush itself N the corners of his mouth to
waylay any hap IS expression of virtue that
might be prevailed upon to masquerade
there. The mans character has marked
him for life. Even the motion
of ones hands or of the head is enough to
piece out the unwritten portions of the biog-
raphy, and the man as he is is known by the
marks put upon him by that nature that sell
dom makes a mistake. Take a look at your
self, and see what you think of the face that
you have been carrying so long, and that you
must parade wherever you 60 Examine it
closely and you will be surprised to see how
accurately it portrays that inner man that
you have SO long fattered yourself that no
one knew half so well as you did. AS the
street has it, ut is dead give away" The
naked part Of your body is the index Of your
soul.