The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-12-12
About Women's Mouths.
Baltimore Heruld.

OlQ you ever nOtlCe the various eX-
pressions of woman mouth1'
The question was put to the reporter
by middle-aged man about town, who
has considerable reputation as an ex-
perienced and accomplished gallant and
who has picked up more than the usual
quantity of the polish of good society.
81 have made study of women'S
mouths" he continued, "and l find
that nine out of every ten of the fair
sex enter millinery or any other kind
of store with their mouths open and
their tongues visible. You don't be-
lieve me? All right Wait moment"
Just then very pretty girl came trip
ping down the street. Her mouth was
firmly closed, the only indication of its
presence being thin, red streak, hav-
ing horizontal direction and environ
ed by dilnples. Suddenly she stopped
before a window. Then her mouth
opened, just enough to show her teeth,
and, with her face wreathed in a smile,
she entered the store.
"This is only a coincidence" said
the reporter to his friend. "Not bit
of it," replied he. "Every one of them
will open their mouths before they get
into store" So the two stood there
for an hour, and, out of us women
observed entering stores, 10 of them
had their mouths open. The width of
the opening varied greatly. Sometimes,
indeed generally, it was hardly more
than enough to show pearly teeth;
sometimes the tongue was visible in full
motion, and occasionally the cavity
was very pronounced.
81 Il tell you another thing" pursued
the loquacious man of leisure. "Fat
women almost invariably keep their
mouths shut. | have never been able
to find any reason for this, but l have
noticed that it is fact. Thin women
are the greatest takers, and their mouths
are capable of the most brilliant variety
of expressions. l have seen thin wo-
mans mouth assume so different shanes
during three minutes hurried converse
ton. They ranged from pucker of
disdain to simon-pure grin of compla-
cency. AS rule, short, stout women
have small mouths, while tall, thin
women enjoy the possession of very
large mouths. Colored women do the
most laughing; white girls the most
talking. Women with small mouths
seldom laugh-they merely smile, and
women with large mouths deal with long
sentences; while small, pert mouths af-
ford a vent for short, sharp, crisp SEN
tences. When the corners of woman'S
mouth curl down there is an indication
of reflection eliminating in diSdain.
When the corners curl up there you
have surprise, incredulity, dismay.
When che little red streak thins out and
becomes tight drawn, expect determi-
nation. When the upper lip protrudes
gently over the under lip, the latter be-
ing held in by the upper teeth, she is
debating whether to buy new bonnet
or trim up the one she wore last winter.
When the lower lip protrudes and the
lower teeth get grip on the upper lip,
rest satisfied she has determined to trim
up L0G Olu OOllHCts WiCA lAAo AoA1
frail, fragile creature draws up her upper
lip in the middle, barely exposing her
upper teeth, she is satisfied that her
clothes look better than those of the
woman ahead of her. When she gritS
her teeth and draws down her lower,
lip, depend on it, she is satisfied that
her clothes do not look as those on the
woman ahead of her, but she is making
up her mind to face the music and carry
off the second prize for what it is worth.
Nowadays ten chances to one, when a
woman pouts on the street she is not
provoked, but is practicing with her
dimples, or is flirting with some one on
the opposite side of the street. When
a woman turns her ankle, or otherwise
hurts herself not seriously, her mouth
becomes one long, puffed, crinkled
pout, beginning with sudden gritting
of the teeth"