The Dickinson press., 1888-07-07
"MASlIERS'' PASTIME.
A TEST FOR THE SELF POSSESSION
OF TlMlD FEMlNlNlTY.


tain Facial Phcnomenon-An Impolite
Experiment. for Ladies and Their I;s-
corts to Look Out Tor.
The question whether every woman is
obliged to act i'll n certain and peculiar way
if She is looked at exercises many men in
town. Who originated the idea of putting
the problem to u test is too uncertain to make
it worth while to name any one of those who
claim the authorship. The most likely story
about it is that the idea originated in the
brain of a well known politician, and was
first bro;icled i'll tho New Amsterdam club.
The new discovery is quite as much n matter
of coitcmporaneous human interest as the
red haired girl and white horse miracle, but
affect, the fair sex alone. 1t is embodied in
the question: "Why do women moistcn their
lips WHEN they are looked ats" The subject
is usually brought forward in the shape of n
positive declaration, some men going so far
as to declare that they and their friends nave
been experimenting for over n year upon the
unconscious ladies of the city, and that the
test never fails.
":Ali you have TO do" says one OF these, 'is
tosit opposite Il lady in n car or n bus and
lo"h ut her intcntly without rudeness, and as
sure as you do so, out will come her tongue
aud She will ~rnoistsn both her lips. She
must be some one you are not acquainted
with, and when sho catches you looking at
her j; hal better DO with a slight expression
OF interest or curiosity. Gazing with adj
milI;ltion upon her is not II sure way, because
ii IT is done at all badly she resents it and
WI! simply look away; but if you seem to he
curious about her, as if you were studying
something about her hair or eyes or hat, or
us 1t you were trying to see who she was
like. She will be positively certain to perform
tins queer operation"
Apparently thousands, in ever widening
circles, WHO have heard positive statements
OF this sort are devoted to Investigating the
phenomenon. They pursue the subject i'll
the streets, office elevators, hotel parlors,
churches, and wherever ladies arc to be
found. Those who have yielded to the intlu-
ence of the queer study declare it to be very
fascinating They are mainly young men.
they say it is like n form of hunting or fly
hsliihS a man singles out a lady of attract
i've face and figure, dressed to tho supreme
notch OF fashion and evidently enjoying
Complete satisfaction with herself as she
arranses her drapery and seats herself in n
horse car
II any one were to tell her that the MAJ
across the car had made up his mind to bend
her to his will, and obligo her to perform an
u''d!Smtied act while SHE sat there, she would
tali tile bare suggestion US preposterors. And
yet, ten to one. she would project her tongue,
aini roll Ter lips inward to moiSten them on
lis surface as soon as she looked over to the
Stranger to petrify him with an indignant
G'i;hre-at least so these impolite experiment
ers assert.
bur she would know nothing about it, and
w'li'i get out her pocketbook, find what
Change she needed for the conductor, and
olirc again settle herself Us ladies and birds
are accustomed to do, all oblivious of the fact
that tile gaze of the man opposite is conceu-
tratel upon her faco with a look of quick,
Curious interest. 1t will not be many minutes
before She does perceive this by reason of
That subtle influence that is said to enable us
To awaken men and women from q deep
Sleep by fixing our eyes upon them. Then
SHE will look up and meet the mans gaze. 1t
Will startle her, and, if the rule be true, sho
will indulge in the peculiar performance &C.
credited to her sex.
This action of tho lips and tongue is not
mysterious. 1t is merely one of a score of
ways i'll which human beings, especially the
more self conscious ones among us, testify to
Monlentary embarrassment and make an i'll
voluntary mechanical movement in r~easscrt-
Ing our self possession. An equally familiar
and more noticeable unconscious trick of the
s;l'!le kind is that which European peasant
neil and women have and bring to this
country with them-a movement of the back
OF the hand across the mouth. Another
acton of the sort is the biting of the uuder
hip
The reports that some AVE made of their
experiences divide the ladies into classes.
Some men positively assert that no matter
who She may he, any woman will wet her lips
If Sue is taken of her guard by a stranger.
Others say that ii Il MAJ looks at u lady in q
certain way, 1T does not matter whether she
Is Il trend, u relative, or even Il wife, she will
follow this queer rule. Still others say that
ing bred, proud women cannot he relied OH.
Once i'll Il while ono of these naughty ladies
Will TO taken by surprise and make the
movement. they say, and then again a man
may spend half a day in tho Fourth avenue
cars above Thirty-fourth street, and never.
succeed in producing the action once. One
deep student makes Il closer division. and
says that it is only the married women
among the fashionable Of the sex who resist
the Impulse, but that all single ladies, young
AMI Old, no matter how proud or self DOS
scSsed, succulnb to the novel influence.
1t is only fair to say that some mel declare
Us positively against the new craze as any do
for it. They say that there is nothing in it.
that no woman ever under any circumstances
performs the alleged operation. There are
not enough of these skeptics to mako any
Roadway against the pastime. They are met
with the criticism that they arc clumsy or
bald or stupid or uninteresting to women.
md Ill other ways are made to regret that
they have tried to oppose tho now craze.
There is another class of men, still fewer in
numbers, who grow angry, and insist that
the whole idea is gotten up as u practical
joke. These are the fellows who know so
little Of art and illusion as to get into trouble
whenever they try to experiment by staring
so hard and so Extensively ut the ladies that
there is constant danger of their being
called to account by the other gentlemen
who happen to be present.
There is great fun in watching a clever
young fellow ut it. He selects his victim
without seeming to look at her. He takes q
seat opposite her, opens a newspaper, and
pretends to read it. Suddenly, perhaps, he
and lively interest fastens his gaze on the
| AoSlSS - u AoNJ = haA u Z OlOW OT Oh
her eyes or her neck pin. She has been look.
ing i'll another direction, but seeing the move
ment of the paper, turns and meets the full,
unexpected gaze of the man. Then the in
slant has arrived. If the cxperimenters
speak truly, she is certain to fall a prey to
his design. She is most likely to project the
dainty tip OF her coral tongue and curl it up
and down over both lips. But if she fails to
do this and simply pulls in her upper lip and
curves her under lip outward and upward
over the other one, the tormcntor of her Sex
will know that he has succeeded, for differ.
cut women have several different ways OF
behaving at such junctures. Some quicker
their mouths, draw i'll their Ups, some roll
the under lip over the upper os.e, but .'it al
goes as the club men put it.-New YorL
Sun.
Dig two graves before cursing a neighbor
japanese Proyerb.
WHY Gentlemen Wear pl,cL