The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-10-26
ACQUIRED EXPRESSION.
Facial Peculiarities Which Come
Through Habit.
Distinctive Type. That Are Found In
Certain CaIlIngs-The Queer Ef-
fects OF Occupation Ones
Ipon the Features


Upon Features
The incessant flow of involuntary
nerve currents to the facial muscles
doubtless accounts for the odd SINH
larity of expression among men of the
same vocation. In many such cases.
says Blaclwood'S Magazine. the condi-
tions are 30 complex that II seems I'M
possible to lay ones finger upon the
special items Ca environment which
conduce to the facial characteristics
exhibited by nearly all members of
certain trades and professions. What,
for instance. is there about the process
of making shoes which cvoEes the un-
mIstalablc cobbler's viSage? The Dor
trait of Edward. the Banff naturalist.
iE Mr.. Smiles book. shows the type in
a marked degree. As far as my obSer-
vation carries me. the cause must be
looked for in the last. lapstonc and
waXend of old-fashioncd cordwainery;
since men who work the machines in
modern shoe factories. or who do or
dInary repairing. do not exhibit the cN-
preston 1t appears probable that the
tailors distinctive type of face may
have been partially created by his
habit of working his Jaws concomitant-
" with his shears Let anyone watch
a person cutting a piece of tough ma
tcrial with scissors. and he Will see
that the lower part Of the face wa@s in
rhythmic and spontaneous unison with
the blades Shepherds and farm labor
crs who join strengthening gangs GER
tainly acquire a different expression
while engaged in this kind of work
The cast of cOunteuance bv which
one 50 easily recognizes d groom is par
~
muscles which close the Jaws and com
press the lips are always called into
play when we are asserting our Will
over that of a horse. Nearly all Jock
cvs and hOrSeIncn have a peculiar set
of :re mouth and chin. but 1 have been
unable tn distinguish any special char
actcristic about the eye or upper part
of the face 1t Il Instructive to com
pare the vIsage of the ruler Of horses
SHltlI that of the ruler of men The
hoIseman's face shows command in the
mouth, the drill sergcauts Ia the
mouth and the eve. The last Is un-
dOubtcdly the must effective inStru-
ment in eXacting obedience from our
own species Here we get hint of
that cause of want of dignity. that cle-
lnent of cOarscness, which Is discern
able III the countenances of some men
and women who have much To do with
hors'r, The higher and nobIcr method
of expressing authority Is outweighed
by the lower and more animal one.
Generally speaking, II II d strenuous
contest with minor difficulties which
produce thin and rigid set Of lips 1t
- seen almost invariably in housewives
of the Martha type. " ho are careful
and troubled about many things" and
whose souls are shaken To the center by
petty worries within doors, and the
strife outrance with shortcomings of
the Scullery maid OF the cook
The compressed lip 50 loved and so
often mIslnterpretcd 10y novelistS Is a
sign of weakness rather than strength.
fl tells of perpetual conflicts in which
the reserves are called INTO the fray.
The strong Will Il not agitated into
s1reuuuua action bv the small worries
of the hour. and the great occasions
which call for its whole forces are too
few To produce permanent impress of
this kind upon the features. The
commanding officer, assured of his
mems obedience, does not habituaIv
keep his lip muscles IN a state of ten
sion Look at the sea captain. the
most absolute monarch on the earth
lie carTies authority and power in his
face. bHt II resides IN his eve and the
confident assurance of his easily set
mouth Every spar and shaft and
muscle iR his floating realm must obey
him. and lac knows il. This II prob
ably a reason why the sea captain and
the engine drivers show certain SINH
larity of type The engine dricer can
make his captive giant, strong a. ten
Thousand men. obey the pressure of his
finger. His lips are usually calm, like
those of the statues of the wieIder of
thundcrholts on olympus Who ever
saw man comma anding a man-of-yvar
or driving a locomotive with the con-
tcntious lip of the school usher? The
typical expressions of the members of
those three liberal professions which
Sir Thomas Browne saws are all
founded upon the fall of Adam are
well enough recognized tn have been
long the prey of the caricaturist- The
several distinctive traits of each. and
the possible causes which give rise to
them, are too complex In he dealt with
in a single article. Speaking very
generally, the cleric's face Is Indicative
of authority of the thin Tipped kind.
and of dignified sense of the sanctitv
of his office The doctors jaw and mouth
are less rigid, yet tell of decision. His
eye * vigilant and sympathetic. and
his whole facial aspect conveys the idea
of fund of unlapped wisdom. The
lawyers countenance iS confident and
confidential, with a pouncing alertness
of the eye, and pre- vailing expression
of weiphtV pcrSpicacjtV