Evening star., 1925-08-03
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

There has long been a belief that
you can tell what man is by his
looks" That is, that certain mental
traits are reflected in his face.
| wonder If this is true?
Every person is more or less in
terested in this theory, because every
one Is brought daily in contact with
others, and would find it invaluable
to be able to 'siZe up" others merely
by looking them over.
There is question in my mind
quite decided one--if the thing can
be done as easily as that.
Do mental habits make the mouth
grow a certain way?
Has man with a mouth like a
slit a mean disposition first. and
, such a mouth as it's result. or did
his disposition and his mouth grow
up together?
Certainly no one would claim that
| the straight, narrow mouth is the
influencing factor, working from the
outside to the inside. In that case.
all one would have to do to change
his disposition would be to go to a
| surgeon.
Which would be, all in all, quite as
silly as the directions in an old French
play, in which the miser leans
, against post and becomes generous "
The question, therefore resolves it
SELF into the very practical one then.
OF whether the mind, innate disposi-
uon, or whatever you want to call it,
works from the inside out, molding the
FACIAL characteristics to its own image.
III Is an intriguing theory, and every
person who has arrived at the So
called years of discretion thinks he
knows something about it. l speak
not here' of those who may have
studied courses" in such a Science -
Almost every one thinks he can tell
what a person is like" by looking at
hlm' at least to some extent.
X X X
The question really is, can he?
Certainly. 10 a certain extent, he
can; but l believe he does it more by
putting two and two" together than
oy any derivation of mental charac-
| teristicS from external features.
There are certain basic types of
men that any one who has been
around at all in this world soon comes
/ TO know.
One is the 'kidder."
|, This gentleman neither takes him
self nor any one else seriously Frivol-
lily Is his big trade mark. This lead
!! ing characteristic comes about not so
much by reason of the things the
man does and says, as because of
certain inner dispositions that make
him do what he does and say what
he says
Such person has a certain look -
which one soon comes to recognize
do not believe ii is confined TO any
one cast of countenance, because some
OF the "kidders'' are sharp featured,
some are round OF countenance
Neither does the short, dumpy man
constitute this species to the exclusion
| Of the tall, thin fellow. These larger
points of physiology have nothing to
do with the case.
| instance them merely TO show that
the ''kidder" may be almost any sort
Of man, as TO looks" and still be
the same chap at heart.
This species of homo sapiens, it
seems TO me, gives the death blow
to the idea that one can tell what
a man is like" by giving him the
once over"
When it comes TO the female
''joshers" the feat is twice as impos-
sible. To the eternal credit OF the
ladies it ought so be said that plain,
everyday kidding" is not nearly so
prevalent among them as among the
men.
Certain young girls in cretonne
coats may spool" each other CON
stantly, but certainly women have a