Year: 1877

the art of a whole social lifetime was
betrayed-we will not say nullified-in
ripe old age. There was man who
smiled subtly aud successfully through
fifty seasons. He then contracted the
not unusual habit of falling asleep in
company. There would not have been
anything serious in this. had he taken
the precaution carefully to re-adjust his
features before letting himself drop into
sweet oblivion. But no; instead of
this, he would permit the nicely ar
ranged expression with which he had
listened TO the last pleasing common
place still to linger meaningless and
ghastly upon his countenance, while
his head dropped against the wall or
upon his shoulder.


We had nearly forgotten one import
ant point. The most eXquisitely pro-
pOrtioned smile will utterly fail of its
effect, if the features too quickly re-
sumo their ordinary tone. The hands,
or rather face, of the master il shown
in nothing more conspicuously than in
the delicate shading off of expression.
This is the crowning art, by which the
art is hidden.


We have no intention of entering at
present upon the general subject Of
facial expression, and only suggest that
there is no reason why the Delsarte
system should be confined to the public
stage. \ Professor of Conversation
should include i'm his curriculum a modi-
ficatiOn of this method. especially
adapted TO the shorter distances of the
reception room and parlor. and with
reference to the direct and reflected
lights, and the different torres of the
street and the house. both by day and
night. 1t is evident that the expression
of the same temper and mental attitude
surprise, flattery, devotion, interest,
pique, or what not-must require diff
ferent arrangement of the features ac-
cording to the dress, surroundings, and
especially the quantity and quality of
the light.


That the utilization of the counte-
nance in conversation is largely mat
ter of education there can be no doubt.
We are well aware that there are per-
SONS who are conscious of a strange i'm
mobility of features; who feel that
their faces are, in very truth, wells and
disguises; who, at certain moments of
thai, thax- ,t-Af,lI artx-
all they possess if they could tear away
the mask and expose their true features,
alight with appreciation. But it is a
question whether early and persistent
education might not have done some
thing for unfortunates like these. On
the other hand, you may have seen men
who had carried this education TO such
q pitch that they could execute visual
storm-symphony with nothing but the
face for orchestra,


As an example of what may he ac-
complished by concentrated effort in
this direction, we should be glad if we
could present here photograph of the
fish vender we met this morning on
Fourth avenue. He was carrying two
pals eontaing fish, balanced one on
each side from shoulder-piece such as
you see more frequently in foreign
countries, and his whole countenance
was given upto the shrill, concentrated.
imperative statement of: Wee-hi-ah-
striped bass - There was no feature,
no line or wrinkle of his crooked coun-
tenance that was not abandoned to one
end \ scientific study of a face-and
of faces-like that, we are sure would
be of incalculable benefit TO Il Professor
of the Art of Conversation. He would
be enabled, finally, by analysis and
classification. tn read even i'm the silent
eountenance the inveterate phrase: and
he could easily deduce his rules and
suggestions. The knowledge so ac-
quired would be of Use i'm other ways.
Every NAH has favorite pun, or story,
or sentence of some kind, which at last
makes itself apparent in the set of his
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