Theophilus Thistle, the successful Thistle sifter, in sifting a sieve full. of unsifted thistles, thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb; now if Theophilus Thistle, the successful thistle sifter, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles, thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb, see that thou, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles, thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick of thy thumb. Success to the successful thistle sifter, My dame has a lame tame crane,

My dame has a crane that is tame;
Oh, pray, gentle Jane,

Let my dame's lame tame crane
Drink and come home again.

Laid in the cold ground [not coal ground]. Half I see the panting spirit sigh [not spirit's eye]. Be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire [not thy known]. Oh, the torment of an ever-meddling memory [not a never meddling]. All night it lay an ice-drop there [not a nice drop]. Oh, studied deceit [not study]. A sad dangler [not angler]. Goodness centres in the heart [not enters]. His crime moved me [not cry]. Chaste stars [not chase tars]. She could pain nobody [not pay]. Make clean our hearts [not lean]. His beard descending swept his aged breast [not beer]. Did you say ten minutes to wait, or ten minutes to eight? A sore eye saw I. Why y? Thou straightest, fastest strokes struck'dst, Stephen.

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TO THE TEACHER :-Many of the above sentences have been taken from Prof. Bell's excellent work, The Principles of Elocution," to which I am glad to refer all teachers who wish to be abreast of the times in our art. Be careful that pupils do not overdo the sound of s so frequent in many of these combinations; in combinations like sts, in lasts, posts, etc., the difficulty is not with the s, but to bring out properly the t. The separation of similar sounds, as of two s's in succession, can only be effected by an instant of perfect jaw-relaxation between them. It is taken for granted that the teacher understands the actions of the various agents of articulation sufficiently well to be able to point out such technical exercises for overcoming special deficiencies as may be necessary in addition to those I have given.

LESSON XXXVIII.

Facial Expression.

The forehead, eyes, nose and mouth are the agents of facial expression. Facial expression comes in order of succession before gestures of any part. The face is next the brain, and is the first part to receive impressions from it.

A smooth FOREHEAD denotes calmness, serenity. The brow drawn down and contracted indicates mental concentration, perplexity, antagonism, resistance to pain, according to the degree of contraction. The brow lifted indicates interested or eager attention, surprise. The brow lifted and contracted denotes sorrow, grief, patient endurance of mental or physical suffering. The brow rises with the "patient shrug."

We have already discussed the EYE in previous les

sons.

The NOSE has few actions, and is not capable of many changes. It is the centre of the face, and like the torso, which is the centre of the body, must maintain a dignity commensurate with its position. The nostrils expand in strong emotions to allow more air to enter the lungs. A large, open nostril is always a sign of strong vitality; a pinched or contracted nostril denotes physical weakness. One nostril drawn up indicates disgust, contempt; both nostrils drawn up is the bearing of a mean, evil-minded person.

The MOUTH is the most expressive feature. Orators have large mouths as a rule. A small mouth shows a delicate, refined, but not powerful nature. We will consider the lips and lower jaw, which give the mouth its expression, separately.

Thin LIPS are cold, unemotional; thick, protruding lips are sensual, coarse. The lips drawn in indicate concentration, primness, severity; protruded slightly they indicate affection; they are protruded and contracted, much as in whistling, when we are exercising the judgment, discrimination. The pout is a rejection by the lips; in great disgust we act precisely as if we were trying to get rid of a disagreeable substance in the mouth. The lips drawn down at the corners indicate sadness, disappointment, melancholy; the corners are drawn up in pleasurable emotions. One side of

the lip drawn up corresponds to and accompanies the contemptuous action of the nose.

A strong LOWER JAW shows strength, firmness of character; a receding jaw, weakness. The jaw is set firmly in self-control, resistance, antagonism; it relaxes in pleasure, and opens in admiration, surprise, fear and terror. It hangs lifelessly in weakness, prostration, imbecility, despair. The jaw advances in threatening, anger, hatred.

Observe that almost all the conditions described in this lesson may be bearings, indicating various types of character. Do not be too hasty in judging your associates by these hints; there are sometimes strange exceptions to general rules. Socrates, for instance, one of the greatest and noblest of all men, was in appearance almost repulsive. We may do much to overcome natural defects by the exercise of the will, and many men have conquered inborn tendencies of the most unlovely character while still retaining the stamp that nature placed on them at birth. So, many naturally symmetrical natures have allowed themselves to be warped out of all true moral poise, and yet to the superficial observer have lost little of their external beauty. Remember that "'tis the mind that makes the body rich" or poor, as the case may be. TO THE TEACHER:-The pupils should work out the facial expression of a given emotion, say surprise, indicating the expression of each part, then adding the proper attitudes or actions of the torso and limbs. More advanced pupils may employ themselves with complex emotions, such as surprise with hatred, with fear, with joy; joy with humility, affection, arro

gance, and the almost infinite number of similar combinations. My purpose in reserving the consideration of this subject until the last (and, indeed, I had some doubts as to the advisability of saying as much as I have on the subject), is that untrained pupils are very apt to overdo facial expression if they undertake it at all in the beginning. I have felt that these subtile manifestations would develop themselves naturally in connection with the broader phases of gesture and attitude previously discussed, provided those have been accompanied by the proper inward impulse, without which no expression, however studied, seems spontaneous. I have inserted this matter at the request of several teachers whose experience has differed from mine in this respect, and who find that many of their pupils have no facial expression at all. But I implore all teachers to be exceedingly careful to discourage the writhings of the lips, scowls, affected elevations of the brows, and fine-frenzy-rolling eyes, with which so many would-be dramatic readers afflict their unfortunate audiences.

EXAMPLES FOR FACIAL EXPRESSION.

The one with yawning made reply:

"What have we seen ?-Not much have I!

Trees, meadows, mountains, groves and streams,
Blue sky and clouds and sunny gleams."

The other, smiling, said the same;

But with face transfigured and eye of flame:

"Trees, meadows, mountains, groves and streams!
Blue sky and clouds and sunny gleams!"-Brooks

But hush! hark! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell
Did ye not hear it? No; 'twas but the wind,

Or the car rattling o'er the stony street;

On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined;

No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet,

To chase the glowing hours with flying feet

But, hark!-that heavy sound breaks in once more.

As if the clouds its echo would repeat;

And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before!

Arm! arm! It is-it is the cannon's opening roar!--Byron.