Judge — May 17, 1884 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

4 THE JUDGE. means of facial expression, would be apt to be tedious if not unintelligible. But Mac- Optic will discourse to you by the hour on his favorite topic, and will point out to you facial expressions, as we pass them on ‘the street, which are eloquent—so he every passing emotion of the w me, this method of an: emotions by the expressions they g much of gue: ing with him one day, having the misfortune to tread on an elderly gentleman's corn; a most vivid expression at once flitted over his countenance which I was at no loss to interpret as one of excruciating anguish; but ptic, not having the guide to the old gentleman’s real emotions which my kick on his corn had given me, whispered—** Now, see that old man? Did you ever see such y human coun- Vil bet he’s made a hundred thousand in stoc ‘This was an unfortu- nate conclusion, but I do not mean to that Iron MacOptic was always wrong. not alw only generally. Late one night, coming up-town on the elevated, we glanced into a second floor window and saw a gentleman in white gar- ments and a tasseled nightcap promenading the floor with a baby. His fucial expression was strongly marked, but I disagreed with MacOptic in itsinterpretation. Me thought No, it meant patient resignation, To me itcon- veyed as plainly as if I had heard him speak the words—‘‘ Here take the baby yourself.” At a leap: friend MacOptic, who is a remarkably me man and as good as he is beautiful, was besieged by appli- cants for his company in a d: He took great pleasure in zing and interpreting for my benefit the various expressions in the faces of his would-be-partners, One lady he | joyed it to the full. efused, and a plainly as “Tcan’t understand it.” cOptic thought it betokened wounded pride, and I let him think so. After all, facial expression is not susceptible of demon: tion. Mem. Toask cOptic if, when language gives place to ion, the latter will be accepted na court of law, and if s appointment as inter- received his reply her face as testimony could not he get me a preter. Another lady who wooed him suc- cessfully to the mazy dance—a shady-side- of-thirty virgin she was expression which MacOptic afterwards translated as meaning exultation. I thought she looked as if she were perpetually asking, ‘Now, you wouldn’t take me to be a day over six- teen, would you?” but then MacOptic and I were Porpetnally differing in our interpre- tations. One we fully agreed upon. A gen- tleman happened to step on a lady's train, and the ripping and tearing that ensued sounded like a discharge of fire-arms. We were not near enough to catch what he said as he leaned forward to apologize, but words were unnecessary. His face said “Beg pardon,” as plainly as if he had read | Chestertield’s whole letter_on apolo; was a moment of triumph for M vice Delsarte absent beyond seas, and he en- A moment later he called my attention to the lady’s escort, and the face ‘with which he was accepting the Optic, | gentleman’sexcuses. ‘The graceful accept- ance of verbal reparation for a trifling wrong,” whispered MacOptic. I thought of the ripping of silk fabric I had heard, and mentally debated the ‘ triflingness” of the wrong looked at MacOptic’s face of “gentle acceptance.” Merciful powers! = KS ‘The man looked ready to knock the aggres- sordown, Well, he didn’t, ‘There were no pistols drawn, MacOptic must have been right. The apology had evidently been gracefully accepted. MacOptic admits of only one instance in which he was mistaken in his diagno- sis. It was on the rather important occa- sion of his marriage. He was about equally in love with two girls—sisters—who were quite eligible as brides for the fascinating philos- opher. He proposed to one of them. Need I say that he wasted no words on the occa- sion? Hesimply sought the fair one, seated himself by her side, and looked his heart’s desire. Asa bashful maiden she could only reply in the same language she had been addressed in and bd * = be = she looked her answer, In MacOptic’s eves the answer was unfavorabl The iron, which had long been in his name, entered into his soul. He left the cruel fair one and sought her sister. ‘The same eloquent pan- tomine was gone through with, and look answering look told MacOptic that he accepted. It was not till close upon the wed- ding day that he discovered that he had mis- interpreted the ladies’ desires entirely. He been accepted in the former case and refused in the latter. He said it might have been comicbooks.com