PLASTIC FACE.
CHARACTER IN THE COUNTENANCE.
Suggestion:—The object used is a small plastic face such as are often sold in toy stores, and even on the streets in large cities. The head of a rubber doll would also answer the purpose.
A couple of pictures of faces placed in bottles would illustrate the fact that as the faces are seen through the bottles, so our thoughts are not wholly hidden but shine through our faces.
MY DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS: Here is a soft plastic face; by squeezing it on the side I can make the face very long, and it looks very sober. If I place the face between my thumb and fingers and press upon the chin and forehead it makes the face short, and makes it have a very pleasant appearance. I can make it look as though it were laughing, or make it seem to be angry and cross.
Just so is it with our faces. When we feel pleasant our faces are short and drawn up; when we feel sober, or cross, or angry, they are lengthened and the character of the expression is entirely changed. You would scarcely know the face were you to see it radiant with smiles and pleasantness, and afterwards see the same face when the person is cross or angered. When you look at a person you can tell whether they are in good humor, or whether they are displeased or angry.
Frowns and Smiles.
Do you know, boys and girls, that our character and our disposition are seen in our faces? It is impossible for us to conceal our real selves, even though we might try. I will tell you how it is. If I were again and again to press this face only in this way, so as to make it look very long, after a time it would retain this expression. If I were to press it in this other way, so as to make it very short and give it a very pleasant expression, and were to hold it in that position for a very long time, it would assume that expression, and retain it constantly. It is just so with our faces. When a boy is angered again and again the deep lines of his face become more and more permanent, until after a time he comes to have a face which expresses anger. If a boy is kind and good and generous, these feelings express themselves in his face, and if repeated over and over again, day after day and year after year, it becomes a permanent expression upon his face and the boy is known by all who meet him as a good-natured, pleasant and agreeable boy.