Page:Personal beauty how to cultivate and preserve it in accordance with the laws of health (1870).djvu/126

 Sardonic laugh, because it was supposed to be produced by eating the poisonous herb sardonica. Some persons rather affect it. Dickens, in one of his novels, speaks of a character whose nearest approach to gayety was to have his moustache move up and his nose come down, and when the blasé style is in vogue, a vacant grin is the nearest approach to a smile permissible.

For cosmetic reasons, immoderate laughter is objectionable. It keeps the muscles on the stretch, destroys the contour of the features, and produces wrinkles. It is better to cultivate a "classic repose."

Still more decidedly should the habit of "making mouths" be condemned, whether it occur in conversing in private, or to express emotions. It never adds to the emphasis of the discourse, never improves the looks, and leads to actual malformations.

Children sometimes learn to suck and bite their lips. This distorts these organs, and unless they are persuaded to give it up betimes a permanent deformity will arise.

When the lips have once assumed a given form, it is difficult to change them. Those that are too thin can occasionally be increased by adopting the plan of sucking them. This forces a large quantity of blood to the part, and consequently a greater amount of nutriment. When too large, compresses can sometimes, but not always, be used to effect. We have employed silver plates connected by a wire spring, or a mould of stiff