| Show Oti SERVING MEN AND MATTERS how often it occurs whop when the perpetrator of some reckless or moody bloody deed Is ia captured that his outward appearance does not answer the numerous imaginary pictures that people have instinctively drawn of him hence the oft re posted exclamation of astonishment by people who chance to see such auch a character iphy why he look like a desperado the expectation pec tation has been an absurd exaggeration ge ration radon just as if men who become highwaymen had any other seeming deeming than that of mortals such characters are generally presumed to be dark swarthy persons with lowering beetle brows and small sharp peering eyes of furtive suspicious and cruel or foro fero dons clous expression they are as a rule thus erroneously depicted in buys puys and novels those who thus paint faint heavy villains do not daw upon the rule of nature among tite the caucasian race such fanciful delineations axe are contrary to the gen enory of instances the large ma kofity of criminals of the desperate and sanguinary classes are of light com complexion flexIon many of them have not outwardly a villainous aspect and axe am frequently affable and obliging when their passions are not aroused amused md MJ when not engaged in their calling any person who has had opportunities port unities for observing the per soga of the criminal class clam of the stripe referred to and has made use of his senses knows this to be billy the kid one of the most noted desperadoes operated in arizona new mexico and portions of california was iraa a notable instance in point it hm haa been estimated that he must have wed killed in his time over a dozen men mem fortunately his career was cut short abort at pert fort yuma several yaro since by an arizona deputy he riff who shot him through the heart hearl he was described as a dapper it laule chap div neatly and lightly built md and not x over five feet three inches in height he had blue eyes and blonde na complexion mp lexion having more the appearance um of the hero in au or divacky romance than an actual murderous A highwayman highway man horse thief and ua pondo there doubtless is as a rule some thin about the appearance of desperate criminals of the class clam referred 10 badiCa tive of their character and s 1 n but in m many any ins instances a only be detected by keen of 4 human nature which VL in these cases Is perverted it cannot as a rule however be discerned casually it requires analysis although the process may be necessarily rapid it is the same in this regard as in relation to many other conditions of life some people pass along without exercising their faculties for observation and analysis which are allowed to lie dormant others will pass through similar scenes wad aad circumstances and see in men matters and things beauty pathos and humor it was this sharpness of the mental eyes in dickens that enabled him to draw from nature so vividly that his word painting causes the reader to enter into complete sympathy with the characters he portrays many of whom are old met with in life but not specially noticed until the charming novelist directed attention to them he had the ability to fish them out and use them the ordinary people walking among and talking with them know they existed until their component I 1 arts were pointed out by the mind of a genius same scrutiny is the chief fascination of wilson Wil sons Is tales of the borders the rho reader who weeps laughs or grows angry over some character and phase of the story suddenly discovers that the writer has introduced to him an old friend or acquaintance whose eccentricities are all carefully described the habits of observing closely of self interrogation upon what is seen seed and the making of reasonable deductions duct ions constitute a most efficient process for sharpening the intellect those who do not thus keep their faculties awake belong to that class that pass through the world with their eyes shut this writing has digressed somewhat from its original strain but perhaps its consistency is saved by a connecting thread |
