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Show : SMILES AND ' j-LAUGHTER j-LAUGHTER i : By THOMAS ARKLE CLARK Dean of Men, University of. Illinois. " SHE was a. very handsome woman I had to admit to myself as I-caught , a hasty impression of her sitting composedly com-posedly in her section as I came into .the car. . I am influenced very strong-Jy strong-Jy by- first impressions, I am almost ashamed to admit, arid there. was an air of refinement about this woman whichj.was very convincing. Her gown was An excellent taste modest, conservative-hud carefully tailored. . Her hair was-: beautifully... kept' and . her hands well manicured. I got all this in a quick impression ' as if went to my seat in 'the middle -of the car. She seemed a person one might like. It was when she laughed that the vision, of her loveliness faded out like aa. electric "light : when the switch is turned off. U was a' coarse, raucus, ..vulgar laugh, that pierced to the remotest re-motest 'corners of the car. Women turned in their seats to see what had happened. Wen craned their necks to .discover whence came the jangling uerve-racTdng sound! ' It was an illiterate, illit-erate, untrained,' undisciplined voice -.which spoke volumes. The most skill-i skill-i ful ..art of 'modiste and hairdresser and manicurist could not efface the impression of that loud laugh. It . would take a surgical operation to do anything with it. She was just common, com-mon, that was all. . Those who first met Keene, even the most charitable in expressing their opinions, were wont to say that he had ' a very plain face. It was current. cur-rent. .opinion that he was the ugliest man in town. He had rugged irregular irregu-lar features, a large nose, and a wide cut -mouth. His was a very serious, almost a' dull face when it was in repose. But when he smiled you would have received an altogether different impression of him. It was a smile that changed and radiated his whole countenance. It was the gentlest, gen-tlest, friendliest, kindest, smile I have ever seen on a man's face. Before he spoke you could divine that his voice was soft and well modulated. You knew without beiDg told that you could trust him. He was the sort of . man you would go to if you were In trouble, knowing full well that yon would find sympathy and understanding. understand-ing. Dogs wagged their tails when he came near them; children were never afraid of him as they were often of the more comely faced. I could never explain this excepting that his smile suggested gentleness, and his quiet gentleness won human beings and animals as well. So far as I know, man Is the only animal that expresses emotion or a state of mind by smiles or laughter. The hyena laughs we are told and the loon, but there is no more real laughter In the sounds they make than there is music In the bray of a donkey. Words, some one has said were given us hy the gods to conceal our thoughts, but smiles and laughter laugh-ter are the most definite and sincere revelation of our true character and state of mind. The villain may smile but his smile only tends to reveal his villainy. (fc), 192S. Western Newspaper Union.) |