TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8484, 16 May 1893, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

He»CSfoB3*H it will not be Character necessary to demand testiio monialaasto character when

Noses. engaging a confidential clerk

or manuger. We are nob sure whether it will even be necessary for meriibers of Parliament to state their views. It is only necessary to examine their noses to know all about them. Such, at any rate, is the view brought forward in a treatise on the art of "Nasology," which has. just been reprinted, and fiuds an appreciative reviewer in the columns of the Spectator. The Roman nose, we are told, shows great decision, energy, firmness, absence of refinement, and a disregard for the biemiancei of life. The Greek,"or perfectly straight,; snows* refinement of character, love for the fine arts and literature, astuteness, craft, and a preference for Indirect rather than direct action. 'f When associated with the Roman nose, fend distended slightly by the cogitative, it indicates the most useful and intellectual of characters* and it is the highest and most beautiful form which the organ can assume. ,. Only great historical characters,, "feuch *s Alexander tßw Great, 5 Cardinal J Wolsey, and Napoleon, It would Seem, can hope to be blessed with such a nose as this. The Jewish, or hawk nose, is "a good useful, practical Boee, very able t to ■ carry its •owner successfully through tne world— that ie co far as success ie measured by length of prirae; toeverthelese ft'will not .elevate him to any very exalted pitch of intellectuality." It is not confined to persons of the Hebrew race, but was possessed, for example, by Adam Smith .*• in its higliest development." The owners of " snub" and celestial (or turn-up) noses receive very harS treatraent'at the hands of the nasologiet. As if they were not served harshly enough by nature in being provided with organs which are univertkUy. despised from the ornamental point of ytew, thuf are told that noses of these shapes indicate " natural weakness, mean, disagreeable disposition, with petty insolence and divers other characteristics {of conscious we&kmwa whidh etffobgly assimii late them. , * The " celestial ** Is, however, by its greater length, decidedly preferable to Tfre snub, and is not without some share lof small shrewdness and fox-like commona»ne», Wtrhich, howe>er,4t is ft|it to preflfatne, *nd Iβ thferfefdrti -a Wt*rt Impudent nose than the snub. Decidedly the best thing about a celestial nose is its name, which ia not in keeping with its owner's character. 'The nose to long for is the cogitative or wide-noatriled nose—one whose swelling .curves wilL bear inspection irota -th* .iroat as well as in profile. It is not only born with a man, but to some extent can be xfiadf ~ & young man, we are k>ld, can cultivate a cogitative nose by cultivating his tnind. Whether be can improve his mind by altering the shape of hie ftdtts by janj ol the "note machisrte" fiov on the ta«ket ie Tee probabilities, hOKrever, are iqatfce the btfeer way.

Mf- BabbV Paik , A «' J?e# H^iunonrist" one of ri the J*Tbw i»fc , Hoffloari*fci»,'V law : Sefieue Mood. • fiet hiioeelf in ■" : J ' ;: ■''■'.';- eober -eftrueat to discuss for once a eerious question, namely, ad to trhotber childhood is really the happi*at time of life, gro*Q-up lpcople &r* so Uni tt aeclatuif it t» fe Mf - Batty Pkin boldly- "aaa rule the happiness 6f'children ia a delusion, and the peace of

the perambulator a myth." Mr. Pltiuji lieves that any jemve »nd intelligent 3 can -voounb on the lingers of on« the things that would really httrfc yf seriously, but tho troubles of childhood S numberleee. Ho "then goes on to 1

"The fcgony of terror is alone enow*.!? make childhood the most miserable |»Ltl one's existonce. Tho dond camo out t their graves and walked into my miner* y night; I dared not open my eye» £J5 should see thorn. There was a WnitjJ figure behind every curtain in $3 passages. There were pictures in |2 that haunted mc; I kuew two or thr«|, them well— l know the on which, came. I opened tho book and Uimt almost up to the dreaded page, and t|l waited j but I had to go un always. {C to see the eyos etni-ing into miuo, and ft lips writhing. Then 1 shut the v] quickly, and went away to do other that would tako my mind away j|l the picture. I am gla<i Uiat lam up; I should not «»ro to otulure m, maddening terrors again. I wa» f much ashamed of thorn then to them ; that made them worse. I th» that no one who, as a child, was afraid the dark, would look back upon tthildW as the pleasantest period of his life." This very pessimistic '• New then goes on to arguo that a child nob oaj has more troubles than a man, but i| |i fewer pleasures. A child's pleasure*, fe says, are mostly due to ita love of ftcqttfH.l tion, its vanity, or its appetite being , porarily sat isficd. - I

Wk confess that weceuati Iβ Childhood follow Mr Barry P&hijJ a Happy his treatment of this \vtM Time? tion. The views ot^M "New Humourist" certaiuly widely different from thoso of enff of the Old Humourists, to wit, Tom 1 The childhood described by Mr Bam 1 Pain ia not that of an online* I healthy child brought up amid wMj. | some surroundings. It is rather I o£ a puny, siokly little chap, not vehl judiciously looked after. Unijneetiwiab/y I children feel as serious troubles many thbxei I which grown-up people would only Uugh 1 at. On the other hand, their sorrows rtro I very quickly forgotten. They kuoVao&fog of financial worries, the pang* 0 ( B< appointed love, and of the carol isd n'orrios of adult life. Abovo all, childhood ia not troublod with a liver. Tiiai alone aettfei the question in its favour. Wβ do not mean to aay there are no unhappy children. Thsre are many even among decent families whw there is no question of iU-treatnien* I; parents. Many a child at eohool, who ii over driven at lessons, or bullied by brutal school-mates or domineered over by frprsanical teachers, has a life of intense and continued misery. Nevertheless, ouo fej only to look at a healthy boy in conifort&Ue surroundings, to see that he has ajoyol living such as his elders never know, for pleasures—what enjoyment is therein adult life comparable with that of * i»| on the ice or at football, or revelling is his firat nigUt at the circus or ti» pantomime? As for literary pleasure,is there anything which now gives us t>H« nine thrill as our first plunge into " RobinWn Crusoe," or Captain Mayae Koid ? We caa recall nothing to compare with it. Even the latest productions of the " NfW Humour" are not to be mentioned in the eatne breath with it.