vailing mental expression of a nation may be defined; yes, the standard of morality, and even the degree of happiness, civilization, or freedom.

The eye of the Scotch moves slowly and within a narrow sphere, until he has attained his object; the Irishman displays the open courteous expression in the eye, which lulls all fear; the English speak contemporary with their eyes, so that you cannot mistake. The Italian's eye glows with ardour, which flashes across his sunny face like sunbeams o'er a stilly lake; whilst in the northern parts of Europe we observe the eye apparently in repose, reflection, and even reserve. Look on the nations under slavery; how dull, sullen, dissatisfied, is the expression of the eye, as though rapture and real temperament were put back for want of exercise of independence! Those to whom every golden morn brings fear and fresh degradation, with them the brows and lids are contracted; the eye moves heavily, slothfully, and timidly, and mostly in direct lines, destitute of animation, expressing deep misery, or furious anger. But when liberty opes its gladdened path, the eye kindles with a brilliancy; where the breast of every individual beats to the trumpet of independence, uncircumscribed by the will of any kind of tyranny, or by the terrors of the power of any hierarchy; where all the citizens are equals; where talent and industry have their meed of praise and reward; where life is considered the gift of God, rendering every man accountable to Him alone: then we see the eye open, free in motion, firm, and fearless. The expression of the eye of a nation will necessarily be varied in some cases, and especially in these times, when a fraternization has been opening to a wide extent, and which is daily (happily) rendering distinctions of every sort less arbitrary. Wherever virtue, moral courage, honour, and love are, they will express them

selves, yet every circumstance surrounding may heighten or diminish the expression; and in such cases the keenest investigation and the more ample consideration of the philosophic are needful, ere the predisposition or nature can even be suggested.

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CHAPTER VIII.

EXPRESSION OF THE SEXES COMPARED.

THE mind of woman being so much more gentle, delicate, receptive, and passionate than that of man, so its portraits or outward aspects must vary. The devotion of woman, her confidence, her ardent and ready dependence could not but require very especial lines and contours for its expression. She, who lives in passion and delights in its companionship, fears not its woes and dangers, is deaf to the appeals of reason and judgment when the idealities of her soul are before her, must surely need some different interpreter than one who is too often led by the graven images of covetousness, and all the timeserving principles of a cold and rugged world. She, who often defies the rules of the world, and prefers eddies, sands, and rocks, to the temperate and safe waters of worldliness, is surely entitled to different light-far different hues and shades, points and boundaries, for definition of her exquisite and buoyant spirit-she who is queen in a kingdom of the most precious vitalities-empress in the midst of heroic and romantic spirits, whose career is amidst the forked lights of dangers and dismays, and whose uncompromising and vaunting herald challenges the whole world of spirits to antagonism, when contending for the object of her love. Goddess amidst mystic scenes and circumstances which cannot be defined-priestess of the wand of divination, which she bears to awaken fairies

and satyrs to the resolves of her soul, to listen to Pan's arcadian notes in evetide hour-to waken Echo from her retreat she who leads the loves of angels, and presides at the festivities of spirits requires different materials to define those orbs which evince ceaseless inspiration. That soul may often be seen looking through the brilliant transparencies: observe her at her toilet, preparing for the presence of her loved one; or at her balcony, listening to a serenade from a voice she loves; seeking some trance of love-some dream-in presence of the smile of Luna and her train of children. Lovely woman, for whom battles, dire and bloody, falchion to falchion, have met; for whom the diver takes his wondrous way, midst clanging of deafening waters; aye, in the very path of the Leviathan amidst those coral towers, where the waves, the minnow children of the sea, play their buoyant antics to please the mermaids in the ambient sports. Woman, for whom ten thousand lamps are lighted, and sounds of sackbut and psaltery, and tender shrill toned flute are played; for whom Coridon pipes his notes, and Endymion vies with the wildest notes of the winds, that he may win the smiles of the graceful Diana.

For woman the haughty winds are encompassed; for her man was made, and Eden's breezes sighed; she has a mien, a glistening radiance in her eye, a being, a personality, which cannot be described by the same lines and contour as that being who steps in confidence, unbaffled by feeling.

With her the central point of influence is the heart; all her inclinations and impulses issue from this holy spot, and all sensation and feelings tend towards it. Her emotions are stronger and more vivid than man's, and, therefore, the eye is a more certain and immediate telegraph and communicator. The more intense and

absolute the feeling, the more striking and expressive will be the pictures which appear in those beautiful windows of the eye. The eye of woman is a faithful thermometer and index, whereby the warm-hearted, the congenial and sympathizing, may see the working of the holiest of all spirits, namely, woman's heart. Alas! the coldhearted and calculating, the selfish and designing, struggle to learn therein the secrets and confidence of that best of beings; however, innocence itself has powers to encounter the ruffian gaze, and casts it aside for ever—the panoply of innocence !

How different is the mind of man; he is reflecting; divested of mere affections and feeling; far from the world of the heart, with capacity which urges him towards things palpable, and not easily moved except under extreme excitement.

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In man, the eye generally tells of seriousness, resolution, and firmness; whereas, in woman, there is serenity, softness, and compliance. But, hear, ye heavens, listen, ye winds there are times when the expression of woman's eye is far more expressive and indubitable than in man. When her best and dearest feelings are disregarded or violated, she heeds no powers or difficulties, no distance, no dangers; no haughty domination or conventionalism can then stay her in her course for justice or vengeance; she revels and absorbs her soul in wild and ungovernable feelings; it is then the hard sarcasm of the unmanly and unfeeling is heard: for she, poor, beaten, forlorn, infuriate, in the midst of feeling can bear no more; but, at last, like the panting deer, the wandering lamb, bows her gentle head under commotions too strong for angels to bear; then it is her soul leaves every gate open to the vulgar gaze.

There is also a time, happy and joyful, in which the