MEANS OF THE EXPRESSION OF THE EMOTIONS. 279 



I may here mention a trifling observation, as it will 

 serre to sum up our present subject. An old lady with 

 a comfortable but absorbed expression sat nearly oppo- 

 site to me in a railway-carriage. While I was looking at 

 her I saw that her depressores anguli oris became very 

 slightly yet decidedly contracted ; but, as her counte- 

 nance remained as placid as ever, I reflected how mean- 

 ingless was this contraction, and how easily one might be 

 deceived. The thought had hardly occurred to me when 

 I saw that her eyes suddenly became suffused with tears 

 almost to overflowing, and her whole countenance fell. 

 There could now be no doubt that some painful recollec- 

 tion, perhaps that of a long-lost child, was passing 

 through her mind. As soon as her sensorium was thus 

 affected, certain nerve-cells from long habit instantly 

 transmitted an order to all the respiratory muscles, and 

 to those round the mouth, to prepare for a fit of crying. 

 But the order was countermanded by the will, or rather 

 by a later acquired habit, and all the muscles were obedi- 

 ent, excepting in a slight degree the depressores anguli 

 oris. The mouth was not even opened ; the respiration 

 was not hurried ; and no muScle was affected except those 

 which draw down the corners of the mouth. 



LAUGHTER. 



Expression Many curious discussions have been writ- 



tionsf ^"°' *en on the causes of laughter with grown-up 

 page '200. persons. The subject is extremely complex. 

 Something incongruous or unaccountable, exciting stir- 

 prise and some sense of superiority in the laugher, who 

 must be in a happy frame of mind, seems to be the com- 

 monest cause. The circumstances must not be of a mo- 

 mentous nature ; no poor man would laugh or smile on 



