Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 05.pdf/83

eye catches a glimpse or the ear a sound. No may look something like the original, but it flat man looks at the face of another without imme ters, and hence is pleasing, and is distributed diate impressions, either favorable or unfavorable, among friends and admirers, to produce a pleasing being formed. It is a part of our nature to read effect and favorable impression upon whomsoever character from the form of the head and the facial shall see it. The picture in question most un expression. It is a gift possessed by the brute cre doubtedly was not an exception to the general ation as well as by mankind. A dog will take to a class of photographs. The picture was thrust in kindly face, and show his teeth at, or fly from, a the faces of the jury because it would impress vicious one. He will often fight a tramp, but fawn them that a beautiful, innocent young girl had been at the feet of a man who carries in his person an ruthlessly stabbed to the heart by the defendant; air of respectability. We instinctively turn away and this at the very outset of the trial roused a from human deformity, and are ill at ease in the dangerous prejudice in the minds of the jury presence of a face brazened by vice. We shun against him. They looked upon a picture of the presence of a man whose face denotes that youth, innocence, and loveliness, and as it were, brutal passion controls his actions. And it is not gazed upon the very bosom into which was plunged until man's better nature has been corrupted by a wicked knife. They were roused from the very sin that he feels at home in the habitations of the depths of their souls with indignation. They wicked. The reverse of the preceding remarks is could not forget that picture if they would. It also true when the impressions are pleasing. Take mattered little after that what evidence was pro a face that indicates refinement, purity, and virtue, duced to show that the prisoner's mind was unand impressions come like sunlight to the heart, .balanced and crazed until he was an unfeeling and we carry them away and dwell upon them madman. That face and form roused their feel with benefit to ourselves; for whatever a man sees ings, pity, and vengeance at one and the same that impresses him as pure and noble, purifies and time, and they could not, would not, and did not stop to consider the question whether one so beau ennobles his whole nature. Pictures are the rep tiful and young could have been so inhumanly killed resentations of reality, but seldom convey so cor rect an impression of the characteristics of the by any but a madman. If it was a competent and proper thing for the prosecutor to present original as the original would if present. Photo graphs of persons adorn our homes and grace this picture to the jury, he could with the same places of the highest art. The subject, particularly propriety have embalmed her body, encased it in a box, and at the opening of his address have ex if a lady, adorns herself with whatever she can ob tain that may tend to add a charm to her natural posed the corpse to the jury," etc. attractions. She arranges her toilet with consum Then follows Antony's speech over Cae mate skill, and puts on her sweetest smile to in crease the beauty of her person. The artist sar's body. Mr. Walsh labored under the himself, by long experience, has learned to place misfortune of having killed too good-look his subject in the exact position where deformities, ing a girl or one who had too adroit a if any, will be concealed, and the most harmonious photographer. expression will be obtained. When the first im The misrepresenting capabilities of photo pression appears the sitter is astonished to find graphs have been vividly set forth in London that the camera has reproduced every freckle, every Tit-Bits, as follows : — wrinkle around the eye, and every furrow upon the "The writer has often been asked whether brow. She is displeased. ' But wait,' says the artist, ' until it is finished; those will all come out photography can lie. The fact that it now plays in the dressing.' And they do come out. He care- an important part in life renders the question fjlly expunges the freckles, wrinkles, and furrows. rather a serious one, and one that I am certain He darkens the hair and pencils the eyebrovvs, and many would like to have answered. Well, then, traces eyelashes where they never grew. From photography can lie and be bad enough to bring a this negative he now reprints and glosses up the blush to the cheek of the worthiest disciple of picture. His sitter is delighted. She did not know Ananias. The wonderful strides made by pho she was so good-looking, nor did any one else. It tography during the past few years have not only