CAN WE READ CHARACTER?

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 99, 18 July 1927, Page 5

CAN WE READ CHARACTER?

A SLOW PROCESS WITHOUT AN ENDING Is it possible to read character by any other r..eans that that of daily experience of another personality? Most people would reply “Yes, it is.” Almost everyone has a favourite belief or superstition about this. Then there is that sense or impression of character which we get more or less strongly with every fresh person we meet, and which we do not attempt to link up with any precise observation. Is this first impression worth anything at all? Probably it is, but with great reservations. We sense only that which our own mind, conscious and sub-conscious is able to receive. The stranger may be a better or a worse person than we can imagine; he may be beyond the range of our apprehension. Moreover, the human character has a thousand different ingenious devices for hiding itself, and sometimes the outward manner, the armour against life which the sensitive creature within has worn for years, becomes almost opaque; scarcely anyone is able to see through it. Some people, too, are wooden in faithfulness to their own form; others are like quicksilver, changing according to environment, responsive to all stimuli. WHAT THE FACE TELLS If character is to be read in advance, without current knowledge of it in action, perhaps it is most likely to be found in the face. The dominant quality is probably always revealed in the face, though few of us may be able to discover it there. The book of the face is like other books; you cannot see all that there is at a glance. Complacency always shows in the face; sensitiveness and self-criticism reveal themselves unmistakably in the set of the lips; loving-kindness cannot be present in the nature without lighting up tho wfyole face; imaginative sympathy is seen in the steady, considering gaze of the eyes. Verbal truthfulness and honesty that will not take away your material possessions in your absence are not qualities that show directly and precisely as such in the face. Life has not yet been made as simple as that. It is the usually truthful person who is untruthful for once who cannot look you in the face as the lie is spoken: the habitually untruthful are able to regard you and their offences quite calmly. Little can be told from the face without patient and intelligent study. Any thing that we read, or think we read, must be subjected to criticism and review. It is only the governing disposition, the main thread that almost with certainty is revealed. Unless we are believers in the occult we must be content to continue reading character as it is expressed in life. The lesson, too, will be lifelong.

A thiekish-edged button about £ inch in diameter is a handy thing to have in your handbag in case the bottom ♦ of your suspender gives way unexpectedly. Hold the button at the wrong side of the stocking top and button the suspender loop over it. This makes quite a secure fastening.

MRS. PEPYS’S DIARY MONDAY.—Have at my reading happened upon a Furniture Polish of such great and pleasing simplicity, that I would begin the week’s work by writing of it here, that others may try it. The materials for same: One tablespoonful of sweet olive oil, of turpentine 2 of vinegar the same quantity. And all left to do, when you have put these in a bottle, to shake well before you would use them. TUESDAY.—For sending to my gossip, Mistress Bassett, who hath many growing children to feed and must needs do it in the most nourishing manner possible, do write out a Homely Pudding lately told to me by an old friend, and so I do think to suit Mistress Bassett extremely well. The,manner of it to make a suet crust, not skimping the suet. Now roll out your crust and let it be 5 of an inch thick, or a little more not to hurt, cut it into small rounds, pop your rounds into boiling fat, and so to fry them a pretty brown. If well down they will puff up. For serving, drain them on kitchen paper, but do not let them grow hard or cold, and send them to table with warm treacle or jam as you wish. This method nicer, I think, than a plain boiled suet pudding, also takis g much less time to cook. WEDNESDAY.—In the forenoon do prepare in readiness for serving at our supper to-night, \ny Maid Jane being out, a dish called a Beef Trifle, a pleasant way, as it seems, for using up cold meat. The way of it to mix well together lib of cold meat, finely chopped, 1 tablespoonful of horseradish, grated, 3oz of breadcrumbs, £ an onion, chopped, 2oz of margarine, 1 egg, also pepper and salt to your taste. Now grease some small cups, fill them with your mixture, and bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes. When cooked turn out on to a very hot di&h, and pour round them a little very good gravy or brown sauce, or, if you will, tomato sauce not amiss. THURSDAY. This forenoon betimes to my kitchen, there to prepare a good cooking of lemon cheese, this being a very good time for doing so. while eggs are of a price to be deemed reasonable. The way of it to beat together lib of castor sugar and 4oz of butter (or margarine if you must), then when this is well done to beat in 4 eggs and the juice and the rind of 4 small lemons, the rind to be grated line. Place all in a jar and simmer same in a saucepan, partly filled with water, until your cheese becometh thick like honey, when you may judge it as done.

FRIDAY.—For the use of Mr. Pepvs’s Cousin Gladys, who doth oft have friends to drop in of an evening, and would offer them something (though not possessing of a depth of purse to make it wine or spirits except on special occasions, I do write out a recipe for Orangeade which is no more than to wash and grate the skins of three oranges,’ seeing that you do not get down to the white part. To add 141 b of white sugar and of citric acid loz Also of water when it is hoiling 13 pints. Stir till all be dissolved, let it stand for 24 hours, strain through a muslin and bottle. The quantity to use, 1 tablespoonful to a tumbler of water, or soda water to be preferred by most. As for the oranges, to peel them and to make them into a Fruit Salad, is the way to prevent waste. SATURDAY. —For eating at our tea upon the Lord’s Day, do bake a Cherry Cake. The good recipe I have requires to beat together 3oz of margarine, or butter to 9oz of sugar until they form a cream. Add 2 eggs, well beaten, 4oz of flour, 2oz of cornflour, 2oz of cherries, cut in pieces, and £ a taespoonful of baking powder. When you have beaten all to make it light enough, put into a greased tin and cook for 3 of an hour. And so a cake not to shame you at all. If you wish to re-string a necklace, use a violin string. Its stiffness quickly wears off, and it will last much longer than ordinary thread or twine. When knitting socks work a length of broder cotton into the heels and toes. It trebles the life of the socks. When making a pie requiring to be propped in the centre, instead of using an egg-cup take four skewers and place two in each direction across the dish. Place the crust over them, and withdraw the skewers before sending to table.