Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-08-30


teach you. that il man have long hair,
Il is shame unto him2 But if woman
have long hair. it is glory to her: for
her hair is given her for a covering"
Cor. xi: Ia, Is How it is that nature
teaches two contrary things by one proc
ess, is not explained. 1t is left as much
10 the dark as a thousand other contradic-
tory things 10 the Bible. How it is a
shame to man to have nature provide
him with long hair, and at the same time
a glory 10 a woman TO have nature pro-
vide her with long hair, is something l
cannot comprehend. Il is case in which
should need the aid Of the priesthood,
teaching cr caLhedrG. And then am
afraid the help would not be sufficient
To say that nature points the finger of
shame at a man for her own work per-
formed upon him, without his let or hinder.
ance, whether he be willing or unwilling.
lis of a piece for nationality with the dog
ma that man is naturally corrupt.
But we have not the worst Of the case
yet for the Book. Moses says" ye shall
not round the corners of your heads, Meth
er shalt thou mar the corners ofthy beard"
Lev. xix: 27. Whether OF the two shall
be listened to? l recently visited the
house of Baptist priest, who is an excel
lent man, as man, if he were out of the
priesthood, and his wife is an excellent
woman, if she were not the wife of a priest.
Her large common sense and humanity
suppressed all rudeness and indecency
towards me. But she could not refrain
from abiding, in a kind and courteous
manner, to the difference between nv
present and former appearance, as TO my
hair and beard. asked her to take the
Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge
and turn to the portrait of Baxter. She
did so, and found the hair and beard an
swering most perfectly in length and ap-
pearance 10 my own. then asked her
to turn to the portrait of John Calvin,
which she did, and found his beard much
longer. Next l asked her if she ever
saw Jesus and the apostles. otherwise rep
resented than with long boards. By this
lime of course she was silent, as any wo-
man of good sense, herself in the mean
time wearing long hair, would have been.
BY the way, It occurs to me here that, so
far as have any evidence in the case,
Paul, at the very same time he wasteach-
ing it to be shameful for man 10 wear
long hair, was himself then wearing a
beard of some length. Be this as it may,
about the other parts of the case there can
be no mistake.
These things in the Bible have been
alluded to, not to justify my own proceed
ings in the matter, or to affect them one
way or the other, but to meet on their own
ground those who resort TO the Bible.
The best answer | have ever been able
TO get to my question -" why do you
shear and shave"-is, "5ecause it is fash
ionabe." This is simple aud honest. Ii
is probable that very few have ever STOP
ped 10 ask themselves the question, or to
examine the subject. They have shaven
and shorn because it was the universal
custom around them. just as they have
done almost every thing else. Just as
they have received their religious opn-
ions. 1t has been easier to receive opin-
ions already formed for them than TO form
opinions Of their own. 1t is easier TO float
down stream than to wade against the cur
rent.
But some have undertaken 10 say that
the wearing OF the hair and the beard
must be inconvenieut and uncomfortable
These generally know liulc or nothing
about il, having had little or no experience.
Few of those with whom converse have
worn their hairand boards 10 any consid-
cradle length, and taken any proper care
OF them as to cleanliness. An experience
Of five months enables me to testify that
i IS less trouble to take proper care ofmy
beard than TO shave it off. Then, if
may be believed, it is my positive testi-
mony that The enjoyment Of it is great
luxury.
Bot another sayA show it looks = the
appearance is so very singular. ~ l reply
to such. by asking them to imagine men
generally 10 have o. rn,un nm Tina % pa.n-