The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-04-17
SeIetti us.
From the Sunday Times.
Remarks ON Boards.

From the creation of the world to the
accession of Louis XIII, of France, all
civilized nations respected the beard
Fashion, indeed, clipped, trimmed, and
prescribed limits for its growth. Among
the Romans, for many years in their his
tory, it was shaved entirely; but there
was always respect for the budding down
of youth, respect for the thick curls Of
vigorous MANHOOD, and all men venerated
the silver hairs Of age.
At the commencement of the seven
teeuth century, Ravaillac assassinated
Henry Nv, Of France, whose square
and noble beard, to quote his own memo
rable words, chad been bleached by the
winds of adversely" and a week boy, who
never became man of note, was placed
upon the throne.
This reign has been famous in history,
because during its intrigues was develop
ed the genus of Cardinal Richelieu, the
most distinguished statesman ever born
in France, and the firm establishment by
him of the political greatness of his coun-
try. This reign is not less remarkable
for the Punishment of the symbol OF
manliness from the faces of the wb ,le
civilized world. The subservient r.
tiers, gamboling like apes to secure the
favor Of boy Of fourteen. shaved their
faces, and revealed their mean and trifilng
features to each other. The court VI
France then, as now, promulg gated the
fashions, and all the lantern jaws, ILL.,
shaped mouths. and foolish chins, slowly
emerged from their obscurity. Men look
ed upon each ot'er as they were and
man, the most difficult study of his kind,
was much easier to read than when muf-
fled with his hirsute defence. The cut
lers who, until his enlightened time, had
hammered the 'shrieking steer' into
swords and spears, fastened to beat them
into the emasculating razor. The opinion
became established that the beard was or
dained to afford support for the other
wise useless lives of BARRIERS and razor
makers.
This dogma, unaided by word of
holy writ, without the countenance of an
opinion of science or a ray of reason,
obtained so absolutely with all of English
lineage, and so firm y enlisted the char
acteristic prejudice of the race, that for
nearly two hundred years the man who
ventured to abstain from marring the cor
ners of his beard was looked upon as a
jew or a fanatic. Now, for some nscrut-
able reason, the beard is again creeping
over the faces of creation. First, the
modest whisker, in the common form OF
the mutton-chop, or, meeting under the
chin, as some one has said, like strap to
hold the hair on the head. Then the
tuft, or "goatee, a vul gar form, shunn-
ed by men of taste. Then some bold in
novators, living on incomes derived from
bonds and mortgages, or the annuity from
a mueh.vexed parent, bristled forth with
the bold mustache. The sneer and gibe,
the refined wit of street loafers and beg
gars, who invariably find means to shave
once week, has been passed. No one
laughs at boards now, SO they are worn
and honored by m.ny.
l. cannot be that the world has grown
wiser in this respect. Men, "nor women
either" do not show their wisdom in
fashion. The world will madly leap back
over the gulf of an hundred years, to
grasp some hideous style that the slow
advance of the century had left far behind,
and flaunt it forth for new. 1t may be
wisdom or caprice, but certainly many
long shorn and tortured faces now bloom
with all the luxuries of beard. The
character of man has changed in his two
centuries of beardless repose and it is to
be feared that in this tickle time men will
not hold fast to the noble old custom, that
the new fashion will not become a charac-
teristic of the age and the final restoration
of the long -banished beard. 1t is no,
worn with the spirit of respect and rever-
ence which it obtained in the manly time
of that old Laconian mentioned by Plu-
tarch, who, being asked why he allowed
his beard to grow SO luxuriously, replied
"In order that, having my white beard
continually in view, / may do nothing un-
worthy of its whiteness.
There are those, also, who oppose the
movement" with sneers and derision,
and men who degrade their influence to
such fantastic abuse that they refuse en-
ployment and patronage to the bearded
There is almost enough to make all men
of character shave, in the fact that all
phrenologists, especially the peripa:etic
professors of this art, water-cure leeches
and free-love philosophers, are notorously
brainless seekers of new things, and such
community of scuryy fellows that one
of right mind will reflect before he con.
forms.
There is one objection to wearing the
beard, it is a great concealment Of mean
and sordid faces, and barrier to the
study of character. This can be bette,
illustrated by few examples. There is
old Boult, whose purple face, double-chin
thick sensual lips. and general expression
SO proclaimed his character. that purity
instinctively shrunk from him. Now
this hoary rogue rejoices in an ample
snowy beard, concealing all the lower
part of his face, and making his appear
ance venerable. He cannot conceal his
leering eyes, but they are SO softened b,
the expression Of his beard that child
hood climbs upon his knees. Youns