The Nevada Democrat., 1859-07-13
HOW TO WEAR THE BEARD.

With very trifing differences in the dressing
of the natural mask of hair about man s
mouth, the whole character of his personal ap-
pearance is changed. 1t is wonderful, indeed,
that for SO obvious and universal want as
the wearing of the beard, artists have never
yet given us a manual of first principles, illus
trated with drawings. 1t is book that would
be eagerly bought and studied. With daily
study of the boards of our friends and acquain-
tances, becoming and unbecomng, we have, of
course, learned here and there an accidental
lesson on the subject, and this, in the lack OF
more artistic authority, we propose to Jot down.
Where the beauty of face consists mainly
in the fine formation of the jaw-bone and chin,
man loses by growing his beard over this
portion. Better wear only the moustache.
There is now and then man whose severity
or sharpness of eye is redeemed by good
natured mouth-the animal character of the
person being kindlier than intellectual-and a
covering OF the lips, in such case, is of course,
a mistaken hiding of natures apology, aud a
needless detriment to the expression. Better
wear only the whiskers.
A small or recedng chin, and feeble jaw
may be entirely concealed by a full beard, and
with great advantage to the general phisiog-
nomy, So may the opposite of too coarse a
jawbone, or too long chin.
Too straight an upper lip can be improved
by the curve of well-trimmed moustache. So
can an upper lip that is too long from the nose
downward, or one that is dis6gured by the loss
of some of the upper teeth. Washington, in
the prime of life. suffered from this latter af
Fiction, and (artistically speaking) his face, as
represented to posterity, would have been re-
lieved of its only weakness if he had concealed
the collapsing upper lip by military NOUS
tache.
A face which is naturally too grave can be
made to look more cheerful by turning up the
corners of the moustache-as one which is so
trivial and inexpensive can be made thought
ful by the careful sloping of the moustache
with strong lines downward.
The wearing of the whole beard gives, of
course. a more animal look; which is no disad-
vantage if the eyes are large and the forehead
intellectual enough to balance it. But where
the eyes are small or sensual, and the forehead
low, the general expression is better for the
smooth chin, which to the common eye, seems
always less animal.
What is commonly called an "imperial," "a
tuft on the middle of the chin) is apt to look
like mere botch on the face, or give 1t an
air Of pettishness or coxcombry. The wearing
of the beard long or short, forked or peaked,
are physiognomical advsibilties upon which
q man of Judgment will take the advice of an
artist as well as of an intimate friend or two;
but having once decided upon the most becom-
ing model he should stick to it. Alteration in
the shape of so prominent portion of the ply
siognomy gives an impression of unreliable
ness and vanity.
Middle-aged men are apt to be sensitive with
the incipient turning gray of the beard but
they are often mistaken as to its effect Black
hair, which turns earliest is not only pictu-
resquely embelished by sprinkling of gray,
but exceedingly intellectualized and made sym
pathetically expressive. The greatest possible
blunder Is to dye such a beard. There is one
complexion however, of which the grizzling is
80 hideous, that total shaving, dying, or any
other escape, is preferable to "leaving it to
nature" We mean the reddish blonde, of
which the first blanching gives it the appear
ance of dirty mat. IL was meant to be de-
scribed, perhaps, by the two lines in Hudibras:
s THE upper part mixed with whey,
The neither orange mixed with gray"
A white beard is so exceedingly distinguished
that every man whose hair prematurely turns
should be glad to wear it; while for an old
mans face it is so softening a vail. so winning
an establishment, that it is wonderful how
such an advantage could ever be thrown away.
Tibet old age should be always long-bearded.
to be properly vailed and venerable, is ihe feel
ing, we are sure, of every lover of nature. as
well as of every cultivated and deferental
heart Btack,cood's Magazine.