The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-11-12
H1n,. on wearing n. Beard B.eoningly.

Hints on Wearing the Beard Beeomingly.
We are not going to ask pardon of the
ladies for giving prominent place to a
suggestion or two as to the taste in the
cut, and wear of this wholly masculine
prerogative. There are few women, we
believe, who have not some property in
some sort of man-she who has neither
lover Dor male relative, having at least
fayOritc, clergyman, physician, poet,
promising young man." in whose beard
she is interested-and as woman's opinion
is apt to have great weightin the choosing
of the style for the beard, we shall be-
lieve that in discussing it we are, as
usual, writing for both sexes.
Almost universal as "hairy faces" have
now become, there is not one man in
twenty who shapes AMI dresses his beard
to the best advantage. The slightest line
or shading, as we all know, materially af-
fects the expression of a countenance-
With very trifing differences in the dress
ing of the natural mask of hair about the
mans mouth, the whole character of his
personal character is changed. 1t is won-
derful, 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, illustrated with
drawings. 1t is book that would be ca
gerly bought up and studied With dai-
ly study of the boards of our friends and
acquaintances, the becoming and the un-
becoming, we have of course learned here
and there an incidental lesson on the sub
ject; and this, in the lack Of more artistic
authority, we propose to jot down. ,ei
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 mustache. tm
There is now and then man whose Sc
verify or sharpness of the eye is redeemed
by good natured mouth the animal
character of the person being kindlier than
the intellectual-and a covering of the
lips, in such a case, is, of course, mis-
taken hiding of Natures apology, and a
needless detriment to the expression
Better wear only the whiskers.
A small receding chin, and feeble
Jaw, may be entirely concealed by full
beard, and with great advantage to the
general physiognomy. So may the oppo-
site defect of too coarse jaw bone, or too
long a chin. .- ct
Too straight an upper lip can be i'm
proved by the curve of weH-trimmed
mustache. So can an upper, lip that is
too long from the nose downward, or one
dis6gured by the loss of the upper teeth
Washington, in the prime of life, suffered
from this affliction, and (artistically
speaking,) his face, as represented to pos
terity, would have been relieved of its
only weakness if he had concealed the
collapsing upper lip by military mus
tache. 'a'-1'''
A face which is naturally too grave car
be made to look more cheerful by turning
up the corners of the mustache-as ont
which is too trivial and inexpensive car
be made thoughtful by the careful slop
ing of the mtlstacbe with strong line!
downward. sd v-
The wearing of the whole beard gives
ofcourse, more amiable look, which il
no disadvantage if the eyes are large ant
; the forehead intellectual enough to bal
ance it. But where the eyes are small O.
sensual; and the forehead low, the genera
expression is better for the smooth chin
which, to the common eye, seems always
less animal.
What is commonly called an Imperial
Ia tuft on the middle Of the chin,) is ap
to look like mere blotch on the face, o.
to give it an air of pettiness or ooxcomb
nv. The wearing of the beard long Q
!, short, forked or peaked, are physiosnom
ical advisabilities upon which man
Judgment will take the advice of an ar
tist as well as of an intimate friend or two
biit having once decided upon the mos
becomins model, he should stick to it,
Alteration in the shape OF so ptominen
a portion Of, the physiognomy gives al
impression Of unfeiiableness and vanity.
iMiddle-aged men are apt to be sensi
tive with the incipient turning gray o
the beard; but they are often mistakel
as to it's effect. Black hair, which turn
earliest, is not only picturesquely embel
lishsd by a sprinkling of gray, bu. ex
ceedinsly ihtellectualised and made sym
pathetically expressive. The gtsates
possible blunder is to dye such a beard
There IS one complexion, however, o
which the gri54lins is so hideous that to
tai shaving, dyeing or any other escape. !
preferable to "leaying it to nature" W
1 mean the reddish blonde, Of which the frs
: blanching gives the appearance of dirt.
D mat. II was meant to be described, per
: haps, by the two lines in Hudibras:
1.-THE upper part thereof was whey,
The nethero orange mixed with grey" I'd,
!. The white beard is SO exceedingly dis
: tinguishable that every man whose hal
= prematureIy turns should be glad to wes
, it; while for an old mans face it is s
/ softening a veil, so winning an enbellish
: ment, that it is wonderful how such a
: advantage could ever be thrown away
= That old age should be always long beard
f ed, to be properly yelled and honorabl
:. is the feeling, we are sure, of every lost
of nature, as well as of every cultivate
| and deferential heart.
A y NT.1 Guide 10 Success.