Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-05-23
THE GAZETTE.
MONDAY MORNING, MAY %. 1859.
HINTS ON WEARING THE BEARD BE
COMINGLI.
From "The London Torn TAX. y


From "The Londoa Torn TAX
We are not going to ask pardon ofthe Ia
dies for giving prominent place 10 sug
oest;on or TWO as to the taste in the cut and
wear of this masculine prerOgative. There
arafew women. we believe, who have not
so,e nronerty in some sort Of man--she who
has neither love nor male relative, having at
least "a tavorite clergyman. physician, poet.
promising young man. In whose beard she
is interested; and as wOman's opinion is apt
TO have great weight in the choosing OF the
style for the beard, we shall believe that IN
discussingit we are rs usual writing Tor both
sexes.
Almost universal as '.hairy faces" have
now become, there is not one man In twenty
who shapes and dresses his beard to the best
advantage. The slightest line or shading
as we all know, materially affects the ex-
preston of a cOuntenance: with very trihing
differences in the dressing of the natural
mask of hair about mans mouth, the
whole character of his personal presence is
charged. 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, illustrated with
drawings. 1t is book that would be ca
perly bought up and studied. With daily
study of the boards of our friends and &C
quaintances, becoming and unbecomlng.
We have of course learned here and there an
incidental lesson on the subj ect, and this in
the lack of more artistic authority. we pro-
pose " to jot down.
Where the beauty Of q face consists main
" in the fine formation Of the jawbone and
chin, Il man loses by growing his beard
over this portion. Better wear only the
moustache.
There is now and then man whose Sc
verify or sharpness Of eye is redeemed by
good natured mouth-the animal character
Of the person being kindlier than the intel
lectual-and a covering Of the lips in such a
case, is, of course, mistaken hiding of ma
lures apology. and needless detriment
to the expression. Better wear only the
whiskers.
A small, or ,laeding chin, and feeble
Jaw, may be enttfei y concealed by Il full beard,
aud with great advantage to the general
physiognomy. So may the opposite de-
feet of too course Jaw bone, or too long
chin.
Too straight an upper lip can be improv-
ed, by the curve of a well-trimmed mousta-
che So can an upper lip that is too long
from the nose downward. or one that Is dis
figured by the loss of some of the upper teeth:
Washington, in the prime OF life, suffered
from this latter affection, and REALISTICALLY
speaking) his face, as represented to posteri-
ty, would have been relieved Off only weak
ness if he had concealed the cOllapslng upper
lip by military moustache.
A face which is naturally too grave can be
made to look more cheerful by turningup the
corners of the moustache-as one which 10
too trivial and inexpensive can be made
thoughtful by the careful sloping of the NOUS
tache, with strong lines downward.
The wearing of the whole beard gives Of
course more animal look, which is no dis
advantage if the eyes are large and the fore
head Intellectual enough to balance it. But
where the ewes 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"
Ia tuft on the middle of the chin is apt to
look like a mere blotch on the face or to give
it an air of pettiness or coxcombry. The
wearing of the beard long or short, forked or
peaked, are physiognomical advisa6llltles
upon which man Of judgment will take the
advice of and artist, as well as that of an in
innate friend or two; but having once decided
upon the most becoming model, ne should
stick to it, Alteration in the shape OF so
prominent a portion of the physiognomy
gives an impression of unreliableness and
vanity. ..
Middle aged men are apt to be sensitive
with the incipent turning gray of the beard;
but they are often mistaken al to It's effect
Black hair, which turns earliest, is not only
picturesouely embellished by sprinkllng of
gray, but exceedingly intellectualzed and
made sympathetically expressive. The great
est possible blunder is to dye such beard.
There is one complexion. however, of which
the grizzling is so hideous that total shaving
dveing, any other escape, is preferable to
"leaving it to nature" We mean the red
nish blonde, ofwhich the first blanching gives
the appearance of dirty mat. 1t was meant
to be described, perhaps, by the two lines IN
Hudibras.
"The upper part thereof was whey,
The neither orange mixed with gray.
A white beard is so exceeding distinguish
ed that every man whose hair prematurely
turns should be glad to wear it: white for an
old mans face it 80 softening a veil, so win
ming an establishment, that it is wonderful
such an advantage could ever be thrown away.
That old age should be always long bearded,
to be properly yelled and venerable, is the
feeling, we are sure, of every lover of nature
as we'll of every cultivated and deterentlal
heart. --
WE WOULD inform all III want Of BROOMS,
w BUCKETS, and CEDAR WARE, that we
L.. of aur