The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-08-26
BLONDES AND BRUNETrEs

A CENTURY OF BL0NDES-C0MPARATIVE con-
QUESTS OF HAIR AND EYEs-A WORD FOR
BLACK HAIR-QUEEN ISABELLA.
Arsene Houssaye writes from Paris to the
New York TribuDe: 1t is clear that the nine
| teenth century is to be the century OF
blondes, like the sixteenth, Just as the
seventeenth century was that of the wig
and the eighteenth that of powder. All
women are blonde nowadays, South as we'll
North. Nestor Roqueplan once said, "God
gave blonde hair to the women OF the North
to console the men for having no sum-" But
now the Southern women make themselves
blonde by the use OF fairy waters, or simply
by bathing their hair in ammonia. Some OF
them color, others discolor; it Is miracle of
chemistry. When, % wears ago.
that young madcsp whom we
called Ophelia at the Coincide Franchise first
had the fancy of making herself blonde, "for
change" as she said, she never imagined
she was introducing fashion. Now, both
the new world and the old have gone mad
over it; all women want to be blonde, es-
pecially those who are gray. Silly olation
of nature-for what is more sacred than a
crown of white hair? And has not dark
beauty its characteristic attraction as well
as the fair? 1 saw recently a Russian
princess who was renowned for her black
hair and blue eyes, which gave her an in
cisive charm. Well, she wanted blonde
hair also, and has succeeded in effacng her
beauty. If the eyes have rayaged hearts
since the creation of the world the hair has
also intoxicated many lips with its perfume.
A king cotemporary with Moses fell III love
with
TRRSs OF HAIR
which the waves of the Nile bore to his feet.
Was it not the hair OF the Princess Mantirllis
of the Nineteenth Dynasty, she who was
surnamed the Palm? "The blackness of her
hair is as the darkness of night" She was
still clad in her long hair when disarrayed.
Her chevelure doubtless weighed 200 She
els, like that of Absalom. "Clad in her
hair" is an expression which comes down
from Paradise Lost. st. Paul said to the
Corinthians that long hair was the glory OF
woman. When Venus rises from the
sea in her cortege of Graces and
Cupids, is she not incomparsbly beauti
full in that garment OF hair which shines
over the ripping brine like newer and
softer sun? For Venus was blonde. and
Helen; still fairer was Daphne; all antiquity
worshipped fair hair. In all the poets fair is
Synonymous with beautiful. Mars was
blonde like Achilles; there is mention OF
conqueror, a savage nero, who dyed his hair
red, that he might have the name OF lion.
Messalina was dark, but she wore blonde
wig in her steslthy journey to the Lupanar.
Ovid ragged in vain against these light wigs;
the Roman ladies persisted in buying their
hair of the German and Gallo women.
In Brittany there il a song which
says that for 1000 years the girls OF
the country have sold their hair,
and to-day they furnish the same commod-
ity to our fashionable courtezans. But
Venus, Helen, Daphne, and the rest, did not
buy those locks which Seemed like fine
gold, and kissed their feet" There is an
eternal dispute among lovers and poets over
blonde and black. "Deck myself in thy
hair" said Sadi, az will love thee like the
night and in thy presence will forget the
day.n An Arab poet has said, "Tby black
hairs fiutter like the ravens wing"
Greek poet, "Thy hair is black and living
like the cicala." Pindar sings of both black
and golden hair, but Horace only of blondes.
Ovid praises the
DARK BEAUTY
of Leda, but aurora was fair" he cried,
dazzled by the rosy-figured maid. Another
poet has said that where the hair is OF gold
the neck is of milk. Where does the blonde
begin and end? Alfred de Musser said
"Blonde as wheat.n The Greeks spoke of
honev.colored hair" Adriatic honey, |
for the honey of the North is paler blonde, |
like the hair of the Germans, the Swedes, |
and the Dutchwomen. 1t does not possess |
that warm Venetian tone which captivates |
all eyes, There is also that hafaing gold