Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-06-21

The proper way of wearing a beard is as
certainable by simple test. It's purport is
not to exhibit itself, but to ornament the face
Of the person that wears it, The idea is not
that of great beard attached to the face, but
of face that is ornamented by a beard 1t
should be of the nature Of covering, and,
therefore, in due proportion to what it COW
crs. Hence, if it be long, the junction of
the chin and lips seems merely TO abolish the
chin altogether but if it be short. it becomes
II covering such rs feathers are to the bird.
Hence those effective. well-trimmed boards
which are seen abroad, aud give the effect,
not of hair upon the jaw. but of the jaw
made effective by hair. Such. indeed be-
come more important than the face itself
You see but the eyes the beard bridging over
the interval between head and body.
The truth is, all those rough, bushy boards
become thus over-luxuriaut through neglect.
They should be kept in harmony with the
character Of the figure, yet subordinate to it.
When We see one of the enormous boards
protubernt and reaching half way down the
waistcoat, We seem TO be in the presence of
some strange animal The eyes become. not
the intelligent light Of face but of the whole
body for this beard has covered over the in
teryal of face md figure The eyes are
made to glare dsagreeably, from the strong
relief and the cheek bones are thrown out un-
naturally. The true and becoming. or, rn-
ther, unobjectionable, proportion can be
found by considering that the beard ex-
lists for the chin rather than the chin for the
beard
The mustache or imperial is II fragment of
the beard a caprice as arbitrary as the fan
tastic fashion in which ayew tree is clipped in
an old-fashioned garden. As regards the i'm
perial, there is no reason why large bushy
tuft should be left upon the point of the chin,
which is itself sufficiently prominent. This
mode, which was much in fashion under the
late Napoleon regime, was attended with pro-
digious waxing of the point and substance so
rs to become almost solid. The eye has be-
come accustomed to it, but, artistically, little
can be said for it. 70 savages of more re-
fined taste it would be unmeaning as their
circles of paint and rings through the nose,
etc. would be to us. 1t suggests the idea of
elaborate dandyism, but it has really the ef-
feet of thick bar across the face, and i'm
parts frightened and too prominent look to
the mouth and teeth. The reason of this is
the hardened, board-like edge made by the
waxing, instead of the graduating softness
which nature intended. And where the hair
is dark, the contrast between the arbitrary
patches of skin and patches of hair makes
the lower part of the face too prominent
mans chin and jaw are in general SO
coarscly made as TO convey the idea that it
was intended to be covered quite as much as
the poll, especially when compared with the
fine and delicate outline of those of n woman.
In tn case of a soldier, such asa dragoon, the
semicrcular mustache has II certain martial
effect, suggesting an air of ferOcty, especial
ly when combined with the brass chain that,
like a strap. runs around the face. There is
"A reserve, rs it were, an air of mystery and
of Importance about the mouth, from its be-
1 a 4 1.
peats the shelter of the cornice-like shelter of
the helmet above 1t has not nearly the
same appropriateness when under the KEPT of
the infantry soldier. 1t is otherwise with the
full, stout beard the German foot-soldier
wears and which certainly suggests solidity
and unassuming strength to perfection. The
sight of long row of such faces, the eyes
and upper part of the face thrown out effect
lively by this broad contrast might fairly
cause u tremOr in assailants furnished with
the well waXed and daintily trimmed NOUS
tache.
Whiskers, too, of the English fashion,"
are strangely unbeeoming as well as un-
meaning mode of decorating the human face
divine. This idea is based on unfinished
shaving, this being portion of the beard
left behind. The two punches projecting
laterally aud cut short below can in no sense
be justified, and have the effect of destroy
ing the oval outline of the face. The ''mut-
ton chop" which we note in the portraits of
old politicians and in the faces of some old
squires, coming forward ON the cheek bone
toward the nose, and cropped close, is anoth-
er caprice Whiskers, indeed, are no more
than the upper portion of the beard the rest
being unmeaningy cut away. Whiskers are
one of those decorations which, as we said
before, if seen for the first time would seem
to one as absurd as the bit of bone through
the nostril of an Indian. The wiry, stiff char
acter of the hair causes it to stand out like a
brush-an idea foreign to all that is artistic
Shaving indeed, is equally SO, as the roots of
the hair result in detail that produces a very
coarse texture in the skin.
Many old gentlemen are fond of cultivating
n little gray shrubbery that strays over the
cheek bone, in shape like shepherds crook.
1t is impossible to discover on what this prin-
ciple of decoration is founded. The French
dress their poodles in the same fashion, shay
ing away the chief portion of the hair and
leaving only a few tufts. The Chinese and
various savage tribes are partial to the same
mode and the notion of leaving two curved
tufts ON the right and left of the cheek, or
two accurately cut-out triangles of mutton
chops of hair, can hardly be distinguished
from what is equally barbarous, the shaving
of the poll and leaving tuft in the centre.
The effect is at least grotesque. .-Art Jour
ndL