River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-10-29


s.Fair tresses mani imperial race ensnar
Aud Beauty draws us with single hair
No subject within the scope of human
science is really so unimportan., as t.
general well being, and yet, the ques
ton of the hair and beard, its cut anC
color, has been more prolific Of custom
rule and law, than almost anything
connected with mankind.
The champions of long hair, and o
short nair, have ranged themselves un
der separate banners, shed each Others
blood. disturbed whole communities
and made history for an idea that could
promote neither happiness nor con.
tentment for either side.
Families have been divided by it
divorces have been granted in conse
quence of it, and Legislators, in all ages
but our own, have enacted laws to en-.
force compliance with their own r..
culiar views in this trivial matter Com
mon sense eventually regulated the
affair and gave to every person the
right outside of he tyranny of fashion 5
whims to care Tor the exterior of his
head aud to shape the natural cover
ing of his face according to individual,
sentiment.
Ecclesiastical governments, adopt
ing st. Paul's declaration that "long
hair was an abomination unto a man,
have made vigorous war against the
sinfulneSs of the custom and fulmin-
ated in opposition to it from the pulpit
as barbarous, unclean and unholy; but
at the same time they have permitted,
tolerated and sold immunity from sins,
eX special gratia, not of the hair or
beard, but of the heart and mind and
conscience of greater enormity and
more worthy of denunciation and sup
preston.
Woman tresses have tuned the
poet Tyre, neryed the warrior steel
and drawn woeful sighs from the
lovers heart.
All other features are, to the enthus-
iastic lover, subordinate-be beauty, in
telligence and goodness are nothing.
His life and hopes are staked on her
voluptuous locks; he awakens from his
dream Of bliss only when, in a moment
of curiosity he discovers it is false-a
ohignon.
Lark hair, among the ancients, was
q sign of cowardice; auburn hair, or
light brown, evidenced great suscepti-
bility to the tender passion, as well as
for intelligence, industry and peace
fui dispositions; black hair was not
highly esteemed, the possessors of it
being thought jealous and quarrel
some; red hair, in general, was an
aversion, a mark of reprobation, even
before the time of Judas. LAS wicked
as a red ass, was freely applied to any
one having bright red hair, and was a
popular and opprobrious saying, and,
TO make the sentiment more binding,
one of that patient tribe of quadrupeds
was made to atone for it every year by
being thrown frol-l a high wall.
The Romans never adopted long
hair, as later nations did, deeming it
etfcminate and unbecoming. alike for
scholar, statesman or warrior A few
of them may have done 50, but it was
after they had ceased to be a nation of
warriors and became scented courtiers.
Shaving, by the Roman youths, was an
event looked forward to, and COM
menced at about the age of 81.
The Franks wore long hair, which
was the distinguished mark of kings
and mobiles An old historian remarks
1.-The hair is never cut from the heads
of the Frankish Kings sons; it is part
ed on the forehead and falls equally on
both sides. They sprinkle their hair
with gold-dust after plating it in
small bands, which they ornamented
with pearls and precious metals.
1t has been written by some one that
Dionysius, the tyrant, was so fearful
of violence that he would permit no
one TO shave him, and he singed his
beard off with hot walnut shells. This
is, of course, an absurdIty. for the heat
required to SINCE would have burned
the shells; and so either the tyrant rid
himself of his beard in some other way,
or did not shave at all; probably the
latter.
The greatest prejudice has existed
against the wearing of the beard and
the style Of the hair. Archbishop TAFT
forbade one of the clergy to of1iciate in
his own church because he had grown
mustache. Lord Justice Knight
Bruce refused to hear the cause of
barrister because he wore beard; and
numerous instances might be cited to
show the disfavOr which the wearing
of bear has excited.-Geo. p. cot,
4. NJ, IN the IagleSide.