Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-05-03
Personal BEAUTY.
DIFFERENCES AS TO WHAT CONSTI-
TUTES THE HIGHEST TYPE.
Three Divisions. According to Completion
Average of Beauty Not High In Italy
The standard In spain French, Eng
Iish, Germans and Americans.

Average of Beauty Not High In Italy
The standard In spain French, Eng
Iish, Germ ans and Americans.
The nations which present distinct types
and which are considered worthy Of men
ton when the subject Of personal
beauty is discussed are the
English, the Americans. the Germans,
the French, the Spanards and the Italians
The Greeks the Russians and the SCandi
navians present variations of less prom
inence and the Turks and Egyptians are
sometimes taken into consideration,
though examples of personal beauty are
rare among all peoples of Oriental or Arab
descent Nevertheless, when there are
exceptions in the latter they are sometimes
very remarkable There are three divis-
ions. according 10 color OF complexion,
namely. the blonde. the brunette and the
Chataine. all of which are distinctions
made long ago bv the French. and for
which French terms alone are used, each
Of which admits of numerous types or
classes.
Al! Of the dark or swarthy types are Of
the tropics or of the semi i-tropical latitudes,
and there are typical resrmbanCes notice
able about the Mediterranean, where dis
tributiun was easy on account of marine
communication There is for instance, the
round type of feature usually characterized
10y dark hair dark ewes and fine white,
regular teeth. This Is Cummonest at
Naples. but il is also common elsewhere in
Italy and i'll the south of France, while il
Is sometimes seen in the Mediterranean
provinces of Spain. in the interior Of
France and the southern part of Germany
variuusly mixed and interblended, This
type is very peculiar and very distinct
THE TYPES OF ITALY AND SPAIN.
Italy is sometimes spoken of rs the home
par excellence Of personal beauty. This is
a mistake, for, though among certain
classes beauty is common. the average is
not high There are beautiful women at
Rome and Naples. but they are not often
seen At Rome one may stand sometimes
on the Corso and see 100 carriages drive
past without observing one that can even
he called good looking. Faces that may
he called bright or piquant because of dark
hair and eyes and an olive complexion are
not So rare But the faireSt women Of
Italy. with some notable exceptions in
favor of the south. are found in Lomhardy
and Sardinia where TO blonde character
isticS art joined a good figure, regularity
of feature and other traits peculiar to that
type. In Italy. as elsewhere in Europe, II
is the peaSantry that lower the mean Of
personal beauty. II is unusual 10 see
among them a handsome man or woman.
though such persons exist, and
artists have found. after great eN-
ertion. now and then one of
magnificent appearance But the peasants
and their ancestors for many ages have
worked hard. lived poorly and slept as they
could, and hardship, whatever, II may do
for physical health. does not tend To beau
tify the person. Segregate in Italy the
nobility and certain portion OF the
bourgeoiSie. and you have beyond question
the handsomest people in the world. In
Clude the peasantry and the average will
tie found very low. II all classes were to
be included in all countries in similar
estimate it is the Americans that would
Enthusiastically off the palm.
The standard of personal beauty in Spain
is low The men Of the better classes are
dark. gaunt, lank haired, thin featured
The women often have the dark hair.
black eyes md plQuant features which
have been too often commended by
thOughtless writers, to which the veil. as
It half Conceals, half disCloses. adds a pc
culiar fascination. The Catalunian type
is, perhaps the best and it is AT Barcelona,
the metropolis Of that province, that the
finest specimens can be seen. But Cata-
lonis is peculiar and entirely unlike the
other provinces OF Spain. II is where the
round faced. ulive-CompleNloned Neap0li-
tan type comes in, aS along the Mediter
ranean coast and near il. and measurab ble
at Seville, that the peCularItIeS brought
and iIterIniugled by hundred inyaslOns
and i,nmigratlUns are modified and
rounded into something like grace and
beauty.
FRENCH, ENGLISH, GERMANS, AMERICANS.
At Paris one may see the best that is in
FranCe-the finest fruits, the finest vege-
tables and the finest men and women. As
for the French peasantry or other rural
classes. they are even palmer in looks than
the Italian, while the peaSantry Of spain is
the most unhandsOme in Europe. French
men and women are said to be too short
for the ideal Of perfect beauty. The Eng
lish are generally taller, but ON the other
hand, not SO symmetrical, and yOu do not
see in London so much regularity of feat
ure as at Paris. the London tailors, by
their lack of skill, helping TO emphasize
the physical defects of their cOuntrymen.
The traditional type of short, stout, round
featured, jolly Englishman typifed in the
Old Squire is now seldom seen. the modern
scholar, the provincial operative, and the
London clerk, all which classes are more
or less tiat-chested and otherwise unsym-
metrically formed, having taken their
places.
There are many beautiful women in
England and many more whose color and
general appearance of health would entitle
them to the same distinction. except for
that evident alliance with their own roast
beef Of which Hawthorne has made men
tiOn in his English note books. In return
for this and similar criticisms, the English
find our American types of feminine
beauty far too delicate and spiritual TO
suit their grOSSer ideas OF physical lowell
hess But the American girls, whatever
fault the Europeans may find with their
freedom of manner, maintain everywhere
ON the continent the reputation of being
the prettiest in the world In Germany
the exceedingly blonde characteristics pre-
vail. but though the men are often hand
some and handsome women exist, the lat
ter have too great an amplitude Of feature
to satisfy the canOnS of perfect taste. For
some reason Of race never explained, the
Swedes, both men and women. are much
hRDdSUmer than other ScandinaVians
The Russian types Of beauty are those of
the Tartar, more OF less blended with the
physical peculiarities of northern Europe,
or purely Of the latter kind.-San Fran
cisco Chronicle.
>tranCiing an Elephant in Hamburg,
\ rare spectacle was recently witnessed