Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1886-04-03
THE BANlsHED BANG.


fact that monument in ruins or n
custom in decadence is apt 20 attract
more attention than when both were in
their prime. There Is something about
4 ruin which attracts the mOralist as
there Is that in practice falling into
desuetude which draws the student OF
life aud history, and both arc more
carefully noticed when Ii Is certain that
both arc rapidly passing away than
either would have been had It given
promise of long continuance In ac-
cordance with this well-known fact the
female bang Is now exciting the inter-
est and enlisting the services 81 social
philosophers. The bang has been long
with rs, and now that il il gradually
vanished up the forehead of the fair, and
being lost in the luxuriance Of "top-
hair, it is acquiring an interest which,
IN its palmiest days, it never possessed.
1t is true that this interest IS mainly
of an antiquarian character. Men are
perfectly willing to see it depart, and,
in fact, some excellent persons have
been known to express the hope that it
would 60 soon, in order that they might
once more see the whole of woman's
face. But now that it is going. public
curiosity is beginning TO be much
aroused in ascertaining reason why
it ever came. SO far rs can be seen, it
was neither useful nor ornamental; it
did not keep off the sun, and did com
ceal a most expressive portion of the
countenance 1t was troublesome of
arrangement,a constant source of ankle
ty when arranged, injurious to the eyes,
trying ON the temper, and when of any
considerable proportions gave its wcarcr
the half-scared expression of a rabbit
peeping out of a brush-heap. Some
writer's on the subject are inclined TO
assign it n Turkish origin, being under
the impression that it was a sort of sub
stitute for veil, but this is sufficiently
negatived BY the fact that it IS found
upon the front of her who is the best
able to take her own part in any kind OF
controversy, and so, in despair, most of
the theorists have fallen back upon the
notion that it was a freak I'm illus
tration of the fact that the will of wo-
man is not to be hampered by any die
tate Of Judgment nor her costume bv
any canon of good taste or common
sense.
While this theory certainly has points
in its favor. there is fatal objection
1t is not scientific. In the light of science
nothing exists without an antecedent
and cause, and to suppose that 4 bang
sprang into being without either pat
tern or motive Is to suppose 4 piece of
scientific nonsense. SO there must have
been something from which it was mod
eled, rs well as IN excuse for its inyen-
ton, for even 4 monstrosity is seldom
without predecessor and reason for
existence. At the first glance, an effort
at classification of bangs appears inn
possible, for i grouping OF objects of
the same class implies properties in COM
mon, and o scientific examination of
bangs discloses the fact that although
the ignorant may consider them rs all
equally odious to good taste, the trained
observer will see SO many and SO wide
differences in length, in glossiness, and
in disposition to get out to fix that every
particular bang, even rs zone star diff
fers from another star in glory" TAX
ing. however, arrangement as 4 basis of
differentiation, bangs will divide them
selves into three classes; the frizzlv
bang, the curly bang, aud the saucer
bang.
"a careful historical chase Of the bang
through many countries finally locates
the frizzly bang as native Of Africa,
the ladies Of that continent having adj
vantages for producing this style of
hilsute ornament which their sisters
| further north never possessed Estab-
lished is fashion in Africa, it lost no
time in passing over to Asia, the Afri-
can slaves assisting in its transit. But
| the capillary attractions Of Asiatic ladies
were by no means suited to the African
| style, and all efforts it frizzing their
hair proving failures, the curly bang
was evolved as the nearest approach to
the African style. Thus did the bang
traverse thousands of miles. and so
adapt itself to circumstances that some
| ethnOlogists have stldiOuslv maintained
It's Asiatic origin. Exactly when the
l~bang came into Europe IS matter of
doubt, some placing its advent in the
latter days Of the Roman empire, while
others insist that It was brought back
from the cast b. the crusaders; but
| whenever ii calne, it found That the
front hair ii European ladies was as
intractable IS their temper, and sd, the
hair-dressers being unable either 10 curl
or to frixzle, the saucer bang. stiff,
straight, soaped. and plasfered down,
as hide0us as q nightmare. vas finally
evolved. This being settled. there re-
mains only the concluding inquiry,
whence came the first bangg The most
formidable of tie animal kingdom Is
the much dreaded gorilla. This beast.
| among other attractions. carries head
] Of short. hrisEly hair, and one Of the
animal \ nrauanaffunM for battle II III