Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-04
As to the Complexion of ManEind.I

II dis osition - what our fore
fathers called ssthe humorsv Of
a man-depends upon the stomach
and the blood, complexion ought to
give US the soundest guide for judg-
ing a fellow-creeture at sight. For
il is the outward sign of the physi-
cal constitution. Wed not refer, Of
course, to complexion as a young
lady or novelist applies the word:
but to the great and permanent dis
unctions, established before birth
though not always visible for years
after, by which We recognize a fair
or dark person. These are uncon-
nected with krain-pOwer, though
assuredly they hear its application;
but II We could gauge the
influence OF minute differences, il
would be possible to declare the
character, the strength Of mind, and
the chances generally, Of a fellow
mortal in the struggle for existence,
from his complexion. Each type
has innumerable varieties, of course,
in feature and detail; but the broad
lines are easily grasped. In fact,
everybody who has reached a GER
tain age and has lived in the world,
grows to understand them in some
degree. But lie will not readily
pronounce unless the 'Tsulject'' be
young and the type distinct; for We
gain a second nature with years, and
blood is so desperately mixed over all
the civilized universe at present that
anomalies have become common.
For instance experience Is at fault
before the unnatural combination
Ofdark eyes with fair skin and hair
the fair complexion seems to belong
to the conquering races almost
everywhere. The Romans Of the
later time were dark, though not as
DARK rs most Of the peoples with |
whom they came in contact; but /
Roman generals and statesmen in |
the aristocratic day were often fair. |
SO 1t was with the Greeks; and both |
were fond Of representing gods, god |
desses, and heroes as golden-haired |
blue-eyed. The nearest surviving |
relatives Of the Greeks are the AL |
banians, among whom We never |
saw a dark complexion. The Mace
dohians, OF course were fair. So |
were the Persians until their blood |
was lost by intermixturs with |
allsOrts ofconquered people. We read /
Of Xerxes's golden hair;but, in brief,
most OF the "Aryan" races seem TO
have had this complexion origin
ally. And it is not confined to
these races. The Tartars were
dark, perhaps; the Turks arc dark
now, generally. But IL Is 10 be CO.
served that children Of the latter
people nearly always have light
hair, which blackens with age,
sign, ON Darv ms principle, that
the stock WAS far. And the Macy
ars, nearest kinsfolk OF the Ottoman,
are, for an Oriental race, certainly
not dark. Saving 1artars and Otto
maus, We can hardly think Of an
exception to the rule. The Afghans,
who have over-run India 80 often,
and Persia twice, are still fair, when
washed, and doubtless they were
very fair before they fell into the
habit Of carrying Off HindOe girls
year after year. Seeing what n
large proportion OF Pathans still
show their light hair and gray eyes,
Il seems probable that those hapless
HindOos were not so dark as tn e
modern race in general. Many
by reason Of their beauty,
which tempted the captors TO lock
after them during the painful march,
may well have been noble, the
wives and daughters Of long-des-
cended chifs; and the noble class,
almost everywhere, has tendency
.oward the fair complexion. The
,nly great exception we think OF is
ound among the kaflirs OF South !
Africa, and even there it is partial.
The leading tribe Of Ksfiirs. the
Basuto, are long way the fairest,
Ind their amazing hero, Moshesh,
las been described TO US as like that 1
Il a Hottentot. Elsewhere in Africa, r
{ is n rule, among such people a.
an show superiority, that the reign
ng and the governing families
hould be whittier Of skin ana more
Caucasian" Of aspect than the pop 7
llation generally. And il Is 50 In :
la eQsf Tia Arnrs3Tsk