The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-23
CURLS OF OTHER DAYS.
TIMES GONE BY WHEN TONGs
WERE ALMOST UNKNOWN.

Victoria Supposed to Have Killed
the Fashion for Curls, and the Ripple
in the Hair Seen Nowadays Only an
Artificial Wave.
London Correspondence of PHILADELPHIA Times
"Riuglets or plain" a question so frequent
in the days of our grandmothers that it be-
came sort Of catch word and a heading
for novels. The dispute is ended now.
Ladies have quite made up their minds that
she who could venture to swear curlsn at
this time, after leaving behind the happy
age of short frocks, would be less gallant
perhaps than silly. 1t happens to tho elderly
of us sometimes to meet venerable dame,
unseen for years, who in their
youth dwelt, as one may say, within
an outwork Of rlnglets. They had
always associated her Herewith, thinking
that embrasure, not to call it abattis an
essential part of the face which peeped
through. Beholding her now perhaps they
find it gone. and great is the transforma-.
ton. A strange countenance greets them,
in which, even allowing for years. with
difficulty they trace the familiar look. The
curls have vanished tucked up, somewhat
rebellious still, behind the ears. 1t is not
commonly an improvement, as those think,
the bright days of long ago.
But the utter change Of expression is
more notable. That which was once so
innocently shrewd and perhaps rather
boisterously kind has grown hard and pierre
ing. Such magic there was in ringlets
For If by Judicious entreaty and cunning
reference to old times the lady can be in
duced to let her gray locks fall in some-
thing Of their remembered disorder, some
shadow of their youthful profusion, straight
way the accustomed air returns.
Ringiets were worn-when worn they
were-in three styles First, may be the
loose and trailing manner edored by those
artless folk who illustrated "keepsakes."
This, indeed, was recognized at home and
abroad in the first generation of the century
as the type of the Anglo-Saxon ioveliness.
Balzac, Paul de Koch, Eugene Sue had no
other model when they sketohed the "Mees"
or the "Milady." But within the memory
of living persons rinRlets were commonly
''bunched" in short spirals, either narrow
and tight or broad and slack, and here is a
strange fact any woman who
looks back to the time when her
sex generally wore curls, whether she her
self did so or no-will insure the inquirar
that longs" were not the rule by any
means. The hair was put sin paper" GER
tainly But this was done for convenience
or to give certain favored twist. Indeed
every body can satisfy himself that papers,
however tightly screwed at night, will not
keep regular curls in straight hair from the
hour of dressing to the hour of going to bed,
A strange, natural tendency to curl is re-
quired and certainly it was forthc oming
among women and girls Of our grand
mothers time.
Where is that tendency now? Even
among boys curly hair is far less common
than 1t was; as for girls it has become
actually rare. This is a curious fact, but
every one can verify it. II ringlets ''come
in" again the demand for curling tougs
would be such as to makea boom" in the
iron market. Young women of the day
find it necessary to use some sort of arth-
cial process generally to curl their fringe
even. What proportion of them could grow
ringlets falling to the waist, as was by no
means uncommon years ago! Very, very
few, one woald think. For at that time
servants and other who kept their tresses
''plain" usually showed a ripple, more or
less strong, upon the forehead-a sign that
they would wear curls like anybody else if
they might.
1t is long since we, at least have heheId
that ripple. And those old ladies who per-
sist in following the custom of their youth
will tell You commonly that they do be-
cause they cannot help it. The ringlets
will not be repressed. Such tight binding
is needed to keep them back that it gives a
headache; and il that be not applied the
hair is neither one thing or the other-sim-
plyrough.
The accepted legend has it that curls
vent out because our young queen-A. d.
1S37-had straight hair There is some
truth therein, no doubt. Ladies in the same
case gladly took advantage of that chance
TO drop an artificial and troublesome STYLE
But those who can throw their memory
back to the '40s, or even to the sos,
may well doubt whether this is the whole
explanation. They see much reason to think
that, if the fashion returned, the number of
maidens who would follow it without an
effort is very small. Any one who regards
the children OF to-day-young girls whose
hair is still loose-may note now few Of
them comparatively show signs of curl. The
most have it actually straight. and most of
the others display mere wave.
That the hair of women of the Anglo-
Saxon race is growing darker is admitted,
aud not Anglo-Saxon hair alone French
iuquirers have marked the same tendency
among Bretons and Normans. The case OF
Germany is disputed. but dispute implies
some evidence upon the positive side. But
it can hardly be questioned that the dark
haired population runs less to curls than the
light-haired. Spaniards, for example, are
so generally curly that in the South Ameri-
can republics boy is often taunted Tor his
straight hair. 1t is regarded as proof Of
Indian blood. One would not venture to
tell Castilian that he gets his curls from
Moorish or negro strain; but it is proba-
BILE Spanish mobiles ought, at least, to be
fair, as they acknowledges Of pure
descent from the Goths So ought the no
bles of Lombardy, Genoa. Venice and other
parts which were occupied, not merely
overrun. by Teutonic invaders. And it
may be said that they are fair mostly.
Venetian women OF the patriciau class
used to bleach their children's hair as soon
as there was any bleach or dye it it proved
to be black. The plebian color was never
allowed to show itself 50 long as life en-
dured The French noblesse also looked for
a fair-haired progeny. That clrls belong
to a fair complexion much more commonly
than 70 its opposite is certain, though there
are exceptions enough. The most graceful
head the writer ever saw-one Of the most
beautiful faces, indeed-was that of a
Brabui chief of the border of
Afghanistan. His jet black ringlots
covered his shoulders like a mantle, as soft
aud glossy and trim almost after a long
days. march as at starting. We had been
used to fancy that the famous curls of the
English cavaliers were greasy, dangling
ropes. Perhaps they we're, as a rule, but
that young Brabui showed us how manlike
ami stately and beautiful the fashion may
have been when the wearer was fitted for it
But this generation has lost the wherewlthal
even if the mode returned. "Plain or ring
40