Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-03-14

while convention is 30 powerful In ART.
Taking poets, we find Byron with q Greek
nose, Lord Tennyson with q high and we'll
shaped nose. Scott with q nose of no par
tieular architecture, and Keats with a ,ose
approaching the Hebrew type. No post,
then, need despair on account of his more
as II. Coquelin was warned to despair of
ever acting Alceste.- Genius rises superior
to its nose, and so does beauty very often.
The only permanent ''racial nose" which
we can trace Is the Semitic; 1t Is the same
on Assyrian and Egyptian monuments as
1t is to day. But If the Jews survived by
dint of their noses, why did the Phuni-
clans and Csrthsginians perishi Knox Ia
usually represented with Q nose between
the Jewish and the Roman, but our author
gives him q "oogitstive nose,n broad
nose with deep extensive foundations.
Homer is credited with q similar nose, bat
contemporary portrait of Homer has
still to be discovered; on the other hand
this was certainly the nose of Moliere.
Luther Is said to have had q Roman nose,
while Erasmus owed his want of balance
to q sharp Greek nose. The fist of Torrig-
tsno made It vain to speculate on the orig
tnal nose of Michael Angelo; and q simi-
lar cause confuses philosophers as to the
nose of Mr.. Thsckersy.
On the whole, an agnostic attitude Ia
wtsest here, and we cannot really assert
that mankind follows its nose in predeter-
mined directions.
How Chinese villages are Governed.
A recent writer in the North China Her
aid of Shanghai describes the manner In
which local self-government works in Chi
ma. Every Chinese village is kind of
little principality by itself, the theory in
regard to the headmen, or village elders,
being that they are chosen by their fellow
townsmen, and confirmed In their position
by the district magistrate. In some re-
gions this is actually done, and for the
good conduct of the hssdmen in their Of
fcs the leading land owners are required
to become security. They are not neces-
ssrily the oldest men In the village, neither
are they necessarily the wealthiest men;
although 1t is probable that every family
of property will in come way be repre-
sented among them, they are not necesss-
rily men of literary attsinmente, although
this may be the case with q few. In those
regions where the method of selection 10
loose the number of headmen has no neces-
gary relation to the size of the village; the
position is no. hereditary, neither lie there
any fzed time of sefvioe. A man may act
in this capacity at one time, and refuse or
neglect to do so az another time.
The hesdmen are not formally chosen,
nor formally deposed. They drop into
their places by a kind of natural selec-
ton. The qualities which fit q villsger
to act as headmen are the same which
contribute to success in any line of busi
ness. He must be a practical man who
has some native ability, acquainted with
the ways of the world, IS well as able
and willing to devote upon occasion an In
definite amount of time and attention to
the affairs which may bs putin his charge.
The duties and functions are many and
various. They may bs classified as those
which have relation to the government of
the district, such as taxation; those which
relate to the village. such IS repairs of
the wall, fairs and temples; and those
which concern private individuals, and
are brought to the notice of the hesd-
men as being the persons best able 10 man
age them, 1t is noteworthy that the gov
ernment of China, while In theory more
or less despotic, places no practical re-
strictions upon the right of free assem-
blsge by the psople for the consideration
of their own affairs. The people OF any
village can, If they choose, meat every
dsy in the year. There lie no govern
msnt csnsor present, and no restrictions
upon liberty of debate. The people can
say what they like, and the local msgis-
trate neither knows nor cares what is sAid
There is In every village unceasipg supply
of matters which do not belong to the
public, but which must be adjusted by
some man or men who are IN the habit of
t1ansscting business. snd who not only
krow what Is TO be done, but know how
to do 1t. There are always Chinese who
like to engage in these matters, such as the
adjustment of domestic quarrels, and dit
f.r.nc.a ha+waan nsighoors and the like.