The sun., 1895-05-27
Boards.

In looking over the pictures Of the Presby-
terian clergymen in attendance at the Gen
eral Assembly, as printed in the Pittsburgh
papers, we are struck primarily by the
thought of the many ways in which they
deal with the crops that grow on mems
faces. We see here the full beard, either
shaggy, or closely cropped, or struggling,
the latter reminding us Of the memorable
remark of the late Due de GRAMMoNT-CAD-
EROrSsE that ian addressed beard is the
most terrible catastrophe that can happen
to man." We see hero side whiskers,
which in some cases are permitted
to grow very long, while in other
cases they are of the mutton-chop
variety, and in at least two cases are mere
hairy nubs, like half sausages, beside the
ear, which do not deserve the name Of whis-
kers. We see goatees of three kinds, some
times surmounted by IN imperial and some
times not. We see moustaches, some of
them sweeping sidcwise like those worn by
Col. WARING of the Loyal Legion, formerly
known in France as the mustachio d Ia
Bnding,tct, and some of them dropping over
the lips in way that is not pleasing to the
eye of an artist. We see here a beard that
is disposed to curl; another the hairs
of which must be like steel wires;
and another evidently of fine silky
stock. We see gray boards and also
fresh young boards, which are doubtless of
different colors, sheer black. light or dark
brown, red or reddish, ycllowish, or perhaps
even kind of blowzy. One minister has
beard like that which brought fame to
CLoDIoN, and another has one like that of
Boss LEXOw. There are many combinations,
such rs the whiskers with or without n
moustachc, the goatee with or without an
| imperial, the full beard, barring n shaven
| chin, and yet others There are good num-
Der of beardless men among the clerical
delegates, some of whom may shave the face,
while others may, for all we know, be unable
| to raise beard.
1t is interesting to give heed to these things
while looking upon the pictures of the mem
bers of the General Assembly of the Presby-
terian Church at Pittsburgh The liberality
of Presbytcrianism in regard to the clerical
| beard, is obvious.
At a meeting Of Roman Catholic prclates
and priests, all of them would be clean
| shavcn. At n meeting of the rabbis of Juda-
ism, all of them would be full bearded, and
every man proud of his beard proud in pro-
portion to its length
AS regards the Episcopalian Baptist,
Methodist, and Congregationalist ministers,
| there is evidently no rule about the beard,
though good many Episcopalian and Meth
odist Bishops are clean shaven. The great
Bishop SEABuRY, who was Tory during the
Revolution. and had to seek refuge in this
city, had not hair on his fat face
So far rs we have observed, most of the
Unitarian ministers are AS beardess as the
Rev. Dr. CoLLYER, who, we are told,
wore little side whskers when he was a
blacksmith in England; while most of the
Universaist ministers seem to have black,
brown, or gray boards.
In old times no American Protestant min
lister would have thought of wearing full
beard. The furthest that any of them went
was mutton-chop whiskers. A moustache
would have ended the clerical career of any
one of them.
How customs change