The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-06-03
Boards IND MUST-ACHES.
The Many Strange Customs of Wearing
Them Found in Europe.
TFrom the Household Wordsl

[From the Household Words.l
The Greek clergy are remarkable
for their boards throughout the east.
The writer has spent several days in
Greek monasteries among monks ad-
mirably endowed in this respect. Here
he learned that there can be a lam
guage of the beard as well as of the
fan. Dissent is signified by a sedate
side-shake of the beard, strong dissent
by most vigorous wag; acquiesence
by a gentle forward jerk. Better still
it was to watch the way in which the
large appendages were handled At
ter supper, when all the monks were
assembled in the common room and
mirthful tales We're told, it was highly
diverting to see how the reverend fa-
theirs passed their boards through the
palms of their hands with brisk, car
essing movements. 1t was just for all
the world as if they were so many
milkmaids milking cows.
During the Cretan revolts some years
ago, the Turkish soldiers, among their
barbarities, shaved certain of the Gre
tan monks. They could hardly have
treated them to a greater indignity
We in England do not set so much
store by our boards and mustaches as
they do in the Austrian empire. No
where in Europe viii you find mustach-
es to equal those in Hungary, and no
where are they esteemed such essen
tials to the appearance of manliness
Paget, in his Travels Among the
Magyars," mentions an official whose
mustaches measured more than a foot
from tip to tip; standing out straight
on each side of his face as stiff and
straight as wax could make them" He
also tells of a hussar-a private-whose
mustaches were the pride of the regi-
ment, and who was allowed extra pay
to keep them always properly waxed.
This seems rather absurd. On the
other hand we can quite understand the
CONSERVATION created on an Austrian
estate by the malicious order of a GER
tain countess that every one Of its for
esters was in future to shave. The
countess, lately servant, and married
to a man nearly three times her age,
was affronted by what she believed to
be want of respect in one of the men.
The order was issued in revenge.
Men with boards reaching to their
waists are sufficiently common; but up
on the whole civilization does not favor
such birsute development Such a
beard is apt to get annoyingly in the
way though as a chest protector or a
concealer Of soiled shirt fronts and
well-worn neckties, 1t no doubt may
serve a useful purpose.
But what is one to think of the mar
tyr with beard to his boots? Such a
man existed not long ago.. Do but
consider the trial the thing must have
been to him. We wonder what he did
with it when he went to bed 1t must
have been extremely difficult to settle
between the Sheets
though, of course, 1t would be useful as
a blanket.
Boards in women are doubtless bless
ings anywhere--to English eyes. We
know a poor girl, however, who is plag- |
ued to death by the persistent growth |
of hers. 1t is certainly half an inch |
lang and completely covers her chin, |
and yet she is only about twenty-three |
this state of things indicates |
exceptional vigor of constitution in wo- |
man; but this particular girl is rather
delicate.
To see bearded women to perfection |
one must go to the south of Europe. |
rhe most extraordinary specimen in our |
experience was country dame of ST.
lily. We accosted her one day think
ng she was a man, but her voice and
betrayed her She act
,aIIu had a bifurcated heard several
inches in length, and seemed in no way
about it, although it was diff
icu1t, under the circumstances, to keep
)ne's eyes off it.
In the south of France also, you may
zee hundreds of women with boards
IND mustaches which would do credit
o youth of twenty, In their case
sir Richard Burton's words about the
,eard as an 8unerring indication of