The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-04
FAMOUS BLONDE WOMEN.
THEY FIGURED MORE IN HISTORY
THAN ANY OTHER TYPE.

Most Famous Women of the
worId-Lucreha BOrGia, Queen
christina, Margarita OF Anjou and
Others who Were.
From the Philadelphia Times.
scientist has recently stated that
blondes will soon be a thing of the past
THE percentage of light-haired people is
~anidIv growing less and less, and the day
e MT far distant when there will be no
more blondes. 1t is needless to say that
This ethereal type will be much missed
and the place of the stately blonde will be
hard to fill. But everything has it's
bright side and deepest regret will find
balm.
Nature is going to take from us our
rolden-haired goddesses, let us hope that
art will follow in her footsteps and remove
hers. The loss of the real is great, but
nh. what infinite gain to know that our
artistic taste and love of nature will be
M longer shocked at the sight of the chem
zeal blonde.
Some scientists have said that fair peo-
nile were the most highly developed, and
as the human race advanced blondes
would increase. Are we then degenerat-
ing that the type is dying out? Certain
ly it is a fact that more blondes have fig
ured in the worlds history than any other
type.
Cleopatra, the enchantress of the east
who won her kingdom with her charms
and CONQUERED heroes of her time, pos
sessed red hair. Just what the success
of this fair Egyptian would have been
had she had black tresses intead or red
posterity is unable to say, but that she
was far in advance of her darker sisters
none can deny.
fl Coming down in the worlds history, 1t
is found teeming with blonde women
whose deeds have made them famous or
Isabella of CASTLE, whom every American
regards with certain amount of Senti-
ment her bicgrapher writes: Among
those dark-haired, olive-complexioned
Spanish ladies, as If nature herself had
put upon her a stamp of peculiar excel
lence she appeared blonde" lsabella's
superiority over the other queens of her
day needs no comment when one remem-
bers how supreme over her vanity she
rose-the besetting sin of her time-and
sold her Jewels that Columbus might start
in quest of the other side of the world,
which she was sensible enough to be-
lieve existed.
Her marvellous escape from a despised
marriage, which her brother tried to
thrust upon her, when a mere child of 16
years, is rather to the advance of the
proverb: '@The prayers of the righteous
availeth much" Henry, the reigning
king, had been much criticised and at
last an open revolt placed his brother
Alfonso as rival king. Henry, thinking
that the influence of Don Diego Giron,
the nephew of the great primate of Spain,
would insure his reinstatement, offered
his beautiful sister to the profigate rebel
without a thought for her happiness
When Isabella heard of this arrange
ment she rose in rebellious horror against
union with one so unworthy Of her in
every point. She confined herself to her
apartments, abstaining from pourishment
and sleep for a day and night, and i'm
ploring heaven in the most piteous man
ner to save her from this dishonor by her
own death or that of her enemy. Don
Diego Giron having received his dispen-
Sation, which was necessary as he had
taken vow of celibacy, speedily set out
on the journey to Madrid with an attend
ance BETTING the bridegroom of a royal
princess. The very first evening after his
departure he was taken violently i'll, and
four days after he died, cursing and be-
moaning the fate that did not spare him
long enough to accomplish the marriage
which he so much desired. The unhappy
bride-elect, of whom the old hidalgo spoke
when, with heart OVERLOOKING for his per-
youthful princes: Now, Lord, let Thy
servant depart in peace, for my coun-
try's deliverance is at hand" was saved
for greater things.
Another famous woman Of this type was
Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara,
whose infamy or goodness is now a moot
ed question. In the whole reign of me-
diaeval history there is said to be no
question more difficult of solution than a
just appreciation of her character. From
the description given of her by the writers
of her day it would appear that a more
infamous being never disgraced a wo-
mans form; that there was scarcely a
crime that she had not committed nor a
vice she had not reveled in.
On the other hand, writers Of at least
equal eninence, both contemporaneous
and modern, speak of her in precisely op-
posite terms. With them no praise can
be sufficiently strong to do justice to her
many virtues BY their description she
would appear to have been pious, charI-
table, amable, an attached wife and ex-
cellent mother to her children. govern
Ing in the absence of her husband, the
states of Ferrara with strict Justice.
tempered with mercy; respected by her
subjects and beloved by her dependents
So widely indeed do authorities differ as
to the real character of Iucrezia Roreia
tnat 1t is impossible to decide between
them. At the same time it must be adj
mtted that If some have been too loud
In their praise others have been too uu-
scrupulous in their blame.
SWeden's great queen, Christina was
another evidence of blondeness ana
strength. This unusually rigorous char
acter was very early in giving sign to her
strong individuality. The dislike she
evinced for wine and beer, when hardly
out Of babyhood. and the tenacity with
which she held out and went thirsty when
ner mother positively refused her water.
believing 1t unwholesome for her wa
only indicative of the decisive character
"hlch was to come forth in the woman.
An interesting story is told of Christina
az THIS time. Her mother Marie Leonora,
VINO was very careful of her complexion.
mad her maids bring to her dressing room
bottles of dew that she might battle her
lace in 1t. In an evil hour when poor Chris
tlna's tongue was burning with thirst she
discovered the bottle of dew and eagerly
drained every drop. After this each day
the bottle was epptied and Christina no
longer thirsty. The maids were accused Of
fhafr .r,t ~ 49,