Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-10
HAIR AND INTELLECT.
Mental Peculiarities of Blondes and
Brunettes Compared.

From the London Truth.
Some curious statistics relating to hair
have been collectedh by the school authori-
ties at Lille. Thus the auburn-haired boys
are generally at the head Of the recitation
classes and the blonde girls learn their les
sons best. auburn boys and blonde lasses
come cut highest as arithmeticians, but In
composition they are nowhere. The dark
haired children of both sexes have the quail
ity Of Imagination, and In their composition
know how not to fatigue the attention.
They have movement and originality. In
short, they seem, as compared to the au-
burns and blondes, born stylists. Now that
1 think of it. Sarah Bernhardt Is. or was,
authenticated, and Nine. Bartet had light
brown hair twenty-five years ago-so light
as to be almost fair. I should not call the
late Nine Jacques Stern (CroiZette) in the
heyday of her charms blonde But she
had a darkish shade Of fair hair that looked
like heavy, sheeny, floss SILK, and the rud-
diness that one associates with auburn.
Nine. Samary was also fair, without being
exactly blonde.
7 daresay the auburn boys and blonde
iasses In the Lille elementary schools are
of Flemish, that ts to say phlegmatic, race.
Their brains do not grow at once congested
when they stand up to recite, and for that
reason they keep the mastery of the vocal
organs. In short. they continue to know
what they are about. The dark children
origin The blood comes with a rush to
their brains, and they grow confused splut-
ter and break down. II they could only be
taught to remain silent for few moments,
they would be all the better for this rush,
as the confusion would have passed away,
leaving only stimulated mental organs.
Goldsmith who was dark always began by
being confused in conversation. OConnell
wore a black wig, but his real hair in his
youth was auburn. 1 recollect very old
people who heard him plead In his prime
speak of it as such. His readiness was
wonderful. But perhaps he might not nave
recited SO well what somebody else had
written.
l have rarely heard great French ora
tor recite Grevy, the president Of the re-
public. was one of the few, and he reached
perfection In reciting Voltaire's verses to
Emile. Gambetta. In low sweet voice,
recited sometimes passages from his favor
tie poets Theirs would commit nothing to
memory in the way or poem or speech
by, another orator. He had himself too
much to saw to incumber his mind with the
writings Of others. Louis Blanc shone,
however in reciting declamatory passages
from Corneille and racine, put MS brotneI
unlike the first Baron James de Rothscnild
beat him in defamation at the ecclesias-
tical school where they passed their youth.
Charles Blanc triumphed IN potn masculine
and feminine parts, and drew tears from
his reverend preceptor's eyes as Andro-
maoue. Louis was best as Po!yeucte or the
cid Imagine wee Louis Blanc giving the
illusion of that heroic warrior! Victor
Hugo never seemed grander than In reading
some noble work Of his own. An old pass
port given to him in his twenty-seventh
wear speaks of him as having auburn hair,
long and remarkably thick. heard him re-
cite the ITO be or not to be" soliloquy as
translated by his son Francois. Did he not
throw expression into 1t!
To come back to stage people, the two
Coouelins are fair Mile. Schneider, who
rather recited than sang in the operettas of
Offenbach, was remark fair. 1t may be
that the late Queen Victoria would have
read her speeches less well had she been a
brunette. Rachel Is an illustrious instance
on the other side. I do not know whether
her rival and supplanter. Ristori, should be
classed among the, dark or fair actresses.
When I made her acquaintance the early
color of her hair and complexion had de-
parted. She had fair-haired brother who
suddenly became white haired. He used to
teach Italian, however, in a singing school.
FINALLY. on the subject Of hair, am sorry
to saw that the rea-headed boys and girls
in the Lille schools-les roux ct les rousses
are at the bottom in everything save In
eood-conduct marks Nor are they remark
able for good health. The dark boys be-
have better than the auburn or the fair, but
are more sensitive TO praise or blame.