The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-09-17
HAIR AND INTELLECT.
the Top CrOp-Artista and Chill
dren Prove the Rule.

dren Prove the Rule.
Some curious statistics relating to
hair have been collected by the
school authorities at Lille. Thus, the
luburn-haired boys are generally at
the head of the recitation classes,
and the blonde girls learn their les
sons best, says London Truth. Au-
burn boys and blonde lasses come
out highest as arithmaticians. But in
composition they are nowhere. The
dark-haired children of both sexes
have the quality Of imagination, and
in their compositions know how not
to fatigue the attention. They have
they seem, as compared to the au-
burns and blondes, born stylists.
Now. that 1 think of it, Sarah Bern
hardt is, or was, authenticated, and
Nine. Bartet had light brown hair rs
years ago-so light as to be almost
fair. I should not call the late Nine.
Jacques Stern (Croizette) in the hey
dey of her charms a blonde. But she
had darkish shade of fair hair that
IOohCu SnCCHy HoSo oiAn,
and the ruddiness that one associates
with auburn. Nine. Samary was also
fair without being exactly blond.
[ daresay the auburn boys and
blonde lasses in the Lille elementary
schools are of Flemish, that is 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 con-
tinue to know what they are about.
The dark children are probably of
Celtic, that is to say Gallo, origin.
The blood comes with rush to their
brains, and they grow confused,
splutter, and break down. If they
could only be taught to remain 81
lent for a few moments, they would
be all the better for this rush, as the
confusion would have passed away,
gans. Goldsmith, who was dark, al
ways began by being confused in
conversation. O'ConneH wore black
wig, but his real hair in youth was
auburn. / 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 have recited so well what
somebody else had written.
I have rarely heard a great French
orator recite. Grevy, the president of
the republic, was one of the few, and
he reached perfection in reciting Vol
taire's verses to Emile Gambetta, in
a lew, sweet voice, recited sometimes
passages from his favorite poets.
Theirs could commit nothing to men,
DRY in the way of a poem or speech
by another orator. He had himself too
much to say to incumber his mind with
the writings of others. Louis Blanc
shone, however, in reciting declama-
tory passages from Corneille and Ra-
cine, but his brother Charles-a fair,
man, not unlike the
first Baron James de Rothschild-beat |
him in declama ton at the ecclesiastic-
al school where they passed their
youth. Charles Blanc triumphed in
both masculine and feminine parts, |
and drew tears from his reverend pre-
y
was best as Polyeucte or the Cid |
Imagine wee Louis Blanc giving the il |
fusion Of that heroic warrior! Victor |
Hugo never seemed grander than in
reading some noble work of his own. |
An old passport given to him in his |
year speaks Of him as |
having auburn hair, long and remark
ably thick. heard him recite the 'sTo |
be or not to be- soliloquy as trans
lated by his son Francois. Did he not |
throw expression into it!
10 come back to stage people, the
two Coquelins are fair. Mile. Schnei-
Ter, who rather recited than sang in |
the operattas of Offenbach, was re-
fair. 1t may be that the late
Queen Victoria would have read her
'peeches less well had she been a bru-
nette. Rachel is an illustrious instance |
On the other side I do not know1
her rival and suppianter Ris-
lori should be.classed among the dark |
Or fair actresses. When 1 made her
acquaintance the early color of her
hair and complexion had departed.
She had fair-haired brother who sud-
denly became white-haired He used
to teach Italian, however, in singing
school.
Finally, on the subject of hair, am
sorry to say that the red-headed BOYS
and girls in the Lille schools-les roux
IT les rousses-are at the bottom in
save in good conduct
marks. Nor are they remarkable for
good health. The dark boys behave
better than the auburn or the fair,
md are more sensitive to praise or
)lame
Czarfnm Is q Vmndal.
A npnl1Ii1r oil |