The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1907-06-28
blue eyes
and BROWN.
Many People Rely on Them
to Determine Temperament.
(which are the Truthful and Hon
est and Which the Crul and
Treacher0uS?

the fair complexion, wickedness or
falsehood to the dark. If one could
} rely upon the test of novels it m gnt
be argued that this prejudice is weaken
ing-for the villain whether male or
female, is sometimes blond nowadays,
and the heroine brunette. One might
almost venture to say that it was nav
er so formerly Perhaps there Is no
sound reason for thinking that the
blue-eyed are thankful, honest and Low
ing-in the sense of affection and con-
stancy-rather than the brown.
But the striking reports on the as
ISOLATION of complexion and disease in
hospitals which DR.. Beddoes suggested
long ago, and DR.. Shrubsall, foremost
among many now is carrying out ,hav-
a certain bearing on the point says
the Pail Mall Gazette. They prove that
dark hair and eyes are supplanting
the light in this country-a fact which
all thoughtful persons have observed.
But also they demonstrate the reason
which is, shortly, that the blonde are
constitutionally untitled to endure the
conditions of town life, and actually
barbarism of the shows. Adults enter
the hospitals in proportions far too
great and children die. They must have
fresh air, wholesome exercise and de-
cent surroundings to keep in health.
But these are the conditions Of rus
tic life, which, as universal experience
in all ages, preserves, if it does not
generate, such virtues as simplicity,
truthfulness and honesty, which town
life, favored by the dark, corrupts.
Upon the osner hand, the brown
eyed people assert that the fair are
treacherous and cruel This is COM
mon belief in Italy, where ii might
be traced to a popular Renaissance of
the blonde northerners VINO ravaged
that hapless country from generation
to generation. But 1t is much older.
Plutarch cities contemporary cpl
,
who was red-haired and gray-eyed,
which shows that it was current even
then. And it is an article of faith
all through the east.
Sir Edward Malet tells in his BIZ
ography how he once called at Alex
andretta, and the population assembled,
believing him to be the new governor
of Cyprus. To his dragoman he eX-
pressed hope that they Were favOra-
bly, impressed by his appearance, al
any rate, but the dragoman honestly
replied that II was not so-a blue
eyed governor they thought must be
harsh and cruel. And he added that
the feeling is general all through the
Levant. But the famous code of Menu
an orthodox Hindoo is flatly forbid
den to marry a woman with gray eyes
or red hair-perhsps for this reason.
though none is assigned. In all cases
ii may be that tradition of ruthless
invaders from the north has caused
the prejudice, since many Afghans,
and many Persians of the wilder
tribes, are fair-not TO mention the
British in modern times. But that is
an assumption.
We are using the term blue-eyed in
conventional sense. AS a matter Of
fact, that color is the rarest by far Of
all. Some assert, indeed that it does
not exist, and many doubtless have
never seen 1t. Perhaps the rarity of
blue is not TO be regretted, unless by
enthusiasts who set beauty above char
ity and humanity. For all animals
which have blue eyes are more or less
hard of hearing" This is generally
known in the case of cats, and It is
equally true of horses and wild crea-
lures. 1t is an instance of correlation,
as Darwin termed the mysterious law
and one would expect to find it apply
to human beings, as is alleged. Also
we must admit that blue or green or
gray eyes have a narrower range OF
expression than dark. Perhaps, indeed
the fair do not respond so quickly TO
the impulse Of the moment; of more
sedate or color temperament, they can
not meet word or a Thought half
way and flesh back the answer in
stantly. At any rate. brown eyes
which we call black, have an advanr-
age in power Of expression.
1t used to be taken for granted that
savages possess a wider range OF eye
sight and keener observation than civ
ilized men. Common sense favored TIT
belief and a report published by the
surgeon of the Western ophthalmi'
hospital some years ago gave an alarm
ing picture of the State OF things
among school children. But persons
who speak with authority have con
tradicted the popular notion OF late
especially Messrs. Spencer and Gillen
in their great work on the Engelman
OF course, these witnesses may have
,nueual nowers of vision, but theil