The sun., 1907-03-03
ABOUT NOSES.
Most Abiding sign OF Race-CompIin'ent.
AIRY AlIusiOns 10 tire Feature.

| The nose is our least honorable feature "a
say no worse OF II. Poets and story tellers
have much 10 say about a ladys eyes. lips,
teeth, hair, even oh eeks; but II they do not
overlook the nose altogether they commonly
dismiss 1t with a mere adjective, Greek,
Roman, aluiline-always a foreign term;
| for that matter they could not find a COM
plimentary epithet in English
Our forefathers seem to have paid par
ticular attention to the nose only when il
was snub or turn up or bottle shaped, SAYS
the Pail Mall Gdzette. Tennyson proved
his originality by inventing "tip tilted,
like the petal Of a flower" description
which gardeners would iind still more
charming il they could identity the flower
which resembles human nose. But there
ia like difficulty in the case Of the term
Roman. How did il arise-its general
acceptance Is not surprising since II sup
Piled felt want" az they say. But Sir
Charles Bell interested our grandfather
with work on The Anatomy OF Express
sion, which lie a text book for artists and
others 10 this day, and therein he asserted
that the Roman nose 10 seen less frequently
In Rome than in any capital Of Europe.
Every observant traveller may make the
same observation. Why, then, do we
assign to Rome a shape which is scarcely
known there1 Why do 90 many people talk
Of the Caucasian race as equivalent to
European7 Because Prof. Blumenbach,
the father OF ethnology,' possessed the
skull Of Georgian woman VII ioh he thought
the finest in bis collection. Through some
Misunderstanding OF that kind the term
Roman nose came into use.
Rlt hA T. l.
Savants have discovered that this is the
most abiding sign Of race after all. The
facial ANGLE their latest toy of which
we hear so much. really depends on IL.
Perhaps it is not infamous to forget which
was the authority who asserted that every
great man has had a large nose Mr. Shandy
borrowed the remark, as he borrowed all
others Tor which the unlearned public give
him credit. One might apply the rule to
the great historic nations also, did not the
Chinese and the Japanese forbid. They
are generally exceptions. OF the men who
made history Wellington and Bonaparte
spring 70 the mind at once.
Another OF their class, Rudolf oR Haps-
burg had a nose 30 big that legends deal
ing with il are said to be still current among
the peasantry. A favorite story tells how
the Emperor met q cart in a narrow road.
The driver made way. but not 30 much as
the imperial guard demanded. How
can / go further2' he exclaimed. THAT
mans nose blocks the path 1t is added
that Rudolf. laughing turned his head
aside a. he went by. The portraits OF
him show large nose but not monstrous
The tale OF the Ratisbon conspiracy, how
ever, as reported by grave chroniclers,
sustains the tradition. Count Ulrich ex-
claimed In his fools hearing, when he
found his Preparations complete. -Now
well smash Rudolfs nose!' His fool rode
straight to the imperial camp and stood
opposite the Emperor, muttering: "It's a
prodigious size. but I really think Father
Ulrich can smash it Asked for an ex-
plot collapsed.
One is reminded OF a drolI story which
Sir Thomas More told Of his fool At dinner
this privileged person exclaimed, staring
at one OF the guests, What q terrible noser
Everybody began TO talk loud and More
gave the fellow look, whereupon he burst
out: How l lied in my throat when said
his nose was nnonstrous! Faith, it's rather
snalli' MorS ordered him to leave the
room. Pausing at the door, he shouted:
'There's one thing would have You know
nosel"
1t is not easy TO recall complimentary
allusion to this feature. Pepys declared
himself in love with La Belle Stewart's dear
little nose, but he never thought his remark
would be published. A pretty nose indeed
is charming. but how rarely one sees it
better, perhaps, to avoid the subject. But
oriental poets and romancers rather dwell
upon Il. The heroines nose is always
described among her other charms. and
the hero's generally. The sketch wants
precision, indeed, and still more variety:
a parrots beak' serves for all ladies, tie
blade OF sword for gentlemen. But the
thing is not ignored, at any rate.
Persians, indeed, go so far as TO make the
nose representative Of mans health,
happiness and prosperity, -Is your nose
fat9' they ask as a salutAtion, like How
dye do?' or. for ceremony. Il hope your
honorable nose IL fatl' II seems Joke,
but Persian sages might be able to Justify
the usage on scientific grounds. Nearly
all Oriental peoples ornament the nose with
a ring; II there is record Of such a custom
anywhere In Europe we never heard Of IL.
None. perhaps, tattoo the nose, unless for
a tribal mark, between the eyes. But the
Tuaregs and other Saharan nomads paint
IL, and their Berber neighbors think a
wOman's toilette incomplete unless the tip
OF her nose is stained bright blue.