The Washington herald., 1910-06-26

The views Of a clergyman on mustaches
are equally interesting. THE mustaehe
has religious significance" said a cler-
gyman in a Lenten address. 1T forms.
you see. in company with the nose. a
cross. In the time of the Moslem inva-
sion of Spain mixed marriages rendered
| it impossible TO tell a heather from q
Christian. so the Spaniards took TO shaw
ing all the face but the upper lip Thus
every Christian countenance bore q cross
"a cross part flesh and part hair From
its religious significance the mustache
has come 10 have an elegant significance
purely. Men now wear It not to pro-
claim their faith but to magnify their
beauty. It's source, however, is in Chris
tianity. Before the Spanish invasion men
either wore full boards or went clean
shaved"
Mustaches have been made compulsory
In the Austrian army. or rather an old
ordinance prescribing them. which had
fallen into disuse, has been revived by
rescTipt from the war ministry. acting.
it is said, on the personal wish OF En-
J.
pulsory mustache order dates from be-
fore 1s4S. and its author was Count Gyu-
lai. the successor of the famous Radetz-
Ky in the war with the Italian states,
who himself possessed an immense mus
tache and wanted every man in the army
10 grow one. too. The new order at the
same time upholds the exclusive privi-
| lege enjoyed by the Windischgraetz regi-
ment of dragons. which distinguished
itself In the battle OF Kolin, where Fred
erick the Great was defeated in 1851. in
memory OF which they were allowed 10
shave. Since then there has not been a
mustache In the regiment.
1t viii be seen from all this that this
question Of whiskers is nothing 20 laugh
over, But we don't have 70 go far to
look for history made by mustaches
Because he loved his mustache too we'll
John Sphilllng. of Sharpsburg, Pa, for
seven years q lonesome widower. has
sacrificed all chances for immediate re-
turn to marital bliss aud incidentally was
arrested on various charges.
Since the death Of his wife, seven years
ago. sphilling has had nothing TO care
for but his mustache. a growth Of many
years. and his children Not long ago he
began a search for a wife. He tried his
luck through the matrimonial papers and
was deluged with responses from lone
some widows and lovelorn maids from
various sections Of the country. THE
mustaehe must go" IS said to have been
the decree of each applicant for the title
%
learned how much attention had been
showered upon the facial adornment
during Johns seven years of lonesome
existence.
John baked at this condition until he
met a pretty blond from Chicago. Then
he agreed TO sacrifice the mustache to
win her. In the course Of events John
started 10 a barber shop TO fulfill his
agreement Away from the cheerful
presence and sunny smile Of his pretty
blond fancee his thoughts returned to his
mustache. upon which he had showered
so much care and attention during long.
lonely years.
Then, It is charged. his thoughts led
him away from the barber shop into
saloon, probably to drown the sorrow
caused by the proposed sacrifice When
John returned home the mustache still
chung TO his lips. The blond left immedi-
ately and John was confronted by more
lonely years with his mustache and chill
dren. At this he became enraged and
started 10 do things up brown. after
which he was arrested.
that 'It used TO be taken that a beard
was a sign of strength in a man. How
ever this may have been physically, it is
no longer true politically Sons of In
DIANA" said the observer, "the preceptor
in political styles, are inclined to the
belief that the first steady reaction
against boards set in when the Hon.
John K Gowdy was sent as our consul
general to Paris. The Partisan beard is
dainty, fragile, perfumed. and delicate,
and the Gowdy crop of whiskers. bris-
Ting from q massive chin, threatened at
first to create international complications.
Figaro threw a At over them and La
Petit Cri cartooned them Stanch Re-
publican that he is. Mr. Gowdy had to
succumb to the force of public opinion,
and when at a consular ball bare
necked lady with whom our Partisan
consul general was dancing complained
that his whiskers were tickling her the
whiskers were ruthlessly sacrificed.
eMany of US can remember yet the
thrill that went over the country when
the first photograph of the beardless
Gowdy came back to the Gowdys native
shore. There was rush to follow the
new fashion, and for a time in Indiana
the trade Of barber threatened 20 be-
come more profitable even than author
ship"
To this should be added that former