The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-03-21

Among the Moslems the beard was
also held in great respect and the
strongest oath that a Mohammedan
could utter was, by the beard of the
Prophet" People Of this religious be-
lief took great care of their boards,
habitually carrying combs to comb it
and keep it in order. 1t was their Gus
tom to do this after prayers, while
still ON their knees, and if any hairs
fell out they Immediately picked them
up and preserved them for burial with
their owners. They also dyed their
boards. usually red, not only because
dye Of that color was easily obtain
able, but because 1t was nearly like
the golden yellow, the color recon-
mended by Mohammed who hated
black, the color which the Persians
dyed their boards
In France and Spain the wearing of
boards followed the styles set by the
monarchs of those countries. The
beard was commonly worn in France
until the time of Louis XII, who, be-
ing young and beardless, set new
style and the fashion changed. In
Spain the loyal Spanish courtiers re-
moved their boards when Philip v,
who was unable to grow beard, came
to the throne.
In Russia Peter the Great issued a
royal edict compelling his subjects to
shave or pay tax on their boards
in proportion to the rank of the wear
er Henry VIII of England attempted
a similar tax in England, but found
it difficult to enforce the law and
later gave it up. AS a result the
reigns of Elizabeth and James 1 were
characterized by the widest extrava-
gance in beard growing with some
men clipping their boards into as
many formal shapes as the old-fash-
toned box hedges. Under the reign of
Charles I the Van Dyke beard, named
for the famous painter, became popu-
lar, only to be followed by smooth
faced era during the Eighteenth CEN
fury and down to the days of "our
dear queen" Victoria, whose royal
ccnsort and whose son. later Edward
VII, brought back the pointed beard
as one of the glories of the Mid-Vic-
torian days.
If, indeed, there is whiskers come
back and boards once more become
popular, they will bring with them
vexing problems. One of them is {:
what to do with the beard when it
is not in use-taking it for granted
that beard can be put to use, such
as stroking it as an aid to cautious
thought and tweaking it, either ones
own or another's, to suggest violence,
determination or aggresiveness. How
serious this problem may be is indi-
Gated by the following incident re-
lated recently by writer in the Bos-
ton Herald:
Some years ago q certain eminent
man of New England wrote a letter to
another eminent New Highlander whose
title to eminence is substantial and
whose beard is celebrated throughout
the land. 1t is a beard in the fullest
dimensions of old New England. In
the letter to this bearded New Eng
lander the friend asked this question
When you retire at night. do you tuck
the beard under the sheet, or do you
leave 1t free outside and above the
sheet?
This. we are told. caused the wearer
of the beard much distress. Until
the matter had thus been called to his
attention, he is reported to have told
his friends afterward, he had never
given this problem any thought. Hs
had retired at night as other men do
and had fallen gracefully into sleep
untroubled and unperplexed 1t never
had occurred to him that there was
anything complicated or puzzling about
the performance. Since that letter and
its question, however, he had hardl,
had comfortable nights sleep, for this
moment he put out the light ano
popped into bed he had begun to de.
bate which disposal of his heard he
might the more comfortably make
above the sheet or beneath 1t. BY this
we learn that the beard, like many
another luxury in life. carries with IL