Might be something that changed the Morrowind.ini settings under [FontColor] - here are the defaults that should control raised / lowered stats:
color_positive=223,201,159
color_negative=200,60,30
The good news is that there appear to have been some changes made to my ini file's font color section by some mod, in the past.  The bad news is that it didn't affect either of the values, above.  Here's the current font color values:
[FontColor]color_normal=56,46,7color_normal_over=121,97,49color_normal_pressed=196,178,135color_active=61,78,172color_active_over=104,122,226color_active_pressed=112,126,207color_disabled=256,256,256color_disabled_over=100,100,100color_disabled_pressed=200,200,200color_link=61,78,172color_link_over=104,122,226color_link_pressed=112,126,207color_journal_link=37,49,112color_journal_link_over=58,77,175color_journal_link_pressed=112,126,207color_journal_topic=0,0,0color_journal_topic_over=58,77,175color_journal_topic_pressed=112,126,207color_answer=150,50,30color_answer_over=223,201,159color_answer_pressed=243,237,221color_header=56,46,7color_notify=56,46,7color_big_normal=202,165,96color_big_normal_over=223,201,159color_big_normal_pressed=243,237,221color_big_link=112,126,207color_big_link_over=143,155,218color_big_link_pressed=175,184,228color_big_answer=150,50,30color_big_answer_over=223,201,159color_big_answer_pressed=243,237,22color_big_header=223,201,159color_big_notify=223,201,159color_background=256,256,256color_focus=80,80,80color_health=200,60,30color_magic=53,69,159color_fatigue=0,150,60color_misc=0,205,205color_weapon_fill=200,60,30color_magic_fill=200,60,30color_positive=223,201,159color_negative=200,60,30color_count=223,201,159
I'm not sure what to change, here.  I tried replacing them all with the following values that were semi-colon'd out (and of course, I removed the semi-colons before saving) 

 :
;[FontColor];color_normal=202,165,96;color_normal_over=223,201,159;color_normal_pressed=243,237,221;;color_active=96,112,202;color_active_over=159,169,223;color_active_pressed=223,226,244;;color_disabled=179,168,135;color_disabled_over=223,201,159;color_disabled_pressed=243,237,221;;color_link=112,126,207;color_link_over=143,155,218;color_link_pressed=175,184,228;;color_journal_link=37,49,112;color_journal_link_over=58,77,175;color_journal_link_pressed=112,126,207;;color_journal_topic=0,0,0;color_journal_topic_over=58,77,175;color_journal_topic_pressed=112,126,207;;color_answer=150,50,30;color_answer_over=223,201,159;color_answer_pressed=243,237,221;;color_header=223,201,159;color_notify=223,201,159;;color_big_normal=202,165,96;color_big_normal_over=223,201,159;color_big_normal_pressed=243,237,221;;color_big_link=112,126,207;color_big_link_over=143,155,218;color_big_link_pressed=175,184,228;;color_big_answer=150,50,30;color_big_answer_over=223,201,159;color_big_answer_pressed=243,237,22;;color_big_header=223,201,159;color_big_notify=223,201,159;;color_background=0,0,0;color_focus=80,80,80;;color_health=200,60,30;color_magic=53,69,159;color_fatigue=0,150,60;;color_misc=0,205,205;;color_weapon_fill=200,60,30;color_magic_fill=200,60,30;;color_positive=223,201,159;color_negative=200,60,30;;color_count=223,201,159
That gave me the usual starting menu asking Yes, No, Yes to All, with text that was the same color as the background, so clearly returning completely to the old version isn't the answer.  Ideas?