Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-04-24


Clean?-A Few Hints 60 the Fas.
tidiOus-CIeanliness Next TO GSd-
Illness.
II is a startlisg and somewhat anus
ing fact, says the New York CONNER
cial Advertiser, that the majority Of
peoples faces are seldom clean. Gen
orally, the habit of washing the face in
the morning prevails, but with many
persons is the only time in twenty -four
hours that this ablution takes place.
With some women there exists a preju.
dice against washing their faces at all;
they believe that bathing and rubbing
produces eruptions-that the skin Of the
face is handsomer the less it is washed.
Men return from business, and, before
entering the drawing-room, retire TO
their dressing apartments to wash
their hands and brush their hair, un-
conscious that their faces are not clean.
Ladies come home from shopping ex-
cursion or drive in the park, and arrange
their toilets without touching their faces
except to dust them with powder as the
last act Of establishment. We invariably
send the children to their room to have
their faces washed before dinner, or a
dozen times daily; but because we are
men and women, and have not streaks
Of black across cheek or nose, we do not
question the cleanliness of our faces. 1t
is taken for granted that the faces of
adult creation are clean, unless it be
those of machiRists, chimney sweeps,
or coal beavers. We are certainly i'm
pressed with the muddy complexion of
Mrs. Slovenly, and remark how sal
low Mrs. Slipshod has become" but it
does not occur to us that their faces are
always soiled. We meet Miss Blank on
the promenade, who has risen late and
washed her face hurriedly, leaving the
sleepy bugs in the corner of her eyes;
we exclaim, Had Miss Blank clear
skin, how pretty she would be. We
should Rot believe that it was rarely
that Miss Blanks face was thoroughly
washed; that it was usually covered with
"Oriental Cream" and dust, which being
slept in at night, and but half removed
in the morning, soon changes the nat
ural color of the skin.
There is no portion of the body that
requires so much care, as to cleanliness,
as the face. 1t is the receptacle of the
dust from the room day and night. 1t
receives the siftings blown from the ash
barrels and coal carts, and all impuri-
ties in the streets. Specks of oily dand-
ruff are hourly falling on the face, and
the most conservative of us are con-
stantly placing our faces against some
thing that soils, from the cheek of the
sour baby, who is the pet of the house
hold, to the shaggy coat of Romp, the
dog, whom we stoop to tondle now and
then, saying nothing of the kittens who
brush against the side Of our faces from
the backs of our easy chairs twenty
times daily, and whom we know to have
fleas. This we will never admit to
mamma, for fear of their banishment to
the wood-shed.) If the persons who are
otherwise fastidiously nice, would be as
proportionately particular to keep their
faces clean, we should see far more of
the fair glowing compilations, and less of
the yellow faded skins with sallow lines
about the neck. There is nothing that
80 beauties the face as its freshness
and cleanliness from the frequent use Of
water with gentle friction. There is
more truth than poetry in the stale OBJ
servatIon of persons looking two or
three shades whittier after their ablutions.
The face is fairer after washing, be-
cause it is cleaner, and when it is not
often bathed it is badly soiled. That
the face be thoroughly washed at night
with little fine soap to remove any
greasy substance that may have settled
in the eyebrows or crevices of the fea-
lures, is essential for its perfect cleanli-
ness. The eyes require particular wash
ing to preserve their beauty and strength
of sight. How few people consider this
when they wipe them over once a day
with Wash.rag or a sponge! Cleanli-
ness is next to golliness. Moses face
o shone" when be descended from the
mount where he had been talking with
God. If ours do not shine with holy
light, they may with a glowing freshness
from the frequent use of cold water.