Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-10-28
A FRENCHwOMANis TOILET.

A Paris correspondent of the Metropolitan
an English periodical, thus gossips IN regare
to FrenchWomans toilet: l had the pleas
ure yesterday of ''assisting,' as the French
idiom has it,-that is to say, looking on, no'
helping,-at the toilet of a Frenchwoman,
genuine Partisan. I was a good deal sur:
prised, that admit and she was good deal
surprised at my surprise. She imagined thai
the extremes of artifcialty arrived at in
Paris making a sort of dual woman as il
| were, out Of one-Were known to us; and
she considers us emi-barbarians since she
discovered how much nearer the natural state
we are than her compatriots. She began, my
Francalse, by submitting herself to her maid,
who, on her part, began by subjecting her to
a face-friction of elder-hower water. This
accomplished, the previously sallow face be-
came of clearer hue, an ivory yellow. Every
particle of impurity in the pores had yielded
to the influence of the elder-tower water. with
which half goblet of warm water had been
mixed. The throat, neck, and hands partook
of this refreshing dew, adding lustre to the
freshness given by tepid bath of twenty
minutes and shower-bath of five, gone
through with half-hour before. Next came
a rubbing Of a second iris-powder in the dark
! hair, which was short-that is to say, not
| more than foot and a half long-and rather
| thick. When the iris-powder was brushed
| out, and carefully removed at the temples
| and the nape of the neck, delicate creme,
similar to cOld-cream, but without lard-the
juice of lettuce being its main Ingredient
! was laid over the whole skin of neck, face
and hands, and allowed to remain ten min
utes. This was informed, was intended to
do away with the contraction of the features
arising from want of sleep. which want Of
sleep had arisen from too much cafe noir at
dinner. had not observed any contraction,
and thought how much fancy would do. The
Partisan informed me that camphor and creme
had similar composing effect upon the tea-
lures, especially after the fatgues of ball.
The next thing done was the removal of
every trace of the creme with an extremely
fine linen cloth. This was sk;llful opera
ton, for, while rubbing the skin into satin
like smoothness, the femme de-chambre did
| not make it red or in any way roughen the
surface. She seemed to polish and in polish
ing to whiten her mistress complexion. The
next process was the application of veloutine,
a compound of bismuth and rice powder,
having the fxatve quality of the first and the
delicacy of the last ingredient. But ah! the
care with which the maid applied the prepar-
alton. 1t was absolutely impossible, laid on
as this "neat-handed Phillis" applied it, to
detect the presence of any foreign aid The
skin had the firm clear whiteness of alabaster,
with suggestion of sunny lustre and cream
mess to subdue it. Then came the grand
affair Of the eyebrows. These were brushed
with minute soft brush with dark bristles
and handle inlaid with mother-of-pearl and
the least possible tracing of India ink from
small stone jar, laid upon them. Upon the
eyes-very fine eyes and needing no aid from
of
fard indien was lightly rubbed, laid now a
Of the eyes to a great extent, and, to my
mind, un pheasant degree What was to be-
come of this appliance in case of emotion
cannot say. Perhaps French woman only
cries when she chooses. The neck ard hands
now partook Of the bismuth powder whiten-
ing, ard after that the b ir was dressed very
low on the neck, friZzed a little over the fore
head, and with less addition of false hair !
than las been customary for years. A small |
na++o of permanently -crilfped black hair,
|"oped with a white ivory comb cut in cameo
made up this part of the toilet,
only one small ringlet being suffered to play
about the neck.
But it was when the large peignoir was re-
moved, and the under-tolet began, that as
claimed me for its own First.
corset, of course, you will say. But, let me
there are corsets and corsets. The
one placed above the delicate garment of
1esh-colored raw silk, which takes the place
Of linen with the elegantes of Paris, and
clings to the form SO as in no way to increase
the size by bulk of folds around the waist,
was corset of gray silk, stitched with rose
color and edged with Valenciennes on the
hips and about the shoulders. But in the
In nf 10 rti of GO, 1o -
have it, there entered art that
to genius. For, set in at the hips
md making the hustle, were curved bones
hat stood out in swell of several inches and
formed an incorporate part of the corset itself
of detection when the skirt of the
lress was placed over it. Then the flesh
;olored silk stockings; the short cambria
kirt with myriad tucks, insertions, and fut-
ngs of lace; the delicate bottiness of black
attn; the white muslin dress, without assis-
ance OF color except rose at her throat,
nd made SO extremely short in front as to /,
isplay the entire foot; the one long hair-pin
With its head fine great pearl, and the care
ess drawing up of a draping at one side to
isplay the underskirt of raw silk this, and
be toilet was an accomplished feat and fact. -,
Let me not omit to say that the muslin sleeve i
vas so extremely tight to the arm that it a
eemed like second skin. It terminated two /
nches above the well-rounded yet delicate /
'rist, where quaint bracelet OF West Indian Il
eetles, the cadeau of a lady admrer from n
,uoa, completed the ornamentation of SO il
luch studied simplicity 1t was really yery v
retty, and the lady looked charming-let US D
ay 80 years old. Her age? Oh-well. So
~~aD>~ G.
THEODORE IlLTON went to the Parker f
louse, in Boston on Friday, (Which was his s.
ortieth birthday and the twentieth aniver- t,
arY of his marriage as well ! aud occuniod 4