The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-11-15
LADIES' DEPARTMENT.
A Glance at the Bellies orEnrIy Ages.

AGlnnce at the Bellies OfEarIy Ages.
Undoubtedly there is much idle talk
about the wonderful extravaganza of
ladies of the present day, their pursuit
of constantly changing styles, and the
luxuries demanded by those who can,
or think they can, afford the expense.
One would be led to suppose, in the
absence of knowledge to the contrary,
that these were things of modern
growth. But just look at the "style"
they used to put on in early ages, and
their enormous extravaganza.
We are told that the ladies of Lesbos
slept on roses whose perfume had been
artificially heightened. And in those
times court maidens powdered their
hair with gold.
Marc AntOny's daughter did not
change her dress half dozen times a
day, as do the Saratoga graoes, but she
made the lampreys in her fish-pond
wear earrings.
The dresses of Lolita Paulina, the
rival of Aggripina, were valued at
$2,664,4 ,4S0. This did not include her
jewels. She wore at one supper 81, ,562,-
500 worth of jewels, aud it was plain
citizens supper. The luxury of Pop
paea, beloved by Nero, was equal to
that of Lolita.
The women Of the Roman empire in
dulged in all sorts of luxuries and ex-
cesses, and these were revived under
Napoleon /. in France. Madame Tai
lien bathed herself in a wash of straw
berries and raspberries, and had her
self rubbed down with sponges dipped
in milk and perfumes.
Ovid says that in his day girls were
taught to smile gracefully.
The beauties of ancient times were
just as vain as modern bellies, and spent
the greater part Of the day at their
toilet. The use Of cosmetics was uni
versal among them. Aspasia and
Cleopatra (models of female beauty,
it is said) both used an abundance of
paint, and each wrote a treatise on cos
metics. Cleopatra used bears grease
to keep her hair from falling out.
Roman ladies were so careful of their
compilations that to protect them they
wore masks. The Athenian women
of antiquity were very studious of
their attitudes and actions, and thought
a hurried and sudden step a certain
sign of rusticity.
We have certain styles OF beauty
nowadays; so had the Greeks They
went wild over the "ideal chin -
neither sharp nor blunt, but gently I'M
dulating in its outline, and losing it.
self gradually and almost insensibly in
the fullness Of the neck. The union of
the two eyebrows was esteemed by the
Romans as a beauty. 1t is said they
admired the air of dignity it gives to
the face
An Albanian belle of the day pre-
sents rather striking appearance.
She is, as a rule, gayly coifed with seed
pearls and coins, and enveloped in a
black serge pelisse. She uses paint on
her face profusely, and her taste runs
to cherry lips and cheeks and jet black
eyebrows strongly drawn. An Alban-
ian bride discards paint for a while,
and if wealthy wears suit something
like this: Rose-colored under robes,
with an over-robe of dark green velvet,
the idea being taken from a rosebud
half folded in its leaves. Thus arrayed,
the girl of handsome features is said to
look really bewitching.
The Tartars despise prominent nasal
appendages, and the woman who has
the smallest nose is esteemed the most
charming, but to outside barbarians
she is perfect fright.
The women Of Spiti, in India, wear
tunics and trousers of wooden stuff,
with large boots, partly of leather,
partly of blanket, which come up to
the knee, and which they are fond of
taking off at any time. In order to
get greater warmth they often put
quantity OF flour into these boots.
Their taste in regard to ornaments
runs much to all sorts of rings, in
cluding nose-rings.
A typical woman in the interior of
Africa is thus described: "Her skin
was leathery, coarse and wrinkled; her
figure was tottering and knock-kneed;
her thin hair hung in greasy locks; on
her wrists and ankles she had almost
an arsenal of metal links of iron, brass
and copper, strong enough to bind a
prisoner in his cell. About her neck
were hanging chains of iron, strips of
leather, strings Of wooden balls, and
heaven knows what lumber more"
Fashion Notes.
A great deal of red will be worn by
little people.