Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-11-20
WOMAN GOSSIP.
Extravagances Indulged in for Beau
tifying the Hands---A Change in
the Theater.
The Charming Bride of a California
Millionaire---The Accumulation
OF Wealth by Women.
A PRETTY HAND.

PRETTY HAND
A writer in DemoreSfs Monthly says:
The time to form the hand," we are
told, is in youth. ANY mother may
give her daughter tapering fingers If
she chooses to take the trouble; if she
insists that there shall be daily
pinching of the finger tips, slight of
course, while the flesh is soft and yield
ing, and a nightly wearing of steel
thimbles. The latter is rather heroic
treatment and possibly to save us
from this barbarous torture have been
introduced in this country all the
artistic devices of the Partisan mani
cure in the management, development
and cultivation of the fingers and nails.
The finger tips are first put to soak in
delicately-colored finger-bow half full
of tepid water. slightly perfumed.
After twenty minutes of patient wait
ing the operator takes one hand and
an ivory blade or dull-pointed steel one
loosens and pushes back the cuticle
from the nail, the object being to ex-
pose the white half moon at the base,
which is usually covered. When the
flesh is well loosened. all the superfu-
Gus part is cut away with pair of
'issors, curved expressly for the pur-
pose. The nails are then trimmed
fine oval shape, little longer than and
about the shape of the finger. After
filing, a chamois polisher and powder
are used until the nails shine. The
polishing is followed by thorough
washing and brushing in warm water,
and then again the nails are rubbed,
this time by the manicure's bare hand.
For this process, which lasts about an
hour, you pay 81 or $3.50. A visit
twice a week to manicure will keep
the nails in a high state of polish and
beauty; but this is hardly necessary,
for With due care at home with file, a
chamois polisher. and powder, which
comes put up in dainty case, one may
take very good care of her nails. The
number of these toilet preparations
under seductive names which the
manicures have prepared is bewilder-
ing. A case, complete in its appoint
ments, would contain lockwood nail
polisher, nail file and scissors,
powder, a cosmetic for tinting the
nails, zantic for bleaching them and to
remove fruit and ink stains, panza, a
cream to soften and whiten the hands,
and preparation warranted to cure
biting the nails. But we do not find
any recipe for making tapering
fingers; SO, perhaps, we shall be
obliged to resort to the old-fashioned
mode of wearing hard thimbles, and IL
we can not have the professional
powders and cosmetics for our hands,
there are various simple methods for
making the hands soft, smooth, and
white. Cold cream or glycerine we'll
rubbed in and protected by pair of
old gloves, worn over night, are the
usual remedies. but glycorine is poison
for some hands, making them more
rough and chapped than they were be-
fore lis use. In this case the following
is q preparation which might be used
to advantage: The yelks OF two fresh
eggs beaten with two teaspoonfuls of
the oil of sweet almonds, one ounce of
rose-water, and thirty-six drops of
tincture of benzoin. Make paste of
this, and either anoint the inside
surface of pair of gloves with it or
spread it freely on the hands and draw
the gloves on afterward. In most cases
all that is needed to soften the hands
is to rub sweet almond oil into the
skin two or three days in succession.
The hands are always improved by
wearing at night gloves that fit tightly,
especially if the gloves are of soft
castor or dogskin. The following is a
European recipe for whitening the
hands: Take one-half pound of soft
soap, a gill of salad oil, an ounce of
mutton tallow, and boil together; after
the boiling ceases, add one gill of al
cohol and scruple of ambergris.
Take pair of gloves three sizes too
large, open them, and spread the inner
surface with this paste, and then sew
them up, and they can be worn at
night. Rubbing the hands well with
almond oil each night. and plastering
them with as much fine chalk as they
can take, will usually whiten them in
three days time if they are not past all
hope. Alkanet makes good stain for
the finger tips. One-eighth of an
ounce Of clippings tied in coarse
muslin bag and soaked for week in
diluted alcohol will give ''tincture of
lovely dye" The tips of the fingers
should be touched with cotton dipped
in this mixture. The first great requi-
site of beauty is absolute cleanliness,
obtained by a plentiful use of pure soft
water and good soap. Rain water or
distilled water is the best, but as this
is not always attainable powdered bor-
ak is necessary toilet article. 1t will
make hard water soft and pleasant for
use. Acids must be carefully avoided.
To remove ink or vegetable stains
the juice of lemon will be found
to answer the purpose. Fine white
sand is also very good for removing
stains. 1t will also soften the skin.
Fill wash-basin full of fine white
sand and soap-suds as hot as can be
borne. Wash the hands in this five
minutes at a time, brushing and rub
bing them in the sand. Flint sand is
the best, or the white powdered quality
that is sold for filters. 1t may be used
repeatedly by pouring the water away
after each washing Rinse the hands
in pure water,
LADY UsHERs.
One of our theaters, says the New
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