Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-06-24
"MAkING-UP."
The Evils of Spelling Cheeks and Compilations
by Cosmetics.

by Cosmetics.
| was, the other day, guide and philos-
opher to fresh young Britisher, just
from Oxford, writes a correspondent of
The Sacramento Bee.
Now" / said, declare to me that there
are no girls in the world SO far as your
| observation has extended, as lovely as our
San Francisco females"
My friend replied: eyes, you have ex-
ceedingly beautiful girls, but they make
up too much"
knew he was right, so [ could make no
defense. Why will our girls fall into this
glaring error? Women array themselves
in their prettiest manners to make them
selves attractive to the other sex. But if
their intention is to look fair and sweet
in the eyes of man, why do not they dis
play more wisdom in their make up?
And why do they makeup at all?
should dearly like to PROFOUND this ques-
ton to some intelligent woman-some
pretty woman who makes-up, and ask her
why she does it. And 1 should say to her:
''Your cheeks have the tinge of the rose,
most pleasant to gaze upon; your com
plexiOn suggests to me the transparency
of the seashell; your hair is fine, silken,
and luxurious; your neck white as the
''snOwdrift;'' and your bust lacks nothing
of grace and symmetry. Now, why do
you make up!"
She would reply, suppose: Because
other women do it, and because the men
seem to like it," had gone thus far in
my philosophizing when my Oxford friend
interrupted me. "There is where your
pretty women make the mistake" he said
! "The woman whose complexion is dull
and sallow, whose eyes lack luster, and lip
color, bust symmetry, and cheek rounded
softness, finds art necessity, and has
an apology for making, up"
''Certainly,' said 1, ''and to these I'M
fortunates we say: Do your best. We
know you are painted and padded, and
we confess we should not like to gaze up
oe you in he morning before your toilet
is made, and while nature was resenting
the liberties you have taken with her.
But the other, to whom nature has been
so generous, the rosy, dimpled, satin
skinned woman, whose beauty is highten-
ed by balmy sleep, needs no powder nor
rouge-pot to enhance her loneliness.
Then why will they do it? They do not
like it. They rail against it. They con-
denim IN violent terms the women who
practice it. They call them hard names
can only assume that women commit
this sin against health and beauty simply
from force of habit"
Il remember case in point" said nv
friend. II was a guest at an English
country house last simmer. 1t was cram
med full, for the host was Jolly fellow,
notorious for filling his place with good
sportsmen and pretty women. One of
the ladies, who had fine natural com
plexiOn, occupied room with a girl to
whom powder, rouge, cosmetics, and face
washes of many names had long been a
necessity. The first morning they en-
tered the breakfast room, arm in arm, in
that winning confding manner young
girls like to assume toward one another.
The face of one glowed with health
full flush, bnt the cheeks of the other
showed too plainly the trace of rouge
and powder. The contrast was most
pleasing. A drive was proposed after
breakfast, and soon, alas, sharp north
wind ruined the made-up complexion,
while it lent an additional charm to the
face that had known nothing but cold
water at the toilet. l noticed with dis
may on the next day that nv natural girl
had put on quite a little powder to tone
down her bushes, but hoped the evil
would go no further. The next day
there was more powder, and a touch of
some dark stuff under the eyelids, and a
suspicion ofrOuge on the cheeks. When
the week had passed it was a tOss-up
which Of these two young ladies made
the most extensive display Of cosmetics.
L never saw a stronger instance of the
communicating influence of evil COM
munications.''
"What do you think of our banged
hair?' I asked. THAT fashion I think was
set by our English cousins
Banged hair is an abomination," re-
replied my companiyn, hotly; but it pre-
walls only among our very young girls. It
must have been instituted by some dame
who had an unsightly scar upon her fore
head, and to whom the happy thought
occurred of following the fashion of the
| squaws. Girls with banged hair should
be ostracised Young men should form
clubs to protest against them, and should
refuse to dance or firt with any girl
idiotic enough to this vile fashion.
Nothing but intelligent, determined and
united effort will prevent the gentle sex
from becoming hopelessly idiotic in these
matters, and [ look anxiousIy forward for
the advent of the reformer who will step
boldly to the front and tell these incOn-
sistent creatures that if they want lovers
and husbands they must keep within the
bounds of ordinary taste and common
sense"