Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-11-29
a PoMPEIAN eouDoIR
The Toilet One Of the Roman Lady's Prin-
cipaI Occupatious,

A POMPEIAN BouDoiR
The Toilet One of the Roman Lady's Prin-
cipal Occupations.
Entering now in Imagination our
lady's own rooms, we perceive that one
Of her principal interests and occupa-
| tions was the toilet. Though dress was
simple in fashion consisting among the
higher ranks of a fine linen under
! dress, the delicate fabric being import
ed from Egypt, above which was long
| tunic of fine white wool, reaching be-
low the knee, and confined at the waist
by girdle), the adjuncts were numer-
GUS and often costly. Splendid clasps
of gold for the outdoor tunic, a long
white mantel, often richly dyed, one
end of which was thrown gracefully
over the shoulder; silken walls of finn
sy texture embroidered with gold and
a profusion of jewelry, rendered the
toilet of our Pompeian an intri-
cate and serious business. On the
table lay for choice the ear
rings and rings, the bracelets, armlets
and anklets of gold and silver. Fine
canoes were usually employed for the
rings; the earrings took the form of
hoops of pearls and other stones, or
little figures in gold. Cupids being a
favorite design; and rows OF coral and
malachite, beetles and pendants in
arabesque patterns, and ornaments in
the Etruscan style, formed the neck
laces. The bracelets were often in the
form of serpents twining many times
around the arm, or were thick circlets,
either plain or embossed with precious
stones or pearls. There, too, lay boxes
for rouge and other cosmetics, with
numberless ivory combs, perforated in
graceful patterns, and small tools. as
pincers, nail-pOlishers, and the like;
numerous vases and jars for perfume,
hair-pins, safety-pins of all sizes, and
in all kinds of metal. from iron to
gold gold ribbons for girdles or fillets,
and nets of the finest gold thread for
head-dresses; mystic armlets of every
sort giving the finishing touch to the
varied collection.
Besides The bedsteads and chairs of
bronze, the coverlets of which were
then soft carpets or furs, the room con-
tanned finely-chased bronze Golfers and
chests of cedar-wood. which held the
robes and valuables of our lady; while
ebony boxes, richly carved, were full
of jewelry. In that beauty-loving age,
the woman spent a great deal of time
in personal adjournment, the dark hair
was often bleached or dyed a golden
color, the eyebrows painted, the nails
polished by the attendant slaves, who,
if our lady happened to be of quick
temper, probably suffered for any in
adventure under the lash of the over
seer, or received prick from the long
hairpin of her mistress.
Most likely the household affairs of
Pompeian lady were confined to the
superintendency of her women in the
spinning room. or of the attendants of
the children of the house. Some lady
landowners may have had to trans
act business with their stewards,
but beyond this, they had plenty
of time for visiting the baths
and theaters. or worshiping in
the temples. The old state religion
had. at that time, lost it's hold on the
public mind, but the worship of the
Egyptian gods had much attraction
for the women. and the time spent at
the Temple of Isis was so exaggerated
by them that resort to the latter was
once forbidden by edict.
The Roman baths, with all their de-
tails, have been SO often described
that we will not touch on them at
length. Suffice it to say that our Pom
peian lady had ample opportunity Of
enjoying their delights, and gossiping
the hours away at the splendid estab-
ments in Pompeii, which often served
as a place of appointment to meet
friends or lovers, where intrigues
could be carried on or the topics of the
day be freely discussed. Borne thither
in her litter, or proceeding on foot, &C
companied by her slaves, our POM
peian lady spent hours in the women's
part of the establishment, whence she
could either depart by side-door as
privately as she came, or mix in the
crowd in the courts. Wonaan's World.