Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-10-24
HOW TO SMELL SWEET.
Perfume a Good Thing IF Not
Used Too Literally.
Use of the Various Subtle Agents-why
Each Woman Should Keep Her Par
ticuiar Brand-Recipe for Treat
ing Natural Flowers.

The refinements of the ancients varied in
almost every way from those of modern
age, except, perhaps, in some Of the uses
appertaining to the toilet, and the Script
ures, as well as other records of ancient
customs, bear testimony that baths and
clean linen, perfumes and sweet odors,
were regarded quite as much of a luxury
then as now. Few are, perhaps, aware
that the origin Of the use of manufactured
peri umes had a sacred character, yet they
were an invention of the priests who off,
ciated at the sacriicial altars in the olden
temples; and, doubtless, great necessity
must have been the mother of invention, fo<
from the slaughtered beasts must have
arisen most noxious emanations, which all
the water in the land would not have
washed clean without the aid of the per-
fumes of Arabia.
Opinions, says a writer in the Chicago
Herald differ about the use and abuse of
sweet scents. Certainly there is an incon-
gruity in their use by men, but a woman
who leaves behind her a subtle sense of
redolence carries always a double charm.
Strong, active, energetic natures are apt to
scorn an indulgence in what is so grateful
to their pposites-languid, luxury-lovlng
about the house are grateful to all for their
sweetness, as well as for their beauty, and
to those flowers to which Mother Earth has
refused a fragrance we give but half the
care VIII ch is showered upon those that can
crafty double sense. To some poor un-
fortunates the scent of certain odors, and
even of flowers, is distasteful, and not al
ways from association. Even further than
that, the disliked odors render some per-
sons quite ILL With age the sense of smell
is affectel and, like the other senses, grows
weak, and some elderly ladies, especially
those who have been beautiful, worldly
women, much fiattered and admired, alb
solutely reek with the strong bouquet of
some perfumery.
Their unconsciousness is pitiable, their
vanity deplor able, for it would wound them
too greatly to suggest lessening of their
Indulgence, and they must bv allowed to
reek on. The olfactory nerves are caprici-
Gus things, and the aroma which makes
them dilate with pleasure at one time is
quite disagreeable at another. They easily
become surfeited with an overdose.
A gentleman who was particularly fond
of the fragrance of the violet, both ''au
natureln and artificial, and used a delicate
scent about his person and clothing in all
possible ways, never permitting it to pass
faint, subtle point. grew to abhor 1t utter
ly because his negro butler had evidently
the same propensity, which he gratitied not
only by indulging constantly IN his masters
essences, but in stronger AID less carefully
prepared extracts of his own. Especially
was il discovered TO be his habit to scatter
violet water all over his clothing just as he
was preparing to serve dinner, and when
he took up his place behind his masters
chair the odor was overpowering. AS a
consequence the gentleman becomes quite
ill at only standing near a lady who wears
violets. Another gentleman who was de-
voted to a certain old-fashioned prepara-
ton of lavender was affected in much the
same manner by the accidental breaking of
a large bottle in his trunk and the conse-
quent saturation of his clothing with the
strong perfume, which it was impossible to
remove. Since then any scent is distastc-
full to him.
Women generally have habit of tucking
little bags of sachet powder in their bureau
drawers and pinning then in their dresses,
but they as generally are indiscriminate in
choosing the odOrs, sometimes buying hello
trope, sometimes violet and again rose.
There is much more refinement and daInti-
ness of feeling, beside quaint and certain
ly sweet coquetry in keeping always per-
fume of ones own; it becomes then almost
part of ones own being. If one is fond
of the fragrance If the rose an investment
in few of the long, peculiar vials contain
ing altar of roses and keeping them in
various places amid the possessions is a
much more enduring way of perfuming g
than using sachet powder. However, the
best way of using sachet powder is to make
thin pad the size of each bureau drawer
and trunk tray, of thin silk or cotton and
one layer of cotton wadding, over which the
sachet powder is sprinkled, leaving one end
but loosely sewn, so that the scent may be
easily renewed. The faint-tinted cheese
cloths which come now are very good for
this purpose. If a dozen OF these pads are
made at some leisure time the size of ones
trunk they will be found extremely con-
venIent to lay between dresses 1t is also a
good plan when new dress comes home to
have tiny bag of scent at once sewn into
the waist. New beginners at concocting the
potpourri for the rose jars are apt TO use too
much spice; essential oils are much better
than any spices.
Our grandmothers well knew the delight
of stealing the perfume from the flowers,
and their still-room,n where were all con-
veniences for this, was part of the ma
chinery of every home. In our country
vast quantities of flowers go to waste and
we send to France for our perfumes, yet
nothing is easier nor more womanly than to
make the perfumes from flowers which we
use Into large, fiat, clean earthenware
vessel pour some purified fat lard and suet
mixed, warmed sufficiently to male 1t liquid.
| Throw into il as many scented flowers of
one kind as it will contain. Let remain
twenty-four hours covered, then STRAIN off
the fat and add more flowers, repeating the
process every day for week. The method
of liberating this essence of flowers from
the fat is very simple. Permit it to harden.
cutit into small cubes and put into spir. It's
Of wine. The delicate odor Immediately
transfers itself from the coarse fat to the
spn1tuous solvent, and such strength of
perfume IS procured with little trouble as
would cost great deal at pertpmer's.
AN Art Understood Ivy Few and Pracficed
by "a StiIi Smaller Number.