Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-26
Care OF the Housewives Hands.

One of the greatest trials of women who
must do more or less homework is that Of
keeping their hands in shapely condition. IL
is all very well to say put on pair Of gloves
to dust or sweep, TO make beds, or to garden
in, but who, in the busy rounds of daily re-
curing duties. can take time to get her
gloves, and do her work SO much the slower
for having them ons Yet nothing is moro
notifying than an ugly hand, rough and
stained, with stumpy fingers; nothing moro
rouses in a woman envious feelings than the
comparison of her own hands lying in her
lap, showing evidence of hard work, with
those Of some sister woman-white, weli
shapen, dainty objects of admiration and
real beauty. Doubtless one reason for this is
that hands are always before ones eyes, and
so are not as easily forgotten as noses and
teeth; and, therefore, unless there is a sense
of satisfaction in their prominence there is
an uneasy consciousness of their presence.
The simplest thing a woman can do to mako
the hands attractive is TO care for the nails,
but any attempt to file them in the modern
fashion introduced by manicures is simply
useless. The most ordinary duties about the
houssare certain to break long, pointed nails,
and getting ones finger nail into shape after
such misfortune is no easy task. Two or
three SO broken would drive the most sweetly
smiling faces into wrinkles and scowls OF
vexation.
No, it is wisest to keep the nails trimmed
closely, neatly rounded so that the tip is
shaped exactly like the half circle at the bot
tom, using the file frequently, for that makes
a neater, clearer cut edge than any knife or
scissors. Keep the little fold OF cuticle which
encircleS the nail free from hang nails and
show tho half moon ut the bottom, which Is
called tho mark of beauty in the nail, By
pushing the fold freely back with q sharp
pointed ivory instrument. After little time
this becomes easy enough. Then drying the
hands with coarse towel push the flesh back
from the nail constantly.
Then, no matter if the tasks of the day in
clude preparing small fruits for preserving,
and washing pots and pans, which are some
of the hardest duties of housework on hands
and finger nails, never permit the nails to re-
main in q stained condition Wash them in
an acid AID rub them briskly and forcibly
with nail brush in bowl q cat meal and
water. Never scrape the under part Of the
nail. The roughueSs thus engendered Will
catch and hold dirt Tor days
Every one uses more or less creams OF ely
cerine or vaseIine ON the skin in the winter
time The latter is the easier to procure,
the less expensive and the more eficacious in
keeping the skin soft Better than the use OF
any such application is the habit OF wearing
loose glove at night, not CREASED glove,
but an ordinary kid one, two or three, sizes
larger than the hand. This soon ceases to
be annoying, and, simple as il seems is, be-
yond doubt, the most certain method Of
keeping soft, white hands. y woman who
is noticeably AWKWARD with her hands
should t2ks pains to learn the freeing mo-
tions OF the Delsarte system, and with prsc-
tice by herself tie awkwardpess will soon
disappear.
The fingers Of sesuistresses are often
source Of much annoyance TO them from the
pricks Of needles. Women who sen want
some way of removing the very evident pin
pr1css, and a rough pumioe stone Is TIE
best remedy. If It snooths down the flesh
until It snarts, cot-the finger Of "a esd
glove-to hold profuse application Of vs:x,-
line, viii heal the soreness IN one nights
S. E M IN Chicago Herald