Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-01
BEAUTY IN THE BATH.
New FORKS Luxurious Women as Describ-
ed for English Readers.

The luxurious habits of New York
women are still on the increase. The
maid has ceased 10 be sufficient at
tendance, her time being more or less
absorbed by the toilet and cognate
matters. so the present plan is TO en-
gage the services of a woman who
goes out by the day or hour. and whose
cards read Ladies Toilets She has
entire charge of the persons of her
customers, and it is her duty to see
that they are kept beautiful. Once or
twice week she rubs, combs. brushes,
clips and cleans their hair, undertake
ing to keep it soft, sleek and thick
She manicures the nails and uses and
recommends such unguents as are
warranted to keep the hands soft and
white. She is pedicure as well, and
keeps her customers feet in as perfect
condition as their hands. She has a
thousand different devices for beauti-
flying the face, and undertakes to ward
off wrinkles by her rubbings and emol-
ients. She trains eyebrows in the
way they should 60. removes superfiu-
Gus hair. induces eyelashes to thicken
and lengthen, keeps the skin smooth,
fresh, and fair, and declares she can
make the lips keep their bloom with
out the use of rouge. She looks after
the figure. too. having a system called
the Swedish movement, by which she
tightens up faccid muscles, rounds
thin throats and thin arms. and re-
moves any of the Disbursements of
outline that have resulted from tight
lacing and the abnormal tendency of
flesh to any one part of the body. She
reduces flesh and undertakes to de-
yelop symmetry.
The principal occupation, however,
of this person, and the one best relish
ed by her employers. is the massage
bath. The tub is filed with warm
water, quite as hot as can be comfort
ably borne, and into this is thrown a
bath bag. consisting of little sack of
cheese cloth. loosely filled with almond
meal, powdered orris root, and grated
soap. The water turns soft and milky
as the contents of the bag, dissolves
and the skin is rubbed with the bag,
which makes a smooth, violet, perfume
lather, and leaves the flesh as soft as
a child's. The bather is rubbed dry
and rolled in big sheet of Turkish
towelling, and then every inch of the
body is carefully rubbed, kneaded.
and pinched with hands moisted in
violet water, which impregnates the
skin with faint, fower-like perfume.
This takes the place of exercise in a
great measure and women who are TOO
indolent or too busy to walk or prac-
tice in gymnasium find this keeps
the skin in equally good condition,
and is more pleasant method of set
ting the blood to circulating.
Another fancy of these dainty wo-
men is to sleep in silk. They have
long abjured any other wear for I'M
derclothes. and now there are being
shown in the shops that cater to all
the new whims of the sex sets of silk
sheets and pillow-cases in all colors.
With these 90 the beautiful East In
dian blankets, woven entirely of raw
silk, and down spreads covered with
surah or satin. These sheets and pill
low-cases are hemstitched, with a crest
or monogram embroidered in one cor
ner. Some of them have delicate
vine embroidered along the edge, or a
broad band of Aranu work. They are
of all delicate colors and white and
black.
Mrs. George Gould, who has pas
sion for violets, has several silken bed
furnishings of pale lilac, with wreaths
of Parma violets embroidered around
them. The Hindoo blanket is
deeper purple and the violet-colored
down spread is perfumed with sachets
of violet. -LO7JdOD Figaro.