Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-15
HER TOILET REOUlRsO'AN ARMY OF
SLAVES AND EXPERTS.
The Process by Which an Ugly Chrysalis
Was Transformed Into Butter
ny-Bath, Complexion.

with plaster composed OF bread
and ASS milk, which had dried during
the night hours. and, consequently, pre-
sented in the morning an appearance of
cracked chalk. The purpose of the ASS
milk was not only to preserve the deli
cacy OF the skin, but to renovate the
lungs, and so strong was that belief in
the efficacy of the specific that some en-
ergetic ladies bafhed themselves in it
seventy times in the course of q single
day. Ino, says Poppna, the favorite
wife of Nero, never set ont on n journey
without taking in her train whole herds
of she-ssses, that she might battle when
ever she pleased to do 80.
The plaster-Of-paris bust having weak
ened in the morning in cracked con-
dition, it vas the Office Of host of fe-
male slaves to mature it into perfect
beauty. To clear the field for further
operations the first OF these gently
washed away with lukewarm milk the
already crumbling mask, and left a
smooth face to be colored by more
reconcile artists. The slave whose vo-
cation it was to paint the cheeks deli
cately laid on the red and white, having
moistened the pigment with her own
saliva. The apparent otfensiveness of
this operation was diminished by q GER
tain number Of scented lozenges, which
if the slave neglected to take she suffered
corporal punishment.
AN ELABORATE COMPLEXION.
A precious article was the paint with
which the Roman domina was beautified /:
it was well worthy the case of ivory and
rock crystal in which it was preserved.
The principal ingredient in the red paint
was moss, known by the name of q
fucus, which is still TO be found on the
Mediterranean coast The cheeks having
been perfected the eyelashes and eye
brows came IN for their share OF attention,
and third slave dyed them with black
mixture, which, though called fuligo, was
no common SCOT, but composed Of choice
materials. These blackened eyebrows
and eyelashes are absolutely indispensa-
BILE if the domino asplres In the slight
est degree to the character of beauty.
The curatress Of the eyebrows was fol-
lowed by the tooth-brusher, who not
only performed the Office which this IL
tie implies but handed to her mistress
some mastich from the Isle OF Chios, a
specific chewed every morning to pre-
serve the teeth from decay. Even If the
teeth were not already in the head OF the
lady, but had to be inserted by the dex-
ferrous slave, the mastich was still chewed
to keep up appearance.
All this work done, was not the domi-
ma beautiful? Yet the most important
operations had still to be performed |;
the hair had still been unconsidered.
And be il observed that although black
ness was essential to the eyebrow OF the
Roman belle, it was otherwise with hei
hair, which was 10 be decidedly golden.
A whole division of female slaves was
devoted to its decoration. The chief
of them rubbed it over and over again
with golden ointment, till the head
competed with the brightness of the
rising sun.
THE COUTURE.
The polish thus laid on, two handy
craftsYomen moved to simultaneous ac-
tiyity. One, armed with curling irons,
produced an inhnity of rings and ring
lets; another squirted through her teeth
a variety Of essences upon the lovely
head. Lastly came a skilful negress,
who achieved the more important curls,
and. twisting the back hair into large,
round knot, secured it with pin eight
inches long, carved with the mostexqulslte
art To these several servants Herr
Asmus, the German antiquary, who has
greatly aided US in bringing so many de-
tails within the compass OF small cabi-
net picture, gives the prettlest names IN
the world. The asses milk-mald he calls
Scapion, the painter of the cheeks IS
Phiale, the eyebrows are dyed by Slim
mi. the golden ointment is rubbed in by
Nape, Calamis HOLDS the tongs. the lips
OF Psechas are the living fountains
whence proceed the essences, and the
handy negress Is Cypassis.
WHAT SHE WORE.
OF stays-those modern implements
of self .torture-th DONNA knows no.
thing, nor would she have put them on
if they had been perfectly familiar to
her, for she does not believe in the
beauty of a slender.waist. Over n short
, "tunic is flung the "stola," which IS
itself long tunic reaching to the feet,
with sleeves that cover half the upper
part oil the arm. When the opening in
the stola has been closed with
the aid of brooches, when en-
broidered, gray-colored shoes have
been put on, when the arms are en-
circled by golden snakes with ruby eyes,
! when the ears weighted with pearls,
when the fingers are loaded with rings,
and when a comb or two has been in
serted in the hair, the lady is complete
ly attired for indoors, presenting the
, strongest possible contrast to the belle of
the present day, and suggesting the sus-
picion that il the beautltiers are doom
,, ed to hard work the dressers al
most enjoy a sinecure. If the
domino goes out she merely filings
on her "palla," which is exactly
like the "toga of a man, and her pride
in wearing it gracefully exactly CORE
spends to that of Partisan beauties in the
matter of drapery. On the whole, the
main articles of clothing are not very ex'
pensive. They are chiefly woollen, the
use of silk being exceptional. The semi
transparent coma robe is costly enough,
but then it is as disreputable as it IL
costly, and is not properly to be asso
ciated with ladies OF quality.
The toilet of our DONNA being com
,, plete she proposes to take walk in the
garden. Accordingly the fan-bearert
make their appearance. That pretty, co
quettish use ofthe fan, which was brought
to such high perfection in the last cen
fury, is beyond the reach OF the Roman
belle, who would deem it an indignity L
carry the cooling implement in her owl
hands. In good old days fans we're made
of broad leaves, but these have beer
abandoned for peacock-feathers, which
are supported by wooden framework
The lady is proud of her fan, and wheI
.ba rnao al 10 al har aiayaa Garry N in al