Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-05-01
THE FACES OF THE FAIR.
ORIENTAL AND CIVILIZED USES
OF THE VEIL.
Yelling the Face is n Very Old Custom
The Misuse and Abuse of the Arti-
Gle are Many. but 1t Has Its
Good Purposes.

/ as old as the vanity OF woman and tn,
, curiosity of man. Its origin is los
, somewhere in the vague and misty re
moteness of that past which so firml,
refuses to yield up any of its dark OF
precious secrets, But even though i
is old it is popular, and that is all thai
the women of to-day ask.
The curiosity of man would bo great
were he to essay the task OF tracinn
the veil from the time when its use had
a practical and important significance
to the present day. when it is with NO
lottler idea than to beautify. The
master OF the seraglio in eastern coun-
tries had very sensible idea when he
caused the women of his establish
ment to hide their faces behind the
folds of veil. The eye is a seductive
feature, but the eye alone cannot con-
quer. the world. The eye is deceptive.
When the women of the seraglio APP
pear with nothing of their face visible
but one cleaning orb, is not the thought
ever present that the expression of
that eye might mean any one of the
thousand qualities that go to make up
woman's character? If it be large and
lustrous, as one usually finds the east
ern woman's eye, it may mean ANY,
thing from tenderness to stupidity. II
1t be brilliant and sparkling. it NAV
mean either vivacity of spirit or sharp
ness of temper. Therefore was the
sultan wise; for to him only were the
mysteries of those eyes to be revealed.
1t is wcll-known fact that anythin @
we dislike, or which bores us we are
apt to find bad for our health, bad for
our tempers, bad for its influence on
our minds. Therefore fainting became
the fashion, and to it alone are we in
debted for the veil of transparent. flmv
tissue which superseded the cashmere
and soft silk of the earlier period.
1t must not be supposed for an in
slant that oculists have any right on
their side when they inveigh against
the dotted veil, which is the evolution
from the thick gauze, which was the
mode but few generations ago. The
crossbars OF these-old fashioned wells
were indeed irritating to the sight,
and crossed eyes were frequent from
their effect, but dotted wells, by break
ing the barred lines, prevent anv
serious affection of the vision. Be-
sides, they cast soft and tender
shadow beneath the eyes, and soften a
direct gaze into one which becomes
sympathetic and confding, through
the fine meshes. They are infinitely
valuable to the woman with no com
pleXion. She may have thousand
tiny blemishes. which the carefully ad-
justed dot will conceal, while as for
her smile, the CLEAN of her pearlv
white teeth under the dark shadow
renders it hopelessly enchanting.
The art OF adjusting the veil coquet-
tlshly belongs to the French woman.
The veil is a thing of utility to the
English woman. The American wo-
man is like her French sister, and to
the Spanish woman alone belongs the
skillful arrangement of the veil in
such ravishing folds that every GOOD |
point OF her features becomes promi |
nent, and all the unpleasant ones retire
into an ignominious background. The |
fan and the veil are the two weapons
OF warfare with which the dark-eyea
senorita attacks the world. As mod |
est maiden, under her duenna's eye |
they are her defense, and they are
valued mise-en-scene when the duenna
looks the other way. A playful toss
OF her veil or languid, indolent open
ing and shutting of her fan are her
resources in filtration, and a close
drawing of the former and a quick.
clasp of the latter are her
of emotion.
A few years ago there was curious
fashion in wells, when all the women
were wearing bits of scarlet tullc
stretched over their faces, which gave
one the idea that scarlatina had ravao-
ed Inc city. There was another fad
Tor tulle OF absinthe green, pale violet
olive and old gold, which gave tho
same CHASTITY effect one has to endure
On a ballet night, when the calcium
lights are on with all their brilliancv.
women, however, are not the only
victims of these longings to render
themselves fair. In the early part of
he Christian era men affected the veil
Is an additional charm to their dress.
and even in A. ID. 374 Ambrose speaks
pt ''sllken garments and wells, inter-
woven with gold, with which the BODY
u the rich man was encompassedsn
In the tropics TO this day the dweller
s obliged to resort to the softenino
Medium of veil between his ewes and
he glaring sky, and to the traveller in /,
lusty lands veil is an absolute neces-
ity. In Washington, several wears ,
go, young attache of the French ,
made a tremendous impress
ion by appearing always, when driv-
ng, with his features protected by the
Odds OF a veil of palest blue tissue.
In writing of wells, it would not be
air to neglect the mourning veil.
Which has done such good service TO
he sincere and insincere bereft ones.
Is very much the fashion to denounce
bsolutely the Grape veil, which is
ne sign of mourning, but the ven as
n indication of woe has the authority
I the earliest history among nearly
IL nations of the earth. In sorrow
ne mourners of the olden time were
ont to veil their heads, like the
aughters of Jerusalem, and the Celtic
ustom still prevailing in Ireland to-
ay OF yelling the face with the hair
remnant of the more ancient
lstom. For the sincere bereft ones
10 veil serves as a concealment of the
'ars, which rise unbidden TO ewes
rown used to weeping. 1t serves