Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-25

every AFTERNOON OF Gaining or orlvlrg. when the
raw air has pierced through your thin gloves,
You have rushed of and bought the last new
thing advertised 'Sn absolute cure for
ehapped hands, and rubbed il persisteutly into
your skin regardless of Its adsptability for your
use. The very worst thing you could possibly
90.
You see nv fingers are plump and inclined to
shortness. I nearly ruined them when o girl
by biting my nails NY mother never told me-
and never realized what disagreeable haoit
it nor how really unsiyhtly nai-bitten
hands were until l was about sixteen. NY
was fair performer on the harp, and was
permitted to play one selection. Afterward.
while half-hidden in the vines on the veranda.
heard two gentlemen discussing the merits Of
my performance. They pronounced it very
creditable. but one, who seems to have been
quite close to me, said that to him the beauty
was marred by my unsightly fingers. no
woman he said. should play piano. harp or
guitar who has not at least a well-groomed
hand, which. by the way, is the first character
istic Of lady. i would break an engagement
with girl who bites her finger nails
81 was young and impressionable, and the re-
marks Of those gentlemen sank deep in nv
heart There were no manicurists then. and +
didn't know how to go at it to remedy the evil.
but remedied it must be. would not suffer
such modification again for anything, I
thought. / confided nv woes 10 a maiden lady
and she taught me what should have learned
when a child. how to care for nv nails 1t was
over year before they got Q healthy tone after
my biting them so severely. almost despaired
OF ever getting them to look like anything. but
persevered and-that is the result" SO say
ing she held up her hands. HAS the end iusti-
ned the labors?" she asked. quizzically
But the modus operandi, Lady Gray" cried
the frst-door 'front.' ''We have been waiting
Tor that. l confess my hands are in depior-
able condition two-thirds of the time I'm
DYING to know how to improve them without
employing maid
We'll, in the FIRST place, you must wash them
perfectly clean"
Lady Grsy.!!!,r' Six exclamation marks
with the acute rising infection on one Lady
Gray exactly measured the surprise of the
half dozen women who were stopping" at the
caravansary on 1.-THE circle"
"Therer she said with a little shrup Of her
shoulders. II knew you would get incensed,
but you would be informed. Now, I really
know what / am talking about. The sole reason
why some women always have chapped or rough
hands is because they don't know how TO wash
them Hot water will ruin the prettiest hand
in the world, and cold water! Well, il you want
your hands to resemble nutmeg g-a,ers ,ust
dabble them dozen times day in cold hard
water, using cheap toilet soap. Cheap soap is
also responsible for many ruined hands.
HOW TO WASH HANDS PROPERLY.
'The way TO wash hands properly il this:
Tepid water, soft II possible; If not, add little
borax; pure unscented soap and large soft
nail brush. The nail brush need not be used
as a skin scraper, bus it should be piled rigor-
ously. Before drying dash little clear water
over them and wipe perfectly dry. If my ad-
vice in this respect is followed. as well az that
am going to give about care Of the nails, any
one OF you can in q months time have hands
as white. or If not as white-you know there is
a difference in skin-as smooth and Just Is
nice finger nails as have.
Take tepid warm water, we'll soaped, and
soak the tips of the fingers Of one hand for two
or three moments. Then take your nail file,
and. while the water still clings to the nails
gently press back the skin around the roots.
The fingers must always be wet to do this
properly. for the skin is very tender. and when
broken forms ugly hang nails" and il breaks
itself in the course OF nature, il il is not
pressed back. because the nail grows and cracks
it. The fingers must be dipped in the soapy
water two or three times before the one
hand is finished, for unless the skin is
kept damp the work cannot be well done
Then file the edge of the neil almost to the
quick. rounding the corners slightly. When
the nail gets healthy do not file SO close. uss
vaseline for the next process. Some people use
q saive called cherry lip but I think it nm
necessary. When you get your nails into a
healthy condition they will be pink without any
artificial aid. Moisten the nails and skin about
them with q liberal application OF vaseline and
rub it in. Then take the chamois pad
and plenty Of good nail powder and
polish each nail separately. Rub Wig
orously down close to the edge Of the
nail The powder viii smooth of the drv dead
skin at the edges. After treating each hand in
this manner get some clear tepid water soap
and nail brush and scrub those nails and
your hands as though they had not been washed
at all. rinse and dry thoroughly, and you will
be amazed at the result. You who bite your
nails will be surprised to find that when you get
the rough edges filed down and the skin loose
from the nail you will never think of biting
them. Those whose nails have never been
treated should go through this process
twice week for a month, after that
once week will be sufficient by
giving little rub with the polisher each morn
ing. MY advice 20 those who can afford it is
to go to manicure two or three times and
watch the process closely. One thing a mani
cure does that is not at all necessary after your
nails become healthy is to cut the cuticls 1t is
absolutely useless for amateur to try to do
that. The polishing powder will wear tine
cuticle off sufficiently. l know, for never
owned a pair of 'cuticie' scissors, and nv
hands have not been touched by professional
In tive years, yet you say NV nails look like
pink seasheils. When there is no rough skin
around your nails and you can define the half
moon at the root you will know that you are
succeeding.
TO MAKE THE SKIN SMOOTH.
snow for rough hands. Some skins will
stand much stronger remedies than others, but
simple lotions are the safest and the best. I'm
diluted glycerine is poison to most SKINS Yet
properly used it is the best toilet lotion there
is For my hands use glycerine and bay rum
in equal parts. or il any difference more bay
rum. A few drops Of camphor is healing ad-
dition for some. The hands should be
washed and rinsed just before re-
firing and dried slightly. While yet
damp rub well with the lotion and the
toughest hand will come out softened in the
morning. never wear gloves at night. be-
cause they make me feel uncomfortable. and
don't believe they make the hands any softer
Ii gloves are worn they should be light in color
and two or three sizes larger than the hand.
Tight gloves will make the hands red. They
should be cleaned often, too.
II never use patent lotions Of any kind and
always advise against il, unless know the in
gradients. One should always use pure soap.
White CASTLE is about the safest soap made.
Cheap high-colored soaps are absolutely dan
gerous.
81 know that these directions sound very
You have seen my hands and they speak for
themselves. Yet I have done great deal of
bard work as any woman must who rears Ave
children without servants. OF course in later
years have been eating my white bread but
my hands were just as soft and white when
did my own washing, baking and brewing.
10 sum II up in few words, L have taken care
OF my hands have never forgotten that "a
well grOomed hand is one of the urincipal