Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-03-16
PORTALS new YORK LETTER

Now York. March 2..-Lent comes to
some people as special improving
time. I don't mean from spiritual
standpoint, but from. q worldly point
of view, and with an impetus born Of
the hour they rush into a vortex of all
sorts Of classes for study. The up-to-
date girl means to do great deal in
forty days, but of all the classes to
which she belongs none has fuller
attendance than "The How to be
beautiful. Glass. = At this class the
other morning. the woman who presided
over it startled all the buds and bellies
by saying that few women knew how
TO wash their faces. Every woman in
voluntarily passed her hand over her
face, as though to refute this imputa.
ton. The papers and magazines devote
columns to the matter of bathing,
and fancy they will continue to do SO
as long as women haye faces to wash
old story, but If women would pay more
attention to it, they would hnvo
clearer and sweeter compilations.
The directions given this morning
wcre very simple. They called, first Of
ALL for bowl Of very hot water, somc
pure CASTLE soap and soft linen rag.
The water should be as hot rs the face
can bear. Wash carefully in the hot
water until allf6the pores feel open.
Then dry with . softira and RIB woll
into the skin d good pure cream Of
some kind. Cocoa butter, cold crcani.
almond oil are all good. 1t should then
be washed in a generous lather of the
hot water and soap to remove the
cream: then in tepid water to take
away the soap, and then dash on very
cold water, TO which gives that firm,
flexible skin SO desirable. Try this
every night or morning and in month
you will find decided Improvement.
Away back in the days OF the Roman
Empire, when to be a beauty meant to
ho a success, there were many baths in
vogue, but they all called for hot water
and some kind of oil. When the March
breezes are tanning yolir cheek a fro
quent washing in a solution of half
water and half lemon will keep tho
wind-burn away. H
Most women treat their faces as IL.
they wern masks TO be renewed, at
pleasure. but as weshave to.wear this
same God-given mask TO tho, end of,our
days, it is we'll to consider it'seriously,
is it not? y & 'sSt
OF course we are told a lot about
proper food at these Lenten classes and
that reminds me that this woman who
said that the lemon was woman's best
friend, and often.in the morning, when
that heavy wretched feeling We call the
blues" comes over us, she would go
breakiastless and take the juice OF
lemon and water, it would clear those
glasses through which she looks at life,
and the nooptide would have a rosy
hue. Itis unromantic, my dear, but
nevertheless true, that "blues''are often
liver.
/ went from this beauty class to one
on politics, and 1t would seem as though
that old god Of war was thirsting for
more blood. Meantime, Dame Folly
follows his lead by proclaiming red
the dernier cri in color. Red is war
color, surely. During the Civil War it
was much worn. 1t was the color of
the liberty cap in the Reign Of Terror.
Purple is the color par excellence dur
ing the pentitential season. They will
divide honors between them, as you
know they are both ecclesiastical colors.
Purple is color of so many tints il
can be made becoming to every one.
From the deep royal purple, suited to
the silvery- hair grande dame, to the
pinkish heliotrope milady debutante
may wear, it il popular with Mother
yioletY And that reminds me tbat II
has been sejeoted as the Stats flower of
Rhode Island. .TsI ~
The study of these State f,owers ;s
rather interesting: Vermont has 90.
lected the red clover: C,olorado tba
Columbine: Idaho. the. svr;ngia. In
diana. the corn tassel: Maine. the nine
cone; Michigan, the annie blossom
Montana. the hitter root. Nebraslsa
the golden rod: Navadal the sunfoyuar.
New York. the rose-.-the red rose ~
York. | fancy-and your little State
has taken for its emblem~ whatP
Could IL he ANYTHING else than tha
peach blossomY
Every woman should salect soma
flower for her own nart;cnlar ono some
flower whose color scheme and narf,,me
she will follow ont in her fads and
fancies. II is NOT a new idea Cath.
orine d,Medici. nm her MARRIAGE with
Henry TT. Introduced from Jtsiv the
custom 81 using nerfn,ne in France
and she was known by a subtle nunoent
musk whose odor was always about her,
This perfnme was mazda by ono Rena
who came from Florence n make nsr.
iumes for the aristoorat;c won,an ~ Tho
Trencb Conrt The perfnmed cloves
that inf an end To the existence If
Jeanne Oueen of Navarro tbe nother
If Harry tba " were sa;d r. bava
been made AT his estabIishment and
were a off 10 the oueen from Catherine
d'Medici. II became the fashion for