The age-herald., 1900-07-01

understood and made the most of, bringing wholesome healthful atmosphere that surrounds the body like a charm, and whose influence is felt to radiate through out a room full of peopie.
 This is the secret of Paths perpetual youth, Duses marvellous power, and Bern hardt's fascination.
 T have studied Bernhadt, the physical woman, as I had no interest in studying Bernhardt, the actress, and if you had seen as l have her absolute boise and command of herself, her lustrous natural hair, her perfect teeth and perfectly cared-for hands and complexion and her art in dress, you also would consider it a blessing to hover in the train of the grandmother of fifty years.
 Miss May Handy the belle of the South, considered the most beautiful wo- man in Richmond, Baltimore and Phila- delphia society, Is over 55, and two seasons ago wheeled over the whole of Europe. Helen of Troy came upon the stage at the age of 4S. Aspasia was 36 when married to Pericles, and she was a brilliant figure thirty years after. Diane de Poiteres was 36 when she won the heart of Henry II. Anne of Austria was 3S when described as the most beautiful woman in Europe. Madame de Maintenon was 43 when united to Louis, and Catherine of Russia was 33 when she seized the throne she occupied for thirty-fiVe years
 q believe" said Miss Staley, these wo- men and all others past the two-decade period of beauty were more able to inspire more lasting and intense admiration than those younger rivals who pass into froWsy and forgotten middle age; first of all be- cause of the self-denial and understanding that they brought to their habits of eating, sleeping, bathing and dressing, and prob ably in the very order of their precedence, and as well to that nurtured and developed instinct inherent in every daughter of Eve, that teaches healthy woman how to make the most of natural charms.
 There may be women in my audience whose training leads them against so worldly theory, but, on the other hand, l know strong and morally beautiful wo- men who hold it as sin to despse the body, and I notice it is their influence for good that reaches the farthest.
 Miss Staley here gave some practical suggestions in the importance of fresh air. 'Those persons who consistently sleep with closed windows and in small rooms with deficiency of air and it's proper crcula- tion can note the evil effects in their own lustreless eyes and pale cheeks I want to emphasize the statement" she said, that air is not only valuable as regards quality, but as regards quantity also. Although during sleep the breathing can neither be quickened nor augmented in amount of respiration beyond the actual tidal capaci- ty of the lungs, as it can be while awake by exercise: yet it Is susceptible of the reverse process-of being unduly diminish ed to the reduction of the oxygen inspired and consequent accumulation of carbonic acid in the system. It is the habit many have of excluding all possibility of draughts from sleeping apartments and or too heavy bed clothing over the chest that is too susceptible at the best to outer influences that are due most of the head aches and sore threats, the flushed face and lassitude of awakening.
 My own plan is to insist upon a draught anywhere in my sleeping room except over my head and then to keep the apartment, winter and summer, just cold, as care fully aired and as sunny as can be man. aged, always an abundance of light bed clothing over the extremities.
 In speaking upon the subject of bathing. Miss Staley said it must be viewed as an agent of health in two distinct aspects first in it's capacity a cleanser of the skin and secondly as an agent of very considerable tonic power, possessed of great nervous sensibility and influence It is not unusual" she continued, Ito hear women say they prefer the cold bath to the warm or vice versa. They forget these serve absolutely distinct purposes and that both are essential It might as well be said that one preferred capes to pettcoats.
 Simple cool water without soap has no power to dissolve the oily matter. In ad-
 
 plunge, or rub down, tepid bath is abso- lutely needful This is preferably taken at night when one may retire with that delicious sense of lassitude and then only for few minutes once every three or four days, according to the amount of exerton which the frame undergoes. Every morn- ing, however, dry rub or tepid sponging is excellent if one exercises sufficiently either in the gymnasium or over house. work. All rabbling in cold water should be avoided and for persons seriously re- duced in vitality the quick cold morning rub down should be foll v d by a.l alco- holic rub down. For the strongly vital person nothing is so absolutely pleasurable as the whole plunge"
 Miss Staley expressed the opinion that it would be many years before American women as class could safely use the cold plunge as English and Canadian women do. At 50 English women have the most marvellous skin, hair and teeth that many American women lose at 35. The English mother begins earlier with the regulation of diet and exercise, and the result is in the difference between the complexion of a child fed on pastry, biscuits, boiled rice and preserves, the staples of many Ameri- tables and boarding schools, and the child in the English nursery.
 Miss Staley talked at length upon toilet hints and gave number of useful toncs for beautifying the complexion, but her
 
 fundamental principles that underlie health, the need of proper diet and ex- ercise by gymnasium methods, and their result.
 She later on touched upon the art of dress, which is always a subtle, delicate and attractive subject to women, and one which Miss Staley declared was too broad in its philosophical aspect to warrant but a brief allusion.
 "The scientific study of dress,' she con tinued, "and the wearing of clothes is most essential study, for color and fab ric and style are by no means arbitrary arrangements nor chance circumstances.
 Tt may appear a thankless task" she said, ito the man observer to try to dis cover in the prevailing modes any special striving after ideals.
 Miss Staley brought smile to the lips of many women present when she pictured Lillian Russell with her high bust and short neck either in severe Greek folds the Empire gown or the Russian blouse These styles demand not the high bust, many-boned stays of the past, but the