The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-05-21
BELLIES OF OLD ROME
THE TINE AND MONEY THAT WERE
SPENT ON THEIR TOILETS.

Modern Methods ard Cost of BeRuty
CnIture Are simple Compared WITH
Ancient Luxuriousness Hygiene
the Latter Day Ma2ic.
The secret Of eternal youth, so eager.
ly sought 10y the magicians Of all cen
turies and sought In vain has almost
revealed itself to the present genera.
ton; at least we have its watchword,
which is hygiene For youth means
beauty, and beauty means health, and
the skillful beauty specialists accom-
plish all their successes 10y means Of
rational methods based on careful
study Of the causes that may affect TO
its detriment the health Of the skin.
In the dim back ages Of the world Of
civilization beauty was made cult Of
the utmost moment. but for many
century after the downfall Of the Greek
and Roman empires such matters were
allowed to languish. Not until the de-
clining years Of the nineteenth century
was the subject reiustated as one OF
paramount interest But today beauty
specialists abound-some for face treat
mthlt blutIH lbI IndhltuIt anu dEulu
many more for electroysis.
or course these treatments are ex-
pensive, but IL is worth much TO a wo-
man TO be rid Of a carewotn eXpros.
sion. Moreover, 70 feel that her youth
and therefore her beauty is somewhat
restored has beneficial influence upon
her mental state.
But whoever fancies that the modern
husband is to be pitied for the cost Of
his wife's beauty preservatiyes should
consider the toilet expenses of a Ro-
man lady I'm the comparatively early
days of the worlds history Excessive
as may appear the time and money
spent now upon the art of beauty cultl-
walton, the grooming Of a modern won.
an Of fashion seems invested with an
admirable simplicity compared with
the time and money thus expended in
the days of poppUa and ACrippina.
In the early days Of Rome three
classes of slaves assisted at the toilet
Of a lady Of fashion. on leaving her
bed, which was usually al noon, she
Immediately went 20 her bath. where
she was carefully rubbed with pumice
stone. She then put herself in the
hands Of the cosmetics, a class Of slaves
who possessed many secrets for pre-
serving and beautifying the complex.
ion; therefore their functions were con.
sidered of the greatest importance. es-
pecially as they claimed for their arts
hygeian advantages.
BY the cosmetics her face was thor
ouEhly sponged with asses milk, then
masSaged with various mixtures CORE
spending in intention to the skin food"
of these days; with ashes Of snails and
. Of large ants, bruised and burned in
salt; with honey i'm which the bees had
been smOthered; with the fat Of a pull
let mixed with onon-oh, shades Of
Araby! And, lastly, the fat of a swan
was vigorously applied TO which was
attributed the property Of removing
wrinkles. Red spots were effaced with
piece Of woolen cloth stepped in oil Of
roses, and freckles were treated with
a scraping Of sheepskin mixed with oil
Of Corsica, to which was added the
powder of frankincense.
Then appeared the second class Of
slaves, armed with pinchers and porcu-
pine quills. one Of them extracted ev-
cry hair, however minute, from the
face Of her mistress, and another clean
ed the teeth with grated pumies stone,
with marble dust and finally with a
toothpick of porcupine quill
A third class Of slaves, who were Gre
cian colored eyebrows, eyelashes aud
hair to the shade Of my lady's" taste.
Her lips were treated with red pomade,
but II chapped they were first rubbed
with the inside of sheepskin, then
covered with the ashes Of a burnt
mouse mixed with fennel roots.
The last touches Of the toilet were
given by the favorite attendant, the
slave kept by every patrician Roman
woman for the sole purpose of apply
ing fragrant unguents. Each part OF
the body had its own unguent-the hair
had sweet marjoram, the neck and
knees wild thyme, the arms balsam,
the cheeks and breast palm oil, the feet
and legs saffron. Then after final
sprinkling Of Indian perfumes on hair
and dress the favored slave in order
that the finished work might be appre,
ciated handed TO her mistress a mirror,
1t was not of silver-those were SO
common they ywere used only by slaves
but a costly thing Of gold, ornamented
with precious stones, held by a handle
Of mother of pearl, the mirror itself
formed of n composite Of several met
ais so exquisitely polished as to be not
inferior 10 glass, which was then un-
known.
All. the modern husband may be con-
graduated that his lines were not cast
in the days of Brutus and Cato Of
Utica al-Washington Star.