Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-11
THE HANDS IN WINTER.
How chapping and Redness of the
Skin May Be Avoided.
Now Ynrk sun

One Of the minor ills to which human flesh
is heir when winters chilling blasts search
out and discover weak spots is roughness of
the skin, particularly Of the hands.
The chief reason Of this common. but annoy
ing accompaniment of cold weather is that the
skin, losing it's elasticity because of a lack
of natural secretion at a time that atmos-
pheric conditions do not induce perspiration
becomes unduly dry and contracted. and so is
liable to crack. 1t is a tender skin that will
do this, because tender skins are thin and deli
cate and cannot stand what rougher ones will
Another cause is careiessness in drying the
skin after washing It., particularly If it is
washed Immediately before going ont into the
open air or directly after coming in.
Very many persons in cold weather dare not
wash their hands either before going out or
Immediately after coming in, for If they do
even though the water they use be warm
their skin will burn so as to be painful, and it
will look red besides. ~
They may avoid such an annoyance If they
will rub on the hands q little cold cream or
camphor ice, allow IL to remain moment
or so and then remove ii with a soft, old
handkerchief, either Of silk or cambria
Another delightful emollient for the hands,
arms and neck is fine oatmeal. Put it into
flannel bag, boil il, and then place 1t in the
water intended for abIutions; or It may be
kept dry I'm Jar on the toilet table and some
rubbed on the hands whenever they are washed.
Honey rubbed into the skin while still wet,
drying it in as the skin Is dried, is also
II hands were dried more carefully there
would be less roughness Of the skin. good
lsan is to dry the hands well, after using the
towel, with an DID, solft, silk handkerchief,
which will absorb any moisture left.
Glycerine is old friend but as alone it
is Irritating to most skins it should be diluted
with rose water pure water; one part o.
glycerine TO three parts of rose water. If about
one dram of acetic acid Is used to one ounce
Of glycerine 1t helps to remove stains from the
hands
n a woman is wise she will take the pre-
caution to wear gloves when busting a room
doing any kind Of work that will soil her
hands
Not every woman can have a perfect hand.
but every woman can have a beautifully kept
hand. The perfect hand, according to Firen-
tury who wrote Dialogue on the Beauty
of women, has fingers long, slender. taper
ing somewhat toward the tip. The nails should
be transparent, like pale rubies among pink
roses and leaves of the pomegranate flower
not long, not round nor altogether square,
but of fair shape and with a very little boss,
uncovered, clean and well kept, so that at
the base the little white crescent Is visible.
Above, beyond the flesh Of the finger, an
edge should be seen as wide as a small knife
is thick. without the smallest suspicion OF
black at the tip. And the whole hand must be
Of a tender, firm surface, as though II were Of
fine silk or OF the softest cotton.
Tapertng fingers are indispensable TO the per-
feet hand. Beauty often takes great pains
to acquire this shape. Nine. Patterson Bona
parties hands and arms were celebrated for
their beauty-a beauty preserved even to ex-
In order to keep their shape and color she
wore long gloves continuously day and night
and at night she also wore ten little thimble-
shaped caps of silver, which kept her fingers
Queen Victoria was also noted for the beauty
Of her hand and arm. Age in nowise affected
the beautiful cure of wrist, which was not the
least attractive feature of her remarkable hand
and
An old writer talking about Mary Stuart
tells how beautiful and white were her hands
and adds that when she was In trouble they
looked very pathetic and helpless against her
black gown.