The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-08-05
BELLIES OF OLD ROME.
THE TIME AND MONEY THAT WERE
SPENT ON THEIR TOILETS.


Culture Are Simple Compared With
Ancient LuxuriOusness = Hygiene
the Latter Day Magic.
The secret Of eternal youth, SO eager.
ly sought by the magicians of all cen
turtles and sought in vain, has almost
revealed itself to the present genera
ton; at least we have it's watchword. |
which is hygiene. For youth means
beauty, and beauty means health, and
the skillful beauty specialists accom-
plish all their successes by means OF
rational methods based on a 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 a cult of |
the utmost moment, but for many a |
century after the downfall of the Greek |
and Roman empires such matters were
allowed to anguish. Not until the de- |
clining years of the nineteenth century |
was the subject reinstated as one of |
paramount interest. But today beauty |
specialists abound-some for face treat |
ment, others for manicure and again
many more for electrolysis.
OF course these treatments are ex
pensive, but it is worth much to a wo
man to be rid Of a careworn expires
sion. Moreover, to feel that her youth |
and therefore her beauty is somewhat !
restored has a 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 preservatives should |
consider the toilet expenses of a Ro |
man lady in the comparatively early |
days of the worlds history. Excessive
as may appear the time and money |
spent now upon the art of beauty cult |
walton, the grooming of modern won
an Of fashion seems invested with an
admirable simplicity compared with |
the time and money thus expended IL |
the days of Popp9a and Agrippina
In the early days of Rome three
classes of slaves assisted at u toilet
Of lady of fashion. On leaving her
bed, which was usually at noon, she
Immediately went to her bath, where
she was carefully rubbed with pumicc
stone. She then put herself in The
hands of the cosmetics, 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
oughly 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 In which the bees had |
been smothered; with the fat of a pull
let mixed with onion-oh, shades of
Araby! And, lastly, the fat of swan
was vigorously applied, to which was
attributed the property of removing |
wrinkles. Red spots were effaced with |
piece Of wooden cloth STEPPED in oil of !
roses, and freckles were treated with |
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 quilts. One of them extracted ev
cry hair, however minute, from the |
face of her mistress, and another clean |
ed the teeth with grated pumice stone
with marble dust and finally with a |
toothpick OF porcupine Quill.
A third class of slaves, who were Gre
clan, colored eyebrows. eyelashes and |
hair to the shade of my lady's" taste
Her lips We're treated with red pomade,
but If chapped they were first rubbed |
with the inside of a sheepskin, then
covered with the ashes of a burn
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 it's 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 a 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 were used only by slaves
but costly thing of gold. ornamented
with precious stones, held by handle
of mother of pearl. the mirror itself |
formed of composite of several met
ais so exqufsitely polished as to be not
inferior to 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 !-Washingto Star.