The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-12

in quality and shape which betray neg feet.
 Said Victor Hugo: >"iod took his soft est clay and His purest colors and made a fragile jewel, mysterious and caress- ing-the fingers of a. woman-then He fell asleep The devil awoke. and at the end of that rosy finger put-;a nail.
 It is within the power of any woman possessed of average ability, to become her own manicure. But if she knows nothing of the art she will save time, trouble and mistakes by trusting her nails few times to the trained mani cure.
 Only Simple Implements Needed.
 The simplest implements do the work as effectively as the most expensive. and but three are absolutely necessary-the slender, sharp curved scissors, a nail file and a chamois-covered buffer, or pohsh- er-but an orange stick is convenient for keeping the tuticle, or scarf skin, back from the nail.
 Before manicuring the nails they should be softened by holding the fingers for a few minutes in bowl or warm, soapy water in which a few drops Of tincture of benzoin, aromatic vinegar or perfumed water have been poured. This prevents the nails from breaking or splitting un- OeT the Ule UT SIASSoAo anu icoSSA'S N'-~ cuticle as well. The nails should he kept just the length of the fingers and trimmed in an oval curve. which exactly serves natures purpose, the protection of the sensitive tip of the finger and giving strength to hold things. Many manicur- ists object to cutting the nails and keep them in shape entirely with the file. but the treatment muet be adapted to the tex ture of the nail and scissors are not merely harmless, but best for some.
 Al '"'~'ming the nails while they are still soft l.c.l the action of the warm aromatic water, push the scarf skin down closely about the roots. This must be done very carefully and gently to avoid breaking the skin, and using the tip of the nail file, an orange stick or the thumb nail of the other hand, wrap ped in a bit of old linen or a soft towel Never cut the scarf skin, even when 1t has been allowed to grow up upon the nail, for it is then more liable to break and cause annoying and even painful agnails, commonly called hangnaiis. Af- ter long neglect it will be some time be- fore the scarf skin can be trained to stay in place and disclose the pearly hued lunella which is the crowning beauty of well-shaped and well-oared-for nails
 Cleaning the Nails.
 Never clean the ndilS WIlH d sHd1p- pointed implement If the brush fails in it's office scratch them over a cake of soap and then ruo the finger tips In the palm of the hand or on a Turkish wash cloth. This is effectual for anything but stains. which require lemon juice.
 A little polishing powder may be used once or twice a week. and light rub bing with the chamois polisher every day gives the finishing touch to the man. touring. Too much polishing is to be avoided, also the use of deeply tinted powders. for the artificial appearance thus produced is vulgar and detrimental.
 If the nails be hard and br tile. rub little vaseline, cold cream or almond oil on them at night; if they are delicate and tender wax and alum will strength en them. Lemon juice also strengthens the nails, and will arrest the growth of the scarf skin upon them.