Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-08
THE QU$fOf BEAUTY
How to Care For 3 and Treat the
Hands and Feet.
FOR CHILDREN, TOO
MANY EVILS RESULT FROM
SIMPLE CAUSES.
Do Not Let Them GO Barefooted-Good
Hints to Fol-

written for The Evening Star by Katherine Morton.
Miss Katherine Morton Dear Madam:
Can you tell me how to take care of
Mabels feet and hands? She is five years
old, and have heard that unless a child's
hands are cared for in the beginning they
Will never be pretty. 1t is not proper to
use manicure tools on so young a child, is
1t! And as to her feet-she is suffering
from them already, and 1 am afraid she
has future of pain before her. Already
little corns have appeared on the top of
each small toe, and her toes have peculiar
way of overlapping. Sincerely yours,
IAN INQUIRING READER"
1t is remarkable to hear of corns appear
ing on little feet that have trod so few
miles. 1t seems impossible that this sad
state of affairs should exist unless Mabel
has been wearing shoe that are too small
for her, even though her proper size must
be small enough. If only AN Inquiring
Reader would pick up the blessed baby
and take her directly to good shoe shop,
have her fitted out with an entire new set
of shoes and slippers of proper size, then
go about healing up the troubles that have
arisen
Remember for your consolation, that
nature is always on the side of the young.
She tights for them at every turn. The
older person will yield to trea tment in the
case of SO young child. 1t may take some
time, months, perhaps. maybe only weeks,
for results to show. You must persist and
you will be amply repaid for your trouble.
First of ALL soak the feet in warm water
until you can remove the corns easily with
out cutting. After they have been removed
dress the spots with vaselne Cut two little
pieces from an old kid glove, a convenient
size to lay the top of the afflicted toes;
cut a hole in each of the size of the corn;
fit it on. This will keep the shoe from
rubbing the old spot Apply the vaseline
twice a day, rubbing 1t in.
Tight Shoe Evils.
The case of the overlapping toes is not
uncommon one. and in many instances it
cannot be traced to tight shoes. 1t seems
often to be a matter of stubbornness on the
part of the toes. 1t is most annoying and
should be promptly corrected, for if left to
it's own devices it may bring about corns
or ingrown nails. !
Cut little strip of moderately soft paper,
and see that its edge is slightly rough,
otherwise it may cut the toes. Weave it in
and out between the toes leaving 1t long
enough at each end to catch underneath
them. Each toe is thus given little prison
cell all to itself where it cannot NEEDLE
with its neighbor. Tell Miss Goldenlocks
that the toes have been naughty-they have
been running away from home and playing
punished. The operation will loose its dull
ness. Worn with loose shoe and stock
ing the paper will not disturb her. and in
a few days you may leave it out and try the
have to repeat the punishment few times.
If Care Had Been Used.
How few grown people have anything
but ugly misshapen toenails; and how many
might have tidy and pretty ones if they had
rad ff,ri IN, obi ia CHI
able women employ manicures to give their
feet the same treatment as their hands.
even to staining the nails with rose stain.
This certainly seems to be dissipation Of
vanity; but there is no folly in keeping the
feet and their nails as shapely and neat as
possible.
Give the little feet a soaking in warm
soapsuds once a week, after which the skin
should be pushed gently back from the
nails with a bluntly pointed orangewood
stick Clean the nails thoroughly with the
stick, and if there is a black stain showing
from the stocking, dip the stick in lemon
juice or a fngernail bleach. Either ac-
complishes the desired result for hands and
feet, provided you use a first-class bleach
but lemon juice is always preferable to a
poor bleach, which may contain injurious
ingredients.
The curved manicure scissors will not be
convenient in clipping the toe nails, for they
should be cut straight across. If they are
rounded up or pointed there Will be pres
sure upon them and they will be driven
back until they grow in and become very
painful. The straight nail makes this pres
sure impossible, and Il is also protection
to stockings which wear through fast
enough under the best conditions.
Ingrowing Nails.
If nail shows an inclination to grow in
at the edges, cut little notch in the mid
die of it. The tendency then will be to
grow toward the notch and fill it up. This
draws the nail away from the skin at the
sides.
Do not let your child go barefooted Much
is said in favor of this custom, but we have
reached a state of civilization where it is
impossible To be sure, it Is natural as its
advocates claim; but sc is it natural to go
without clothes at all Primeval man did
this. But we cannot. We have become too
sensitive. We should suffer from heat and
cold. The child of this century is liable to
injury when barefooted. With all the
knowledge of blood poisoning that is cur
rent, it is strange that any parent can al
low child to run such risks of wounds as
bare feet invite either in the house or out
doors Whether the wound be from lost
pin or sharp stone, 1t makes little differ
ence. There is danger in both.
The little leather sandal that has come
into fashion recently is valuable summer
shoe for small child. 1t keeps the foot |
cool and relaxes it from pressure; at the
same time the straps are arranged that fine |
and become needlesslv broad, as it did in |
the soft Indian moccasins that were once
a fad.
Fortunately. spring heels are fashionable
for children; otherwise. it is doubtful |
whether they would be allowed the comfort |
and safety of theBl. "A growing girl may be |
much injured by q high heelr
Use Tools, Too.
Now about the little hands. Why not use |
manicure tools On them? The correct tools
are of benefit to: all hands, no matter how
small Their use'is very important in the |
case Of little folks. for the nails can be |
and the earlier this training process
is begun the better, just as with ali habits
Give the little hands their weekly mani |
cure as conscientiously as you give If tn
your own Trim the fails first, for they be- |
come softened by the soaking process and
1t will be difficult to. shape them for some |
time afterward Sf
The trimming should be performed with |
curved scissors. the Same that Won ,1se for
yourself. Begin at Che outer corner and
cut upward toward the middle. otherwise
the points Of the scissors are likely TO nrick
the skin and cause soreness Cuttine the
nails Is much better than filing them If |
they are long, despite a prevailing notion
to the contrary. 1t does not cause them to |
grow heavy as readily. After the cutting
has brought them to likeness of the |
proper shape-which shape is SLIGHTLY round- |