Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-25
NUNS FIRST POWDERED HAIR.
Fashionable Danes, Struck by Novel
Effect, Adopted the Custom.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
The custom of powdering the hair dates
back as far as the sixteenth century and
was first introduced by the nuns in French
converts. Those who had occasion to leave
the cloisters for any reason were wont to
powder their hair so as to make 1t appear
gray and give them venerable look. The
fashionable danes were SO struck with the
novel effect Of white powder on dark hair
that they soon appropriated the device as
one Of the arts of the worldly toilet. Out
of this grew the use of tints In the hair.
The Roman women often used blue powder
and later, in 1860, Empress Eugene set the
fashion Of using gold powder.
Rome under the empire and Greece dur
ing the time of Pericles were seized with a
mania for golden hair. The bellies and tops
of the day devised several methods whereby
black locks might be changed to golden
yellow, but bleaching did not always sue
coed. Consequently quite trade was estab-
Iished with the fair-haired tribes beyond
the Alps, who sold their locks to Latin
merchants, to be worn ON the heads of
Roman handles.
Many dame dampened her raven tresses
In the strongest of nuriatic acid and sat in
the sun to bleach her hair to the coveted
yellow. Others used I've and afterward
anointed their heads with oil made from
goat fat, ashes of the beech tree and GER
tain yellow flowers.
and out when people ceased to use powder
In their hair, was quite parsonage in his
day. He went from house to house, armed
with soap bowl to fit the chin. powder
boxes, pomatun and puffs, was always a
newsmonger and a gratuitous scandal
bearer.
When wigs were in vogue the Roman
danes had In their wardrobes as many
wigs as costumes, and when the choice of
a wig was made 1t was necessary to ar
range the eyebrows, lashes and complexion
In harmony. 1t was then that the slaves
were specially charged with the makeup of
the face-a delicate operation, called by
Cicero "Medicaments candOrfs ct rubo~is."
There were some cunning devices in vogue
among the bellies of the old world for CIV
ing expression to the eye. The most reck-
less of them were wont to place a single
drop Of that deadly poison, prussio acid. in
the bottom OF q wine glass and hold 1t
against the eyes for two or three seconds.
Or, more rashly still. they would take a
small quantity piece not larger than a
grain OF rice-of an ointment containing
that mortal drug, atropia, and rub 1t on the
brow. Each of these was supposed to give
and impart fascinating fullness and mel
lowness to the eye. Certain slightly pun
gent and volatile perfumes such as oil of
thyme, were occasionally worn on the
handkerchief, causing the eyes to glitter
and sparkle. The eye was made to appear
of a fine pencil dipped in antimonical sui
phur or Egyptian black, rubbed upon the
lids along the angle
But, after all. the surest means by which
of pleasing Is to be young In spirit IL not in
years; and every bit as pretty as Is possible
with all the legitimate means at her COM
mand II she Ii always kind and gentle,
always ready to give to others the sunniest
side of her nature.