The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-02-24
POWDERED HAIR
Nuns Set the Fashion Quite Unwt-
tingiy.

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 clois-
tiers for any reason were wont TO DOW
der their hair so as to make it ap
pear gray and give them a venerable
Slook. The fashionable danes were
so struck with the novel effect of
white powder on dark hair that they
soon appropriated the device as oae
OF the arts of the worldly toilet. Out
OF this grew the use of tjats in the
hair. The Roman women often used
blue powder and later, in 1860, Emp,
ress Eugene set the fashion of using
gold powder
Rome, under the empire. aad
Greece, during 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 succeed. Consequently quite
trade was established with the
fair-haired tribes beyond the Alps,
who sold their locks to Latin mer-
chants to be worn on the heads Of
Roman dandies.
Many a dame dampened her raven
tresses in the strongest muriatc acid /
and sat in the sua to bleach her hair
to the covered yellow. Others used |
I've and afterward anOinted their !
heads with oil made from goat fat. |
ashes OF the beech tree and certain |
yellow flowers.
The itinerant barber who passed |
1own and out when people ceased to
Use powder in their hair. was quite
4 parsonage in his day. He went from
house to house. armed with a soap
bowl to fit the chin, powder boxes,
Domatum and puffs. was always a
lewsmonger and a gratuitous scandal
bearer
When wigs were in vogue the
loman danes had in their wardrobes
s many wigs as costumes. and when
he choice Of wig was made it was
necessary to arrange the eyebrows.
ashes and complexion in harmony.
was then that the slaves were
pecially charged with the makeup
Il the face-a delicate operation.
allied by Cicero "Medicaments can
oris ct ruboris"
There were some cunning devices in
ogue among the bellies of the Old
World for giving expression to the
We. The most reckless of them were
'ont to place a single drop of that
eadly poison, prussic acid, in the
ottom of a wine glass and hold it
gainst the eyes for two or three
econds. Or. more rashly still. they
ould take small Quantity-a piece
OF larger than grain of rice-of {
n ointment containing that mortal
rug. atropia, and rub it on the brow. {
ach OF these were supposed to give
earness and brilliancy, expand the
upil and impart a fascinating fulness
I'd mellowness to the eye. Certain
lightly pungent and volatile per-
ines, Such as OIL or thyme, were
OCCASIONALLY worn on the handker- {
lief. causing the eyes to glitter and {
'arkle. The eye was made to ap- 1
ear large, full and almond shaped i
, the use Of fine pencil dipped in a
timonical sulphur or Egyptian black a
bbed upon the lids along the angle I
But, after all, the surest means by s
1ich woman may acquire and pre- d
rye the gift of pleasing is to be 5
Jung in spirit if not in years and n
cry bit as pretty as is possible with il
the legitimate means at her COM v
and, if she is always kind and gen O
), always ready to give to others the C.
nniest side of her nature-ChicagO G