New Britain herald., 1924-11-29
THE OBSER VER- Makes Random Observations
 On the City and Its People

that these ancient Egyptian belles stained their fingers and palms of their hands with henna. Today the manicured girl always dabs a bit of rose paste on her nails to finish the effect,
 There are different standards of beauty in different parts of the world and during the different eras.
 In India, for instance, a Sanskrit writer Of two thousand years ago describes preparation for a we'd ding, one feature of which was staining the feet of the bride.
 Then there was the Mussulman of ancient times. The bridegroom of ancient days gave very com plete vanity case to his bride, con taining, among other things, box for betel nut for chewing so that her teeth would be nice and dark, \, a bottle to sprinkle altar of roses. a box for holding "meesee," which was powder of gall nuts and vitrol, also for blackening the teeth, and one for "soor" to blacken the eyelids and for "kaIul" to blacken the eyelashes.
 There were also combs and glasses, which in It's entirety was something on the vanity case which the modern maid dangles as she trips lightly down the street today.
 The Assyrians were a luxurious and beauty-loving people, and both men and women were addicted to an elaborate use of cosmetics. Ac- cording to history, the last mon arch, by name Sardanapolis, dressed and painted like his women," and 1t Is due to this van- ity that he met his death. One of his generals visiting him found him penciing his eyebrows and stabbed him.
 One Of the ancient belles, re- puted to be a great beauty who practiced painting and powdering of her time, was Amytes, the wife of Nebachadnezzar In her day the Babylonan beauties used stilium, a preparation similar to kohl, ap- piled to the lids and corners of the eye to make them brilliant; red and white paint for their faces and pumice stone, used 10 rub the skin to make 1t soft. Then they were ready for a stroll through the gardens of Babylon.
 Egypt's sophisticated queen, Cleo patra, was another who belongs in the gallery of cosmetic experts.
 The Greek and Roman women of twenty-five hundred years ago were among those who made the trade in cosmetics brisk. The Greek women painted their faces with white lead and colored cheeks and lips with vcrmillion. The color was applied with the finger or small brush. Kohl was also used by the Grecian danes for their eyebrows.
 
 If there is any man or woman in the audience who is not thankful he $ an American he should make tracks for distant lands before next Day
 This is America, the land of op- The door is always open 0 those who have enough vigor to walk in. In no other land can a nan acquire material prosperity so quickly. In no other land Is ma erial prosperity so lavishly and widely dispensed. In spite of our political system. which is as full of 'aults as a Swiss cheese is full 0: holes, the greater part of our mil ions of inhabitants are well fed, well 'lothed and well sheltered. Amori "a seems to get ahead regardless of 
 Even during a business depression we are better off financially than the peoples of many other countries turing boom period. Only in rare instances does a case of starvation occur and that is frequently due to , false sense Of pride which keeps 3 person from asking for help.
 The trouble with US all is that we're getting soft The world Is handed to us on a sterling silver platter trimmed with diamonds, and f one of the diamonds happens Q ack brilliancy we stand up on our hind feet and bray We have had so many good things In life that we think the sky ought 10 be illumin- lted with rainhows. We lack Cou.- lge 10 go about our daily tasks when they are hard. Ii is som uch ,asier 10 srunt and fume and blame on the government or -ha system which prevents iis from rid ng around in plush lined limousines f half the energy we expend in finding fault was put into getting he job done, America would be go far ahead of the rest of the world In every respect that Europe and