Evening star., 1936-12-26

as overlarded with useless language
as the women we're over-dressed and
furniture over-stuffed. Convention
itself q word for sham-was the order
OF the day. So the writer in Harper's
reluctantly compelled to acknowledge
the popularity of Floras Caskets, takes
refuge in sarcasm: Our danes have
no occasion, of course" he continues,
with their natural stock of charms
to avail themselves of these resources
of art 80. tyeO it is puzzling to con-
lecture what these French boxes Of
pigment are used for in the United
States where there Is said to be a large
sale for them"
Some seven years later, in 1875,
Harper's published a series of Hints
for the Toilet, under the intriguing
title, The Ugly Girl Papers" As
one OF the initial attempts to divorce
public opinion from the axiom of the
age that ability did not coincide with
beauty In woman. these papers
have prime social value As the ed.
itor points out, The motto No excel
about personal improvement as any,
thing else. Celebrated beauties have
all used these arts which must be the
earliest of all, since we have no rec
ord Of their first teaching, the arts Of
the toilette"
Having got this confession of its
chest. the volume carefully warns that
both from. principle and preference
dD discountenances paint and pow-
der, but if IA woman) must resort to
artificial beauty let her be artistic
about 1t and not lay on paint as one
would furniture polish No one can
cavil at this advice. Ovid had said
the self-same thing, Hide the tricks
Of your beautifying arts"
Telling how the famous beauties
OF history had guarded their heritage
by the use of softening creams and
preservative lotions. the papers also
mention that Her Majesty the Queen
OF England uses nothing but distilled
water for her toilet"
PSYCHOLOGY, then unknown as a
science, was nevertheless Begin
ming to leaven the hard lump of So
cial thinking. ITO remain charming"
says the scribe in Harper's, keep hold
on love and faith in romance. Emo.
ton has livelier power than the sun
has over the blood. Sunshine, music,
work and sleep are great medicines
for women. The body at best is the
perfect expression of the soul"
Even in stern Scottish Edinburgh
Henry Southgate. in 1877, published
an important volume entitled Things
Lady Would Like to Know" It Is
not so much the time-worn recipes
for hand lotions. perfumes, powders,
cream and salves that attract the at
tention of today's thinkers, as the
psychology underlying the authors
Hints on Department and Condition
in Life" Among the minor virtues
which tend to cement the bond Of
conjugal affection" he says, "the
Christian female must not overlook
that of personal neatness and self
respect. There Is a greater con-
nection between mental and outward
PulA blAutl cOulC diC dWdTC XQG
idea goes back to Plato. but O self
satisfied century was Just beginning to
ponder its truth.
That women were willing to suffer
in this new search for beauty In
startingly proved by a Mrs. Sarah
Jane Pierce. who published "Homely
Girls" in 1890. "Flipping soapsuds
into the eyes, will give them a bright
ness for time" she explains, but
1t is rather painful. well, I'll say
sol" exclaims the indignant modern.
Spanish ladies'" continues the in
formative Mrs. Pierce, "often squeeze
the juice of the ripened sweet orange
into the eyes to make them sparkle.
1t is not so painful as lemon juice
Another chorus from today's smart
beauties: Il should hope not!"
(Ed. Note: This is the sepenth
tn series OF articles on the his
tory OF cosmetics. The merit wtu
appear SHORTLY on this DdoeJ