Year: 1873

1t is startling and somewhat
amusing fact, says the New York


Commercial -4dcertiser, that the
majority of peoples faces are seldom


clean. Generally, the habit of wash
ing the face in the morning prevails,


but with many persons is the only
time in twenty-tour hours that this
ablution takes place. With some
women there exists prejudice
against washing their faces at all;
they believe that bathing and rub


bing produce eruptions-that the
skin of the face is handsomer the


less it is washed. Men return from


business, and before entering the
drawihg-room, retire to their dress
ing apartments TO "wash their hands
and brush their hair" unconscious
that their faces are not clean. La
dies come home from q shopping


excursion or drive in the park,


and arrange their toilets without
touching their faces, except to dust
them with powder as the last act of
establishment. We invariably send
the children to their nurse to have
their faces washed before dinner,
or dozen times daily; but because
we are men and women, and have
not strcaks Of black across check or
nose, we do not question the clean
illness Of our faces. 1t is taken for
granted that the faces of adult crca-
tion are clean, unless 1T be those of
machinists, chimney sweeps or coal
beavers. We are certainly impress.
ed with the muddy complexion of
Mrs. Slovenly, and remark how
"sallow' Mrs. Slipshod has become,
but it did not occur to us that their
faces are always soiled. We meet
Miss Blank on the promenade, who
has risen late and washed hurried
ly, leaving the sleepy bugs in the
corners of her eyes; we eXclaim:-
clad Miss Blank a clear skin, how
pretty she would be-" We should
not believe that it was rarely that
Miss Blanks face was thoroughly
washed; that it was usually covered
with "Oriental Cream" and dust,
which being slept in at night, and
and but half removed in the morn
ing, soon changes the natural puri-
ty Of the skin.


There is no portion of the body
that requires SO much care as to
cleanliness AS the face. 1t is the
receptacle for the dust from the
room day and night. 1t receives
the siftlngs blown from the ash bar
rels and coal carts, and all impuri-
ties in the streets. Specks of oily
dandruff from the hair are hourly
falling on the face, apd the most
conservative Of us are constantly
placing our faces against something
that soils, from the cheek of the
sour baby, who is the pet of the
household, to the shaggy coat of
Romp, the dog, whom we stoop to
tondlc now and then, saying moth
ing of the kittens who brush against
the side of our faces, from the backs
of our easy chair twery times dai-
ly, and whom we know to have fleas.
(This we never admit to mamma,
for fear of their Punishment to the
woodshed) If the persons who are
otherwise fastidiously nice would
be as proportionately particular to
keep their faces clean we should
see more Of the fair, glowing com
plexions, and less of the yellow, fad
ed skins, with sallow lines about
the neck. There is nothing that so
beauties the face as it's freshness
and cleanliness from the frequent
use Of water, with gentle friction
There is more truth than poetry in
the stale observation of persons
looking two or three shades whittier
after their ablutions.


The face is tairer after washing,
because it is cleaner, and when it is
not often bathed it is badly soiled.
That the face be thoroughly washed
at night, with little fine soap to
any greasy substance that
may have settled in the eyebrows or
crevices of the features, is essential
for their perfect cleanliness. The
eyes require particular washing to
preserve their beauty and strength
Of sight. How few persons consid-
er this when they wipe them over
once day with wash rag or
sponge! "Clcanliness is next to
5odliness." Moses face "shone"
when he descended from the mount
where he had been talking with
God. If ours do not shine with
loly light, they may with glowing
freshness from the frequent use OF