Another very soothing preparation to use at night is made of one ounce of glycerine, half an ounce of rosemary (fluid), and twenty drops of carbolic acid. This is excellent for any irritation of the skin, and also for prickly heat. The face must always be well washed with water and pure soap before applying any of these preparations. If the skin is oily, bathe with diluted camphor (a teaspoonful to a pint of water), but it is injurious to a naturally dry skin.

Treatment for a Rough Skin.

A wash for a rough face is two ounces of water, one ounce of glycerine, one ounce of alcohol, and half an ounce of gum of benzoin, to be dissolved in the alcohol first. Apply at night. For wrinkles—do we see some of you looking interested?—take some clippings of sheep's wool and steep in hot alcohol. It is said that the grease thus obtained is identical with an element found in the human bile. I know that if rubbed on the skin it not only removes but prevents wrinkles, making the skin soft and pliable. These remedies all have the merit of being harmless, which cannot be said of all cosmetics.

Let us give one more recipe, and that is for brightening the eyes. When you are tired and warm, and your eyes are dull, take a cloth and wring it out of very hot water, as hot as you can bear it. Lie down for ten minutes with this cloth spread over your burning face and tired eyes. You will be surprised to see how the tired lines will fade out and how the eyes will shine, and when your "dearest" comes home he will pay you a compliment which will more than reward you.

Reducing Flesh.

The real mode of life and diet should be changed if the fat would be reduced. If necessary, procure a pair of scales and weigh the different foods that are taken into the system. Reduce the diet then to about four ounces of starch or sugar material per day, one and a half ounces of fat, taken chiefly in the form of butter, and about six or seven ounces of albuminous food, such as lean meat or fish. This is the minimum that should be resorted to, and the patient can take more of each at first and reduce the diet gradually to this point. The proportion of the different food compounds, however, with the exception of figs, dates, grapes and nuts, should also be eaten daily, and one-third of a pound of some of the following vegetables: asparagus, turnips, cucumbers, parsley, watercress, celery, kale or cabbage. Fluids have a fattening tendency, and they must be taken in small quantities.

The drinking should be confined to tea, coffee or water, and never should be taken at mealtime, nor within one hour of a meal. This is peremptory, for food will produce fat much quicker and surer when watered by some good beverage.

Refreshing Sleep.

What is the correct method to pursue in preparing for a trip into dreamland, for there is a right as well as a wrong way? The business of disrobing should be so systematized that attending to all the little niceties included in the process will become, after a while, second nature. There is something more to be done, let us assure you, in addition to putting your hair up in curl-papers and dabbing a bit of cold cream on your face, if you would wake up in the morning looking as fresh as a rose. In the first place, do not put off these important preparations until you are so heavy-lidded that you are ready to give everything belonging to the toilet the go by. And now for the first step. Early in the evening your sleeping apartments should be thoroughly aired by dropping the window from the top and raising it at the bottom.

The current of fresh air is especially important when the room has been, as so many sleeping apartments are, in constant use all day. Ten minutes will be quite sufficient for toning up the atmosphere. Now close the window and allow the room to become thoroughly warmed, that you may not experience a chill while taking a rub down. Prepare a big bowl of tepid water, into which you sprinkle a small quantity of ammonia or borax. Take a Turkish towel, which is much better than a sponge, wring it out as dry as possible, and, grasping a corner in each hand, give the spine a vigorous rubbing. Have at hand another Turkish towel, and as you bathe the body in sections, dry as quickly as possible.

From the points of your rosy toes to the curve of your soft throat you are a blushing model of the charming effects of the bath. When finished, slip over your head a soft little shirt, high neck and short sleeves (a white silk or lisle thread is the best), the rosy skin beneath giving it the appearance of being lined with pink silk. Then comes the nightrobe, and next the pajama or lounging robe, which may be of anything, from flannel to eider down.

Tuck your feet into a pair of bedroom slippers, and you are ready to attend to minor details. Never think of retiring in any article of clothing which you have worn during the day. Such a barbarous custom has nothing whatever in common with health and refinement. Neither is it well to discard everything but your nightgown, for it is exceedingly dangerous to chill the system by night draughts.

How to Take Care of the Eyes.

Avoid sudden changes from darkness to brilliant light.

Avoid the use of stimulants and drugs which affect the nervous system.

Avoid reading when lying down or when mentally and physically exhausted.

When the eyes feel tired rest them by looking at objects at a long distance.

Pay special attention to the hygiene of the body, for that which tends to promote the general health acts beneficially upon the eye.

Do not depend on your own judgment in selecting spectacles.

Old persons should avoid reading much by artificial light, be guarded as to diet and avoid sitting up late at night.

After fifty, bathe the eyes morning and evening with water so hot that you wonder how you stand it; follow this with cold water that will make them glow with warmth.

Do not give up in despair when you are informed that a cataract is developing; remember that in these days of advanced surgery it can be removed with little or no danger to vision.

Never read in bed or when lying upon the sofa. Sit with your back to the light as much as possible. Attend to your digestion. Do not work longer than two hours without closing your eyes and resting them for five minutes. If your eyes are weak, bathe them in water to which a little salt and a little brandy have been added.

The Hair and How to Take Care of It.

If the hair has that soft, glossy look that tells of regular care, and if it is well kept, with every pin in its place, you may rely upon it that its owner possesses the instinct of ladyhood.

Each hair has tiny prongs or tentacles, something like those on the cockle bur, which catch the dust; hence the especial need of brushing. At a lady's school in England, some twenty years ago, the girls were required to brush their hair for fifteen minutes daily in the long dressing-room, and they were timed at this exactly as if it were any other exercise.

Occasionally the hair and the scalp need washing, as the face, though less often if the brushing be carefully attended to. When, however, it begins to seem dirty, give it a good shampooing. Wash both hair and scalp thoroughly in a washbowl of warm water in which has been dissolved a tablespoonful of powdered borax; then rinse it well in clear warm water; you will be surprised sometimes at the complexion of the water.

Many women dread the shampooing because of their liability to take cold in the process. Let such a person choose a room where the air is warm and dry. After wiping the hair thoroughly dry with towels, and pinning a fresh one around the neck and shoulders, let her get some one to come and make a breeze with a large palm-leaf fan upon her hair while she is engaged in carefully disentangling it with a brush and comb, occasionally giving the scalp a little vigorous rubbing if it begins to feel chilly. The fanning greatly hastens the drying process. Another plan is to lie down with the hair spread out on cushions in the sunshine. Be sure to get it thoroughly dry before putting it up.

An Excellent Head Covering.

A very pleasant step, though not a necessary one, next to take is to have a little thin silk mob-cap (of some pretty shade of silk, so that it is becoming rather than disfiguring, if needful, to wear about the home), lined, and thickly wadded with cotton-batting, well powdered with heliotrope or some other delicate sachet powder (these come in ten or fifteen-cent packages), and wear this from one to three hours. Here, again, those thousands of minute tentacles come into play; they catch and retain (one would almost think they close over them) the atoms of the perfume when they are thus freed from dust, and when the hair is soft and light in its new cleanness—and it is astonishing for how long a time the hair will retain that faint, delicate aroma which is so truly lovely in a woman's hair; and all to be obtained in so simple and innocent a way as with this little mob-cap, put on at the right time.

A good rule for ensuring the regular brushing of the hair, which may be taught to children (and perhaps good for busy women also), is to brush the hair with fifty long strokes both at morning and at night.

Much also depends upon the brush. Let it not be stiff enough to hurt the scalp. Choose a brush of medium stiffness, with bristles long and close together, and nowhere will it pay better, "in the long run," to give a good price for a good article than in a woman's hairbrush which she proposes to use as described above.

Do not use a fine-tooth comb. Frequent washing will remove the dandruff in all cases, and without the injury caused to the scalp by the fine comb.

It is also well to clip the ends of the hair regularly once a month, keeping it smooth and even, besides, as is thought by some stimulating the growth and keeping it in a more healthy condition.

Perseverance in this treatment will give the hair a fine natural gloss, and a healthy tone. It will tend to prevent its falling out, and will also help to preserve its natural color much longer than if it were neglected.

"Show me a woman," said a wise matron the other day, "though she be in the busiest farmer's kitchen in America, who may always be found with her hair neatly and carefully arranged and with a fresh linen collar, and I will show you a lady in mind and manners. Those two points always settle the rest in my opinion!"

Recipe for the Complexion.

A mixture for preserving the complexion, easily made at home, is as follows: take a wineglassful of the best French orange flower water. Add a tiny pinch of carbonate of soda and two teaspoonfuls of glycerine. Melt a piece of camphor the size of a pea and three teaspoonfuls of cologne water and add to the orange flower water. Shake the whole for five minutes. Apply to the face every night.

Care of the Lips.

The Cupid's bow in dainty curves has always been symbolical of a perfect mouth, and lips most kissable have never been represented as other than pink and perfect.

No other portion of the face, however, so quickly responds to symptoms of ill-health in the body as do the lips. Fever blisters are the disfiguring reminders of a cold; dry, broken or bloodless lips show that one is out of sorts, even more certainly than heavy eye or dejected mien, and it is a woman's duty to endeavor to restore them to their soft, rich redness, which is the outward and visible sign of good health.

To do this the general system must be toned up, diet regulated, and a regular house-cleaning gone into; but there are certain defects of the lips that can be overcome without all this trouble, because they arise from a woman's own fault. Many of us, from nervousness, or habit, have a way of biting our lips which will surely result in swelling, bruise or dryness that is both uncomfortable and unpleasant to look at.

Therefore, the first step is to break off so pernicious a practice by watching one's self very carefully. Next, anoint the poor, bruised members with some healing salve of a pure make.

Do not, however, think to cure chapped lips by anointing them after being out in the air. The time for treatment is before the mischief is done, putting on a little cold cream every time you start out for a walk, which you will find highly beneficial and will keep your lips in winter just as sweet and rosy as when the milder zephyrs of summer rule the air.

Remedies for the Lips.

A writer whose knowledge of such subjects is beyond question says that glycerine and rose water should never be used to soften the lips, as this remedy has one great drawback, namely, that it induces the growth of superfluous hair, a warning which all women will gladly heed, for no one desires to pose as a bearded lady. When cold sores appear rub them with cold cream, being careful not to break them, and they will soon disappear.

The reason that they usually cling so long is, that they are tampered with by rubbing or biting, and therefore cannot have a chance to heal properly, as they would if left alone. The same writer who warns us against glycerine and rose water is a strong advocate of hot water, and affirms that there is scarcely any ailment that will not succumb to its healing virtues. Therefore, with cold cream and hot water one should be able to present to the world a pair of rosy lips free from any unsightly blemishes.

Smoothing Out the Wrinkles.

Wrinkles are, of course, the special detestation of every woman, and when they begin to make their appearance, one of the most perplexing questions is as to how they can be removed, or at least the evil hour of their coming be put off for a time. There has recently been a good deal of nonsense printed in various channels as to this subject, and one of the most cherished fads is that the steaming of the face will remove them. This is one of those half-truths which are simply deceit and disappointment.

Wrinkles appear because the fine muscles of the face lose their tone, the tissue shrinks, and the skin fits itself to the depressions which are thus left. It is a mistake to suppose that wrinkles can be wholly eradicated, especially those which are due to advancing years. Let us "grow old gracefully" and accept the inevitable with the best grace possible. A cheerful disposition will do wonders toward lighting up the face and making one's friends forget or overlook entirely the signs of advancing years. But wrinkles frequently come on prematurely, and prove extremely vexatious. It is unquestionably true that a proper, thorough and careful course of face massage will do a good deal to help things, where the skin has become dull and lifeless, as will especially happen in cases of general decline or ill health.

From two to four times during each twenty-four hours the face should be gently but systematically rubbed, the best method being to employ a fine towel or a bit of red flannel. The finger ends answer very well, but it is quite difficult to use them without weariness. It will be noticed after a few days that the skin is gaining in tone and vigor, when the degree of vigor employed may properly be increased.

Bad air is one of the most potent causes of wrinkles and the remedy, of course, is the getting of good air. Excellence of the highest degree may not be attainable; if not, let us get the best we can. With good air should come good living and plenty of nutritious food, especially that which has fat-producing qualities.

Massage of the face is well recommended, using a light, gentle, circular motion of the fingers, while much may be done by cultivating flexibility and voluntary motions of the muscles of the face, especially those affecting the wrinkled portions. And it may not be amiss, though it be a delicate matter, to suggest that an overworked, thankless, hopeless life will inevitably wrinkle the fairest face with furrows that no agency this side of the grave can remove, till the cause shall have been lifted.

The Feminine Waist.

We have already had occasion to discuss the question of small waists and the abuse of proportions that tight-lacing frequently entails. We have only to consider now the caprices of fashion with regard to length. Sometimes this fickle goddess sends our waists up under our arms, and then a reaction sets in, and they lengthen gradually till the points and basques of our bodices reach very nearly to our knees. Of the two extremes, the more sanitary, as well as the more artistic, is the former, but these considerations have little effect on the arrangements of fashion.

The weight of clothing should hang as little as possible from the waist. Many women believe that it is better that it should come from the hips than from the shoulders, but the testimony of all medical men is clear and indisputable on this subject. Nor is it upon hygienic grounds alone that this is objectionable. This weight from the hips destroys all freedom of movement, just as the tight corset deprives the body of all the suppleness and flexibility given it by nature.

The belt is, on a perfect figure, an interruption to harmonious lines that could well be dispensed with. On an imperfect figure it is excusable, when associated with a form of bodice that seems to require to be confined, such as the loosely plaited or gathered bodice sometimes worn. Over a tight bodice the belt has no reason for being, and is absurdly out of place. For this and also sanitary reasons we feel inclined to condemn it.

Beautiful Arms.

Beautiful arms are a powerful weapon in the armory of beauty; but though most women appreciate to the full the charm of this possession, the fact remains that in America undeveloped arms are the rule, and rounded, dimpled symmetry the exception. Lately, however, the gymnasium is producing charming arms.

Exercise is essential to the development of the arms: exercise, that is, of the arms themselves. Gymnastic exercises that bring the muscles of these into play should be, as far as possible, encouraged in girls, as tending not only to their improvement in this particular, but as being beneficial to the general health.

Arms disproportionately large as compared to the rest of the frame are, on the other hand, at least equally disagreeable with those we have been discussing. Very large arms carry with them a suggestion of coarseness that is unpleasant as associated with a woman. It is, as we have said before, impossible to give the exact proportions which one portion of the human frame should bear to the rest. The ideal arm, however, should gradually decrease in size from the shoulder to the wrist, the outlines being marked by those inward curves which are also noticeable in well-formed shoulders. The wrist should be slender without being thin, the bone at the outer side being well covered and indicated rather by dimples than otherwise.

There is an old rule for measurement that approaches accuracy in some degree. We give it for what it may be worth, advising our readers not to pin their faith to it too implicitly. Twice round the thumb, once round the wrist; twice round the wrist, once round the neck; twice round the neck, once round the waist.

The roundest arms in the world fail to be beautiful if they are red. There are beautiful white arms, brown arms, copper-colored arms, and even black arms, but beautiful red arms are not. This fault is seldom to be found with the arms of ladies, which are so constantly kept covered as to be protected from the influences of weather. It is characteristic of a cook, a dairymaid, a housemaid, a field-hand, to have red arms, and it is probably from this association that they have fallen into such extreme disrepute.

The use of violet-powder may be condoned when it modifies the contrast between red arms and white evening dresses. The application being only temporary, it can only very slightly affect the well-being of the pores, but it should be very carefully used, or it will come off on the coat sleeves of the partners of the red-armed one.

When the arms are very thin the sleeves should not be too tight, though, as a rule, thin arms do not look at all badly in tight sleeves. When the arms are too long, their apparent length may be diminished by crossway trimmings on the sleeve. When, on the contrary, the arms are disproportionately short, a lengthwise trimming will remedy the defect. The sleeve of to-day is a blessing in disguise for ladies with thin arms.

The leg-of-mutton (gigot) sleeve was invented to conceal defects in the arm, and to make the waist appear small by contrast with the size of the sleeves. Puffs at the shoulder give grace and delicacy to the neck and head. The pagoda sleeves, copied from the Chinese, being wide and open, cause the hands to appear smaller by contrast with the aperture from which they emerge; but when the sleeve is exaggeratedly large and wide, the effect of the contrast is lost, the sleeve losing itself in, and mingling with, the rest of the draperies. The epaulette worn some years ago is useful as giving width to narrow shoulders. The Louis XV., or sabot sleeve, tight to the elbow, and ending in a frill of lace, is perhaps the most becoming of all sleeves to a really pretty arm, while the sleeve open to the shoulder is the most trying to a defective outline.

Treatment for the Hands.

The hands of growing girls are often red and clumsy, and girls who are beginning to take thought of their appearance are sometimes in despair about them, not being aware that they will grow whiter and whiter with every year. The ideal hand is white, certainly, but not dead white. It should have a dash of healthy flesh-tints. The tips of the fingers and the portions that surround the palm should be tinged with pink. The fingers should taper towards the nails, the most approved shape for which is the "filbert," so called from its resemblance to the oval form of the nut of that name, and the similarity of the direction of the lines of the nail to those on the wood of the nut.

Scissors and Nail-brush.

The appearance of white spots on the nails is caused by knocks or blows. To obviate the appearance of such spots the hands must be taken care of and the nails disturbed as little as possible. When the nails become stained or discolored, a little lemon juice is the best agent to employ as a corrective. It is equally valuable in discoloration of the skin.

The care of the nails, should be strictly limited to the use of the knife or scissors to their free border, and of the ivory presser to their base, to prevent the adhesion of the free margin of the scarf-skin to the surface of the nail and its forward growth upon it. The edge of scarf-skin should never be pared, nor surface of the nail ever scraped, nor should the nails be cleaned with any instrument whatever except the nail-brush.

There is no rule for the management of the nail of greater importance than that which prescribes the pressing back of the edge of the scarf-skin which forms the boundary of the base of the nail. This margin is naturally adherent to the surface of the nail, and has a tendency to grow forward with it and become ragged and attenuated. When allowed to do so, the ragged edge is apt to split up into shreds, and these projecting from the surface, are pulled and torn, and often occasion a laceration of the skin and a painful wound. The occurrence of these little shreds, denominated agnails, may be effectually prevented by the regular use of the presser once or twice a week. It must be used with gentleness.

The following is said to be an excellent preparation for making the hands white; and as it cannot possibly injure them, we give it a place here. Take as much scraped horseradish as will fill a tablespoon; pour on it half-a-pint of hot milk. Use it before washing, allowing it to dry on the hands before applying the water. Redness and chapping are sometimes caused by the hands being imperfectly dried. The greatest care should be taken in drying them, more especially in cold weather, and when the hands are exposed to cold winds.

If the hands become rough from any cause, the following may be applied with good effect: Half fill a basin with fine sand and soap-suds, as hot as can be borne. Brush and rub the hands thoroughly with hot sand. The best is flint sand, or the powered quartz sold for filters. It may be used repeatedly by pouring the water away and adding fresh. Rinse the hands in a warm lather of fine soap, then clean cold water. While they are still wet, put into the palm of each hand a very small piece of almond cream and rub it all over them. This, again, forms a strong lather. After drying the hands, rub them in dry bran or powdered starch till every atom of moisture is absorbed, and finish by dusting off the bran or starch. This will make the hands very soft and smooth.

To Cure Burning of the Skin.

Occasionally the hands and face become red and flushed while the feet are cold. This very uncomfortable state of things may be effectually remedied by bathing the feet in hot water with a tablespoonful of Kretol in it. This will frequently be found an immediate cure for headache, but must not be attempted just before going out in cold or damp weather. A simple remedy is to wash the face and hands in very warm water, as hot as can be borne. This will frequently dispel the burning sensation and induce a cooler condition of the skin.

A slice of raw potato rubbed well into them will remove stains from the fingers and hands. Lemon juice is also effective in this way, and, if not used immoderately, may be applied without fear of evil consequences. For chapped hands and lips the following will be found efficacious: Equal quantities of white wax (wax candle) and sweet oil; dissolve in these a small piece of camphor; put it in a jam crock, and place it upon the hob till melted. It must be kept closely covered. It should be applied to the hands after washing, and previous to drying them.

A few drops of glycerine poured into the palms of the hands after washing, and rubbed all over them before drying with a towel, is perhaps the best and simplest remedy for chapping; but if good soap is always used, and the hands well dried and protected by warm gloves against the cold, the chapping will be prevented, which is preferable to the very best cures.

Remedy for Chilblains.

Chilblains may be cured very speedily by rubbing into them morning and evening as much spirits of turpentine as they will absorb. This must not be applied to broken chilblains, but if taken in time it will prevent their breaking. The water in which potatoes have been boiled is an excellent remedy for chilblains on feet or hands. These members should be put into the water while it is as hot as can be borne. The same specific applies equally to what are called "whitlows," or "felons" a gathering in the region of the finger-nail that is extremely painful, and to which some are constitutionally liable.

When the feet are large, the owners should never be tempted into wearing any but the very plainest boots and shoes. Ornamentation of any kind makes the foot look larger. Even a pretty foot looks its best in a perfectly plain satin slipper, with only a small rosette with buckle on the toe. This rosette must not, however, be permitted to the large foot. It may, certainly, be worn on the place intended for the instep, when that ornamental rise in the outline of the foot is totally absent. Lines of white stitching on the boot make it look larger than it really is. The best boot for a large foot is one in which the toe-cap comes well up on the foot. Its lines are thus broken up, and the apparent length diminished. A pretty foot, on the contrary, looks better in a boot that has no toe-cap, the "upper" of which is made all in one. This displays to advantage the beautiful outline of the foot, and the gentle but decided curve of the instep.

The possessors of large feet should be particularly careful to have their boots perfectly cleaned and very glossy. The feet look much smaller when this is the case than when the boot has a rim of mud around the sole and a shadow of dust upon the uppers. Where the instep is defective or totally absent, a pretence at one may be made by blacking that portion of the sole of the foot that is immediately adjacent to the heel. This causes a kind of optical illusion which is favorable to the flat-footed.

Patent leather is a most objectionable material for wearing upon the feet. Through it ventilation is absolutely impossible. So much for the sanitary part of the subject; and as to convenience, this is as much in the shade as sanitation, for patent leather "draws" the feet much more than any other kind. Of late, ladies and children have begun to borrow this material from gentlemen, but as much smaller shoes can be worn with comfort in any other kind of leather, it is not likely to become universally popular. Large feet should never be clad in satin.

Foot-Wear.

The fit of the stocking is almost as essential to the perfection of the foot as that of the boot or the shoe itself. It should be large enough to allow freedom to the toes, and not so large as to wrinkle on the foot. In a well-fitting stocking the foot can be more accurately measured than otherwise, and the comfort of the foot is sadly impeded by an ill-fitting one.

The feet should be bathed every morning, and for those who walk much, a daily change of stockings is advisable. This daily change is more than advisable, it is necessary, for persons who suffer from perspiring feet. Regular washing of the feet preserves their strength and elasticity, and helps to keep them in shape. At least once a week they should be washed in hot water, with plenty of soap, rubbing them with a ball of sandstone, which will be found a very useful article for toilet purposes, also a tablespoonful of Kretol in the water. The nails should then be carefully pared, and, in drying the feet, much friction should be used in order to stimulate the skin to healthy action.

When corns appear, they may be accepted with resignation as lifelong acquaintances. Seldom, indeed, do they quit the victim, who has invited them by ill-advised pinchings and squeezings. All that one can do is to keep them under control by constant care. The treatment recommended is the same as that used for warts—viz., to pare the hard and dry skin from the tops, and then touch them with the smallest drop of acetic acid, taking care that the acid does not run off the wart upon the neighboring skin, which would occasion inflammation and much pain. This should be done once or twice a day with regularity.

We should, no doubt, easily get rid of all our corns if we could make up our minds to do without shoes, or even to wear them of such a large size as would prevent all pressure upon the corn. This disagreeable effect results quite as often from badly made boots as from injudiciously tight ones.

There is a particular knack to be observed in paring a corn. It should be cut in such a manner as to excavate the center, while the hardened sides are left to protect the more sensitive portion against the pressure of the boot. When the corn is small and yet young, the best application is a piece of soft buff-leather spread with adhesive plaster and pierced in the center with a hole of exactly the size of the summit of the corn. There are two varieties of corn, the hard and the soft. The latter occurs between the toes, and is quite as painful as, and less easily guarded against, than the hard variety.

THE END