Frost's Laws and By-Laws of American Society: A condensed but thorough treatise on etiquette and its usages in America, containing plain and reliable directions for deportment in every situation in life.Frost, S. Annie (Sarah Annie)
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Frost's Laws and By-Laws of American Society: A condensed but thorough treatise on etiquette and its usages in America, containing plain and reliable directions for deportment in every situation in life.
Frost, S. Annie (Sarah Annie)
Etiquette -- United States
It is well to remember in the choice of jewelry that mere
costliness is not always the test of value; and that an exquisite
work of art, such as a fine intaglio or cameo, or a natural
rarity, such as a black pearl, is a possession more distingue than
a large brilliant which any one who has money enough can buy as
well as yourself. Of all precious stones, the opal is the most
lovely and commonplace. No merely vulgar woman purchases an opal.
Gloves, shoes, and boots must always be faultless. Gloves cannot
be too light for the carriage, or too dark for the streets. A
woman with ill-fitting gloves cannot be said to be well dressed;
while to wear soiled ones at your friend's soiree is to show her
that you think lightly of herself and her company.
It may be remarked, by the way, that perfumes should be used only
in the evening, and with the strictest moderation. Perfumes, to be
tolerable, must be of the most _recherche_ kind. Some people, of a
sensitive temperament, would be made ill by the smell of musk or
patchouli. Finally, let every lady remember Dr. Johnson's
criticism on a lady's dress: "I am sure she was well dressed,"
said the Doctor; "for I cannot remember what she had on."
THE GENTLEMAN'S TOILET.
IT has been aptly said that "the bath deserves an Order." The
first requisite of a gentleman's toilet is undoubtedly the bath,
which should be as bracing as the constitution will allow, and
used morning and evening in summer, and every day in winter.
Country gentlemen, who live much in the open air, and take plenty
of exercise, have no excuse for shirking the cold shower-bath; but
denizens of cities, and men who are obliged to lead very sedentary
lives, cannot indulge with equal safety in this luxury, and must
never continue it in the teeth of reason and experience. Only
physiques of finest quality can endure, much more benefit by, a
cold-water shock all the year round; and though physique is always
improvable, great reformation must not be attempted rashly. Let
the bath of from sixty to seventy degrees be freely indulged in by
the strong, and even by the less robust, in summer time; but in
winter a temperature varying from eighty-five to ninety-five
degrees is the safest. The flesh-brush should be vigorously
applied to all parts of the body, after which the skin must be
carefully dried with Turkish or huck-a-back towels. It is well to
remain without clothing for some little time after bathing.
Nothing is so healthy as exposure of the body to air and sun; a
French physician has recommended the sun-bath as a desirable
hygienic practice. A bath in fresh water should always be taken
after a sea-dip.
The next thing to be done is to clean the teeth. This should be
done with a good hard tooth-brush at least twice a day. Smokers
should rinse the mouth immediately after smoking, and should be
careful to keep the teeth scrupulously clean. The nails should
also be kept exquisitely clean and short. Long nails are are an
abomination.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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