^ s ?>gs«*l^i 



174 



®l)c Jfarmcr'a ilIonti)lD Visitor. 



so that a vestment should lie made all of cotton. 

 The barber's apprentice, gentlemen, that honor- 

 able improver of our hair," for the purpose of a 

 wig, was Sir Richard Arkwright, afterwards high 

 sheriff of his county, and who left his family half 

 a million of money." Well, gentlemea, I only put 

 this as one instance of a simple, plain man, hon- 

 estly following the call of Providence, using the 

 mind according ns God's providence gave him 

 the oppoiluniiy of drawing forth its resources — 

 throwing himself into the opening which was 

 prepared for him, and thus gaining a prosperity 

 exceeded by no man in this country ; and I am 

 sure that language is not equal to say the advan- 

 tage which our nation has received from his in- 

 vention, enabling him thus to show the benefit 

 of the exercise of the mind, and talent, and ener- 

 gy, and reflection, and desire for improvement 

 in the humblest station of life. 1 will mention 

 another case, because I do dwell upon it, I con- 

 fess, with exceeding interest, from my personal 

 acquaintance with the individual. Gentlemen, it 

 is no more than forty years since, in my travels 

 in America, I came to New York, and I called 

 upon the famous Gen. Moreau, with whom I had 

 the pleasure of being acquainted. He said to me, 

 ' Well, here's a strange thing! here's a ship to 

 go by hot water! and to-morrow the trial is to 

 be made, and 1 am invited to be of the party, 

 and my friends. Will you go with me? I ac- 

 companied Gen. Moreau in the first steam ves- 

 sel that sailed on the Hudson, in America, under 

 the auspices of Mr. Fulton, the inventor— a man 

 of similar caste of Arkwright, perhaps with some 

 greater advantages from his early education, but 

 of a similar tone and cast of mind; unsatisfied 

 with what he had done, and what he could do, 

 and always thinking that he could do something 

 better, and thankful for every information he re- 

 ceived, and every opportunity he could gain in 

 making progress in some improvement ; so that 

 from a painter in portraits, from a designer in a 

 variety of ways, at last he arrived at the extraor- 

 dinary eminence and success of making the first 

 practical steam vessel which could navigate so 

 severe a river as the Hudson. 



Now, gentlemen, I remember with pleasure 

 standing upon the deck with Robert Fulton, and 

 dwelling with him upon the subject. 1 remem- 

 ber asking him, " Do yon think it will ever be of 

 any good ?" 1 recollect his countenance lighting 

 up almost with indignation at the idea that any 

 invention of his could fail of being useful. 1 re- 

 member very well, just as we approached the 

 mouth of the Hudson, just as it shuts on the At- 

 lantic, saying—" What will become of us if we 

 drift out to sea? How is it possible that a vessel 

 of this sort c&u stand the waves of the ocean ?" 

 Well, now, gentlemen, when I compare and bring 

 together that day, with the fact of the steamers 

 now crossing the Atlantic in eleven or twelve 

 days, with a regularity and precision which is al- 

 ways marvellous — why, how is it possible not to 

 see and to Ue persuaded that there is not a man 

 that lives, and comes within the arena of popular 

 and scientific institutions like this, who has not 

 an opportunity of being distinguished, by giving 

 his talent, industry and energy, to whatever sub- 

 ject in the course of bis investigation the finger 

 of Provideiu-e may poim out to him? It is im- 

 possible to say, unless we believe that we have 

 arrived at the acme and fulfilment of ever) thing 

 for the good of man — it is impossible not to think 

 that we may be conferring some great blessing 

 upon our own country — that we may, through 

 the means of some individual in the very hum- 

 blest class, whose mind we may touch, by just 

 giving him a perception and an intuition of com- 

 bination connected with science and art — we may 

 lender him an instrument of great good to his 

 country and the world, and a source of great 

 happiness and pride to himself." 



Shall we take a '6h* up R road way ?" said a 

 young New Yorker, who was showing his coun- 

 try cousin the wonders of that city. "O dear, 

 no!" said the frightened girl, " I would not do 

 that in the street!" 



It is said that in London there are 100,000 

 good mechanics seeking employment every Mon- 

 day morning, and that excellent house servants 

 out of place any day in the year, arc 10,000 to 

 I2.C00. 



The Effects of Cosmetics on the Skin. 



The deep interest I take in the moral improve- 

 ment of my young countrywomen, more parti- 

 cularly those who are so fortunate as to be the 

 wives and daughters of farmers, must be my apo- 

 logy for the following remarks upon the article 

 in the January number of the Agriculturist, on 

 the " Effects of Cosmetics on the Skin." J shall 

 therefore ask no other excuse for expressing my 

 difference of opinion, nor for pointing out what 

 I conceive to be mistaken views on the subject, 

 feeling very sure that a little serious reflection 

 will bring your correspondent over to my old- 

 fashioned way of thinking. Let me say, how- 

 ever, that I agree entirely with her observations 

 on the different kinds of soap, alcoholic prepara- 

 tions, &c. 



We know that all kinds of soap are more or 

 less injurious to a delicate skin, and in cold weath- 

 er their too frequent use should be dispensed 

 with as much as possible; but when necessary, 

 the skin should be protected afterwards, for a 

 little while from the air. Therefore, when cleanli- 

 ness requires it for the face and neck, they should 

 be washed just before retiring at night; and in 

 the morning, nothing more will be wanted than 

 the usual sponge bath of pure, cold, soft water, 

 and a coarse rubber vigorously applied. Some 

 skins will chap under the most careful treatment 

 that can be bestowed upon them ; while others 

 will continue soft and smooth, though exposed 

 to every wind that blows, and seem to be proof 

 against all kinds of domestic labor. For the first 

 of these, the best purifier would be corn or bean 

 meal, or palm-oil soap, followed by a few drops 

 of honey rubbed on while the hands are wet. 

 Fine dry salt acts very pleasantly on the skin, 

 rendering it soft and smooth, and has also the 

 advantage of strengthening the system, on which 

 account it is highly recommended by physicians. 

 The best way to apply it is, to draw on a pair of 

 very coarse cotton or linen knitted gloves, that 

 have been frequently dipped in strong salt and 

 water, and dried after each immersion, and with 

 them rub until the skin looks red, and the blood 

 circulates freely. 



Rut it is the second part of your correspond- 

 ent's remark that 1 intend particularly to notice. 

 That the writer does not speak from personal 

 experience I think is evident, or she would not 

 say that " rouge can be employed, without injury, 

 to brighten a lady's complexion." 



Every school girl knows that even the common 

 carmine in her paint box, if put on the cheeks 

 with water, cannot be washed out without leav- 

 ing a permanent mark. I have been much in 

 fashionable French society, where the use of 

 rouge was not only considered unblameworthy. 

 but in certain cases openly vindicated; yet its 

 deleterious effects upon the skin were undoubted, 

 and openly lamented, as producing a sallow stain, 

 which, as it cannot be removed by ordinary means, 

 makes a continuance of the bad practice seem 

 necessary. And a bad practice it is, in sober 

 sadness, for any woman ; but for women living 

 in this bright, beautiful country, for the wives 

 and daughters of American farmers, even to think 

 of using rouge and pearl powder, would be ridi- 

 culous, could it be contemplated in any other 

 light than as a degradation — they, too, who enjoy 

 the glorious privilege, not to be too highly priz- 

 ed, of living in the pure, health-giving breath of 

 heaven, — who are at liberty to exercise daily on 

 horseback, and roam at will over hills and fields. 

 I will not think so badly of them as to suppose 

 that they would condescend to tolerate the use 



of such miscalled beaulifiers. h is true, a pale 

 cheek is not esteemed so lovely as the one tinged 

 with 



" Celestial rosy red, love's proper hue ;" 

 nor is a dark or coarse skin thought so desirable 

 as one fairer aad more delicate. Rut does not 

 every one know instances, among their friends, 

 of faces by nature ugly, to which intelligence, 

 benevolence, and good temper impart the charac- 

 ters of real, soul-like beauty ? Relieve me, God's ■ 

 handiwork cannot be improved. And the admir- 

 ation of strangers is dearly purchased by ihe loss 

 of the respect of those in whose eyes and hearts 

 alone it should be their ambition to appear to .. 

 advantage ; for the mistaken ones, who resort to 

 these paltry arts, do not deck their faces with 

 rouge and pearl powder, to make themselves more 

 loveable to their husbands and brothers. It is not 

 put on when they alone are to see them. No : 

 any garb, any faded looks, will do for the beings 

 who ought to make their hearts happiest; with 

 whom they are to pass their lives. For whom, 

 then, it may be asked, are they willing to take 

 60 much trouble ? They who know from expe- 

 rience may answer. 



All substances, without a single exception, that 

 are, or can, be used to " impart a delicate white 

 tint to the complexion," are decidedly injurious ; 

 marring what they are intended to mend. 



The ™ metallic compounds" are justly said to 

 be poisonous ; arid the effect, even when sparing- 

 ly used, is to make the skin look parched and 

 glazed. Magnesia, being a mineral substance, is 

 not much less hurtful; and powdered starch, 

 though the least objectionable of any, is serious- 

 ly injurious by the mechanical action of closing 

 the pores of the skin, preventing the escape of 

 the insensible perspiratiotl which would keep it 

 clear and moist, and finally producing a sickly, 

 unnatural thickness, that makes a fair girl, who 

 would otherwise be prelty, look like Jersey veal, 

 bled slowly to death by the butcher! and a brun- 

 ette more like a piece of old parchment than a 

 lovely young daughter of Eve. Of such a one, 

 in a neighboring city, I heard a physician re- 

 mark, that this disagreeable appearance, being 

 onlv skin deep, could be easily removed by the 

 application of a vegetable blister! 



Rut I must close this already too long notice ; 



though something might be said of the pangs of 



wounded vanity that these short-sighted fair one9 



would sulTer, if 



" Some power the {zift would gie them 

 To see themselves as others see them j" 



when a warm day, or a little over exertion, by 

 producing a free perspiration, throws off the beau- 

 tifier.', leaving the white in disclosed streaks, and 

 the red in unsightly blotches, to the mortification 

 of their friends, and the badly-disguised amaze- 

 ment of the very persons they wished to charm. 

 American women should be ashamed to appear 

 under " false colors." 



It has been often asked why the women of 

 England have better complexions and more 

 healthful looks than those of the United States. 

 The humidity of the climate is doubtless one 

 cause of the greater and more lasting delicacy of 

 the skin ; but the bright bloom of their cheeks is 

 the effect of regular, systematic exercise. Eng- 

 lish ladies, of even the highest rank, wear thick 

 leather shoes, and walk every day six or eight 

 miles, without regard to the weather, and with 

 no other object than the preservation of health. 



I will close with the assurance, affectionately 

 urged upon all who had patience to read thus 

 far, that early rising, cold-water bathing, and daily 

 exercise in the open air, as they promote health 

 and cheerfulness, are the only cosmetics that an 

 American woman should dare employ. — American 

 Agriculturist. 



