The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 28, 1902, Page 10

o It Will Xeep Women Young, Preserve Their Good Looks and Relax Strained Nerves—Position and Frame of Mind. Idle Moments May Very Well Be Used for Relax- ation. i i | i —t ISS KNICKERBOCKER is wise. Bhe knows that all the cos- metics, all the massage, all the beauty baths and physical cul- ture in the world cannot de for fagged cheeks, hollow eyes and fa- tigued, blanched fgce what rest will do. Bhe does not go to a rest cure, because there is something suggsstive of invalld- ism uch & course and the very thought makes one = trifie blue; she first takes her rest cure as she goes along. That is she rests when she reads, when the sews, when she makes her tollet; in- de she has intermittent attacks of rest- ing 2t any and all times. t is the easiest thing in the world— the resting habit,” she declares, “snd I used to think it one of the impossibilities. “When I find that I have half an hour or so to devote to the latest new novel, before opening the book I spend five min- & semi-reclining pose in an easy , close my eyes, relax every muscle and ‘invite the soul, “And pray, what is that?—to ‘invite the soul?” *' queries & friend whe is listening to this private lecture on rest. I am sure I don’t exactly know,” the oracle of wisdom. “I read once that that is the proper thing to do it one reclly wanted to rest; it sounds ob- scure and learned. I fancy it is bullding air castles, don't you? Or planning & new ball gown?” “That is hardly the most restful thing in the world."” No; perheps met, but I think I will go right on doing it all the same, for rest- ing, just resting, is rather stupid business unless you have something nice to think about. There comes & time, however, when the brain must have absolute re- “Of eourss, what with planning for gowns and teas and attending receptions and dinners and clubs and riding and golfing. one’s brain does get fagged. Then 1 suppose you have some brand-new recipe for this state of affairs?” “Yes; then I place my bands back of my head in this way, slightly sway my head from #ide to side and think of neth- ng.” “How very, very tiresome.” *Yes, I think it is. But I have been replies THE SUNDAY CALL. WHILE SEWNG OR READING ELEVATE THE FEET?T told that it is restful, so I take it for granted that it is. But I will confide in you that I should get very, very weary if I kept up this thinking about nothing any length of time.” This has a slightly frivolous ring, and instead of calling Miss Knickerbocker wise, one is at first inclined to call her superficial and to say that she is not really in earnest; she is playing at rest. This is really rather near the truth. She is playing at rest—or she is not going in for the rest cure too seriously and it is just this attitude of mind which is a sav- ing grace in itself. Bhe is going to get all the good she can out of the rest cure without making the process & burden and a snare and a des lusion. In relaxing mind and muscle she spends at least fifteen minutes every day and sometimes half an hour in all. Five or ten with eyes closed; five, minutes in an easy pose. Nearly always, when reading or sew- ing, puts her feet upon a stool. Nothing so rests a weary back as elevating the feet. That day she considers the most gained for her complexion and appearance, when she has found time to siip off her dress, corsets and shoes and get into a lounging robe and slippers and lie down. Her po- sition is important. One rests more easily when lying on the right side than on the left or on the back. Never throw the arms over the head. To rest a tired back the very best thing is to lie flat on the floor: When & long and hard day of social or serious duty is before and behind one, this is & fine way of resting the muscles and stimulating the resolution. The method of procedure is to have a werm blanket or drugget spread smooth- 1y on the floor. Then get into loose gar- ments and place yourself at full length on this hard bed, lying as llmp and as indifferent as a rag doll. Any woman who is fortunate enough to command the servico of & maid, or who ean call iIn an attendant at stated times, or can secure the co-operation of one of her own family, should have her body gently rolled and kneaded, each limb taking its share of rubbing and twisting and lifting, the head—the body's fitth limb—recetving much the same treat- ment that is given the arms and legs, but it should be handled with special gentle- ness. One’s own duty eonsists in first assur ing herself that her breathing is full and free and then in surrendering herself to & nirvana-like indifference to all things. A very beautiful and charming woman —her besuty and charm preserved by this means—for some years past has In- PLACE TRA® AANDS BAC.K OF TRAE HEAD dulged herself for three of four times weekly in this deliciouslv restful rest. The result is that, at nearly 30 years of age, she retains youth and vigor. This is her prescription: “I cultivate the accomplishment of rest- ing and napping. I shut my eyes and go to sleep whenever there is & lull in my work. In either rest or play, I don't putter. . That's what ages women—put- tering. When I see a2 woman breaking down with nervous prostration, I wonder when women will learn to stop puttering. “I wouldn't sew a button on one of my shoes for all the kingdoms of the earth. A woman can’t be a shoe mender, & glove mender, a dressmaker, a house- keeper and a domestic economiizer all in one. The minute she tries to do it she breaks down and then’ some one writes e brilliant’ article on ‘Why American ‘Women Break Down.' “Sleep 15 @ great thing for women. Halt the women I know don’t sleep enough, don’t rest emough.” . A whole train of evils follow in the wake of fatigue. The first thing a woman does, when she is tired, is to worry, and no mental attitude is more disastrous to personal appearance, per- sonal happiness and personal achisvement than worry and its twin brother, de- spondency. It is true that a person may worry for months without any visible {ll effects, hut it is only & question of time when the dominating idea—the cause of the worry, which is often fatigue—will master first will, then brain and finally body. Viewed' in its sane and proper Mght, there v 1o expertence ta Nfe Whith fully ‘warrants a surrender to the demon wor- ry. To a degres, worry is the aMiction of small minds. Ponder upon this, ye malds and ma- trons, and if an appeal to your complex- fons and their preservation in a state of pristine freshness does not move: you, think of the ignominy of being voted a person of limited brain power, as one cer- tainly is whe worries over John's coffes, for example. If for once it is muddy, it is a pity; but it iz not as dreadful a ca- lamity as if John had falled in business. Then, why exclaim: *“Oh, dear!” and clasp one’s hands neryously and allow a deep frown to come between the brows and tears of vexation to rise to the eyes? These only serve to make John's bev- erage more unpalatable to him, and to ao- eentuate his sense of personal grievance. It he has no time to walt while & cup of coftee is properly made, lot him at least bear away with him the memory of a cheerful wife, 0, by her brightness, tried to make him forget the tasteless quality of his morning cup. It you don’'t want to prevent or get rid of wrinkles, crow’s feet and a dull com- plexion, here are a fow hints for you to ponder over and reduce to practice. Besides brain, heart and muscle, which sbare in the benefits of the rest cure, there is the tongue, which alse requires rest. “Give thy tongue rest occasionally.” is wholesome advice. Certain diseases require rest more than ome, indeed, can only be eured by rest, supplemented by rational treat- ment. Fatigue is one of the greatest enemies of the human race, because it is the cause of nearly half, and perhaps more, of the several hundred catalogued diseases that prey upon man—and woman. Indigestion more often arises from eat- ing when tired or excited than one would imagine. In his dietary for a consump- tive patient a well known specialist in- - ‘" sists upon & full twenty munures’ rest pe- fore all meals, except breakfast. Five minutes’ complete rest, of mind as well as body, is none too much for the person of average health, and it should be ta regularly .before the midday meal least. A most rational refreshment a beavy brain work is to partake of light refreshment and then rest for half an bour before dinner. Don’t eat when tired and don't work when tired. It 13 & mistake to work when not in a Ait condition to do so. Jt s a mistake to go to bed late at night, rise ' at daybreak and Imagine that every hour taken from sleep !s an hour gained. It is a mistake to give unnecessary time to a certain established routine of house- keeping when It eould be much more profitably spent in rest and recreation. Hearty laughter is a source of relaxa- tion, so are all high thoughts, &s those of hope, beauty, trust and love. PHOTOGRAPHIC POINTERS FOR : MATEURS. HE development of portralt nega- tives is a subject which causes the beginner more trouble than per- haps any other step In the darke room, as fhe treatment of a por- trait negative - differs very rially from the ordinary landscape or interior, The common fault of the amateur is te , with the result that the neg- too de and the print an e Faillng this, the sitter has been such as to produce a negative of extreme harshness, dense in the high lights and almost bare glass in the shadows, and in almost all cases the tendency !s toward undersxpo- sure. These three points cover the principal sources of failure, and the beginner should use a great deal of care that the lighting is as even as possible and that one side of the face is not In a deep shadow while the other s brightly illumi- mat pated. A certain ount of shadow Is necessary In all 2s, so that the face may have an appearance of being round, and not flat and shapeless, but strong, barsh shadows should be studiously avolded. A few experiments will enable, one reflect the light from the window aga the shaded side of the face In such & way as to keep “the balance” of the lighting, at the same time avoiding harsh- ness. It must be remembered that the farther the sitter is removed from the source of light the longsr will be the ex- posure required, and that as the subject is placed nearer tre light the length of ex- osure is shortened, but the comtrast of ight and shadow 1s emphasized. Full exposu is advisable in all por- trait work, as the levelopment of a full timed or somewhat overexposed megative is possible, while an ander exposed nega- tive is almost hoveless. In the case of s full-ttmed portrait negative, development may be éarried om with® the ordinary developar used for landscapes, reduced in strength by the addition of equal bulkk of water, and de- velopment c.ntinued until the pleture shows well through, upon ‘he back of the piate; or, the normal developer may Le used without the addition of the waler, care being exercised that the plate does not acquire too much density. A thin, quick printing negative 8 to be sought in portrait work. A dodge that is sometimes used in work of this kind is to start the plate in & diluted developer, and as soon as the fmage begins to appear, to remove the plate from the developer and, with a fine camel's hair brush dipred in 19 per cemt solution of bromide of potassium, paint over the high lights of the picture se as to hold the negative back In its denser parts. This is a somewhat delicate ep= eration, but in the hands of a careful worker is often advantageous. As soom as the bromide has been touched upom the high lights, the negative should be replaced in the developer, rocked for moment or so and the oparation repeated The same treatment may be applied te the shaded parts, only instead of using the bromide those parts of the negative that develop slower may be treated with the brush dipped im developer of full strength. A rapld plate s almost indispensabie for portrait work, owing to the tendency to expose for too short & time, and such & plate has the advantage, in addition to its speed, of developing without as much density as would a plats of slower emulsion. The beginner is advised to try his early portrait work against a white buckground—such, for Instance, &3 & sheet suspended behind his subjecfi—um‘ to place on the shaded side of the sitter another sheet or white screen at right angles to the background and just far enough away so as to be out of the fleld of the lens. By changing the angle of this reflector the whole effect of lght- ing may bo changed at will and In cases ‘where the subject is removed consi from the window it is a good plaa to cover the floor with white paper or cloth,