attended with inconvenience, besides
being very unwholesome; and the hands may be rendered as white as the
nature of the complexion will allow, by constantly wearing gloves in
the day-time, and using any of the emollients we have recommended for
softening and improving the skin.

CHAPTER V.

Dress.

In dress, simplicity should be preferred to magnificence: it is
surely more gratifying to be admired for a refined taste, than for an
elaborate and dazzling splendour;--the former always produces pleasing
impressions, while the latter generally only provokes criticism.

Too costly an attire forms a sort of fortification around a woman
which wards off the admiration she might otherwise attract. The true
art of dress is to make it harmonize so perfectly with the style
of countenance and figure as to identify it, as it were, with the
character of the wearer.

All ornaments and trimmings should be adopted sparingly; trinkets and
jewellery should seldom appear to be worn merely for display; they
should be so selected and arranged as to seem necessary, either for
the proper adjustment of some part of the dress, or worn for the sake
of pleasing associations.

Fashion should never be followed too closely, still less should
a singularity of style be affected; the prevailing mode should be
modified and adapted to suit individual peculiarity. The different
effect of colours and the various forms of dress should be duly
considered by every lady, as a refined taste in dress indicates a
correct judgment.

A short stout figure should avoid the loose flowing robes and ample
drapery suitable for tall slight women; while these again should
be cautious of adopting fashions which compress the figure, give
formality, or display angles. The close-fitting corsage and tight
sleeve, becoming to the short, plump female, should be modified with
simple trimmings, to give fullness and width across the shoulders and
bust, and a rounded contour to the arms. Flounces and tucks, which
rise high in the skirt, are not suitable to short persons; they cut
the figure and destroy symetry. To tall women, on the contrary,
they add grace and dignity. Dresses made half high are extremely
unbecoming; they should either be cut close up to the throat or low.
It is, however, in bad taste to wear them very low on the shoulders
and bosom: in youth, it gives evidence of the absence of that modesty
which is one of its greatest attractions; and in maturer ye