the toilet paraphernalia of all the beauties of Cairo, who make the immense mistake of getting up their eyes in an exactly similar manner, thus trying to reduce the endless variety of nature to one common pattern, a mistake that may be accounted for by the fact that the Arabs believe kohol to be a sovereign specific against ophthalmia.  Their English sisters often make the same mistake without the same excuse.  A hairpin steeped in lampblack is the usual method of darkening the eyes in England, retribution following sooner or later in the shape of a total loss of the eyelashes.  Eau de Cologne is occasionally dropped into the eyes, with the effect of making them brighter.  The operation is painful, and it is said that half a dozen drops of whisky and the same quantity of Eau de Cologne, eaten on a lump of sugar, is quite as effective.

HIGH-HEELED BOOTS.

A lady looks infinitely taller and slimmer in a long dress than she does in a short costume, and there is always a way of showing the feet, if desired, by making the front quite short, which gives, indeed, a more youthful appearance to a train dress.  The greatest attention must, of course, be paid to the feet with these short dresses, and I may here at once state that high heels are absolutely forbidden by fashion.  Doctors, are you content?  Only on cheap shoes and boots are they now made, and are only worn by common people.  A good bootmaker will not make high heels now, even if paid double price to do so.  Ladies—­that is, real ladies—­now wear flat-soled shoes and boots, a la Cinderella.  For morning walking, boots or high Moliere shoes are worn.

If you wear boots you may wear any stockings you like, for no one sees them.  But if you wear shoes you must adapt your stockings to your dress.  Floss silk, Scotch thread, and even cotton stockings are worn for walking, silk stockings have returned into exclusively evening wear.  Day stockings should be of the same color as the dress, but they may be shaded, or stripped, or dotted, just as you please.  White stockings are absolutely forbidden for day wear—­no one wears them—­no one dares wear them under fashion’s interdiction.

HOW TO APPEAR GRACEFUL IN WALKING.

The whole secret of standing and walking erect consists in keeping the chin well away from the breast.  This throws the head upward and backward, and the shoulders will naturally settle backward and in their true position.  Those who stoop in walking generally look downward.  The proper way is to look straight ahead, upon the same level with your eyes, or if you are inclined to stoop, until that tendency is overcome, look rather above than below the level.  Mountaineers are said to be as “straight as an arrow,” and the reason is because they are obliged to look upward so much.  It is simply impossible to stoop in walking if you will heed and practice this rule.  You will notice that all round-shouldered persons carry the chin near the breast and pointed downward.  Take warning in time, and heed grandmother’s advice, for a bad habit is more easily prevented than cured.  The habit of stooping when one walks or stands is a bad habit and especially hard to cure.