Page:Personal beauty how to cultivate and preserve it in accordance with the laws of health (1870).djvu/99

 accompanies crying, the excessive action of the tear glands soon weakens and dims the eye—

"Grief, that's beauty's canker."

The celebrated Venetian, Louis Cornaro, who ruined his constitution by excesses when young, but, by devoting himself to the care of his health, lived to be over a hundred years old, lays it down as essential to sound health not to indulge in grief. He adds, with evident satisfaction, that he had so happily cultivated himself in this respect that the death of his best friend hardly disturbed him!

Cornaro was equal to a French countess, mentioned in one of the Mémoires of the last century. A friend paid her a visit of condolence after the death of her husband, and advised her to give free vent to her tears.

"What!" exclaimed the lady, "would you have me double my loss? That would be to lose my beauty as well as my husband!"

A weak eye is very rarely a pretty one, so that it behooves every one to preserve the sight for a twofold reason. Reading or sewing by a light too bright or too dim, at twilight, or in a darkened room is very injurious. So is the common habit of reading when lying down. Always sit up to read.

One of the most curious freaks of fashion is that which introduced eyeglasses as a part of the outfit of fops and belles. An optician in one of our large cities informs us that he manufactures and sells numbers of