A sponge that will last is tough and dense in fibre. What one would wish to do in buying is to tear it slightly, but, for obvious reasons, that is seldom possible. With a fine sponge, the fewer and smaller the holes or es" in it the better, and in any case it is best to avoid several large holes set in a line, as that may encourage a sponge to tear across them. Large holes also make it drip, though in the case of a bath: sponge dripping should matter but little. Again, a good specimen should take up a quantity of water and then hold it, and one can make a fair guess at its absorptiveness even when it is dr: absorbs by capillarity, and the finer and closer its texture the more water it will pick up. It will do this quickly if it jumps back into shape after being squeezed, this springiness opening the passages so that they suck in water as does a pump.
To treat properly a sponge that is being used, it should be washed in strong soda solution, say once a fortnight. It will glut with extra quickness in hard water. It need not be put in the sun to dry, but as often as it is used it should be squeezed dry— never, on any account, wrung out—and Jett in an airy place. Remembering that a piece cut from a sponge too for market size may be well worth having, and thata badiyshaped fine Turkey may have the best of textures, some reader may care for this final hint. Out of a heap of cheap sponges, such as those bought by painters, let him see if he can find one that he would use for the toilet or bath. He can handle such a collection to his heart's content. It is likely, your eyelids, or the blue will dominate your face. also, that he will make some surpris-ug discoveries, n photography powder used should be darker than your normal tone, and remember how two tones of powder used together can help to improve a face. For instance, the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.