Housekeeper.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 696, 6 October 1909, Page 7

Housekeeper.

BITS OF COVERING FASHION GOSSIP. Gilded ribs will be used considerably in the new parasols. Patent leather hats are being used for motoring. They are black, tan, and grey, and simply trimmed about the low crown with a ribbon band and cockade a little to the left of the front. Muffs will be worn this summer in the evenings. Of course they will not be like the ordinary winter muffs; they will be huge creations of chiffon, lace, and ribbon, very light, and flimsy.

Coloured embroidery enters into much of the new lingerie neckwear. For slim-throated wearers some novel neckpieces show little bows arranged at the top of the stock. Among the fads of the moment is one of lacing the sleeve all the way up on the outside of the arm.

The up-to-date cry is, "When in doubt as to trimming try jet." When two immense roses appear on the same hat they are unusually flat in shape.

COSTLY DRESSES. The ruinous length of the dressmakers' bills nowadays is not an unjustified greivance and worry to most .vomen who purses are npt exactly unfathomable. Parisian dressmakers' prices reach the limit of effrontery, writes a Paris correspondent. I understand, indeed, that compared with them the most modish New York establishments are bargain sales. Paris is. I believe, daily losing many "retail" customers from Engand and America, for this reason, while happily our own houses are displaying more and more aptness at designing their own models. A certain justification for the present prices is afforded by the almost reckless use of the most costly embroideries. These are no longer used as just an extravagant touch of chic, but seem to form half of the gown nowadays, quite young girls wearing elaborately embroidered frocks, although the design of the dress is usually simple. Mediaeval and Oriental embroideries are the most sought after, although conventional designs are necessarily used very much also, for an Oriental effect is not always the happiest one for a woman of the Anglo-Saxon type.

WOMAN'S PLACE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD. "I venture to say that few women adopt a business career from-, choice." This is the opinion of a woman who has made her own way in the world, rising- to be manageress of a great hotel. "The average woman," she continued, "as well as the woman of society, enters upon such a career with more or less reluctance. It is usually only when she is cornered by circumstances *at she forces herself into the fight for existence in the world of men. "In my case, for instance, I am in business solely for the purpose of making money enough to retire fron the field some day, and to enable m( to order my life according to my owr idea of living." In answer to the question whethei social position for a woman is an advantage or a handicap in business, she said:—"One's position simply doesn't count. The commercial world takes a woman strictly on her merits and her capacity for business. Whatever her position may have been before, she soon finds her level. Men •ay no attention in their practical dealings as to whether they are ladies or not. It is a matter of very small importance to them."

FASHIONS IN WEDDING RINGS. Theie are fashions in wedding rings just as there are in everything we use or wear. The ring of fifty years ago is easily to be distinguished from that of twenty-five, for, apart altogether from the fact that it has probably worn thin, it is of a different shape and thickness. The ring of fifty years ago was thin and flat in shape, so much so that sometimes it wore away to a mere thread, and the ladies had their rings renewed. When a feeling of romance prevented the entire renewal of this pledge, the ring was set in two narrow ropes of gold, and worn in that form. Wedding rings are often used as souvenirs, and when they are in this thin and worn condition the edging of gold makes them look like a guard or fancy ring.

Twenty-five years ago the fashionable wedding ring- was. heavy and solid. It was not found to be comfortable, and it was very much in the way when other thick and handsome ring's were worn. In addition to discomfort, the fact was that the clumsy wed-ding-ring rubbed against others and wore them down. The bride of the past few years has been selecting her marriage symbol in a modified form, until to-day the rings which are principally favoured, particularly by wearers of thick jewelled rings, is actuallv a narrow ring, thick right through and in shape what is known to those in the trade as oval. This fits the finger so comfortably that other rings are in no way made to incommode the wearer.

SHOULD HUSBANDS REMAIN LOVERS? Should a man act towards his wife as a lover ? This is a question which it is bv no means easy to answer. Some men will argue, "It is not necessary; my wife knows I love her; why. therefore proclaim the fact from the house-tops?" But, on the other hand, why be ashamed to own it ? asks another. The nuptial bond is

too sacred, too binding a tie. for any one accepting it on the chance of letting this mutual love cool. As a natural consequence, the life lived by husfd and wife is so intimate, so familiarly binding in every respect, that it should be entered upon only after due and deliberate consideration, and upon the basis of a true and lasting affection; otherwise it is apt to pall, the constant society of married people becoming unbearable and irksome as years roll on. And yet it does not always follow that those strong attachments, great love matches, always turn out -the best; on the contrary, we often find that this absorbing love and passion, which characterises the courtship days soon dies out after marriage. For like a raging, all-consuming fire, a great blaze burns out quickly, the very intensity of its heat and flame causing it to devour itself more rapidly- ■ It may be that ardent lovers expect too much, and that when Angelina discovers that Edwin is a bit selfish, more careless of her' comforts, less inlined to idolise and humour her than formerly, then, instead of m&king the best of things, remembering that he has worries and responsibilities now. that he cannot always be spendingtime and money upon her as in their courtship days, she reckons he has changed, does not love her any more, and either frets or becomes indifferent, apparently to hide her own pride. Thus it is the little rift within the lute, the first misunderstanding is established, and often enough never put right again.

RECIPES. Specially Written for this Column *.LL RIGHTS RESERVED LEMON CAKE THAT WILL KEEP. Ingredients. —6 lemons, 6 eggs, i lb. of sugar. 6 ounces of butter. FOUR Mode.—Grate 4 lemons, add the luice of 6. the yolk of 6 eggs and whites of 2; mix thoroughly, and put all in a jug; place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water; stir one way, until the mixture is a nice paste. When quite cold, cover closely; it will keep good for a fortnight. DOUGHNUTS. Ingredients.— n teacup of sour cream, 2 cups of sugar. 3 eggs, 8 cups of flour. 1 teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda. Mode. —Beat the sugar and eggs together. Dissolve the soda in a little warm water, stir it in the cream; add the flour and a little ground spice, if preferred. Have a pan of lard boiling hot. Roll out the dough, cut in rings, and fry till brown. ANDREW'S GINGERBREAD. Ingredients.—l lb. of flour, I lb. of butter. 4 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of ginger. Mode. —Stir the butter and sugar to a cream; add the eggs beaten till light, and stir in the flour till thick enough to_ roll out; add the ginger. Roll in thin sheets, and bake on flat pieces of tin. MARMALADE PUDDING. You require some fine breadcrumbs for this —aboi. 1 half a pound. You also must hav a quarter pound of suet, half a pound of marmalade, one ablespoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of soda, and enough buttermilk to moisten it. Mince the suet, and mix it with the other ingredients. Then add half the marmalade and the milk. Stir to a stiff paste, butter a pudding basin, pour in the remaining marmalade, and then the pudding. Steam for three hours. When turned out the marmalade will run down over the surface of the pudding.

CHEESE SOUFFLE. Vegetarians tell us that cheese is one of the most nutritious articles of diet, but it must be cheese in reality, and not a poor substitute. Still the ordinary preparation which is usually accepted as the genuine article can be turned into very nice little dishes, of which the souffle is an example. Any hard scraps of cheese may be used, if dried, and grated finely. Put the desired quantity of this into a basin, and add some fine breadcrumbs, previously soaked in milk and water. Add a beaten esg. a seasoning- of salt and •-oper. and mix well. Butter a piedish, put in the mixture; sprinkle a few dry crumbs on the top, add a small piece of butter, and bake for fifteen minutes.

MACARONI CHEESE. Here is another dish which might be seen more frequently. Break in small pieces about two ovnces of the large pipe macaroni, and boil in salted water till quite tender. You must then strain off the water, and cut the macaroni into still smaller pieces. Make a white sauce of half-ounce butter, half ounce flour, a little milk, salt, and pepper. Put some grated cheese into this sauce —enough to give it a sufficiently flavour —and pour some of the saiice into a small dish; add a layer of macaroni, more sauce, etc., until the dish is full. Cover with a thick layer of cheese, and brown in a quick oven.