OVER THE TEA-COPS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 287, 2 December 1911, Page 15

OVER THE TEA-COPS.

WORLD'S COSTLIEST KITCHEN. Who keeps the costliest kitchen in the ■world? Not, as one might imagine, the American millionaire, but the Shah of Persia. The utensils, fittings, and furnishings of the Shah arc said to be worth £530,000. Every saucepan is gilded inside, and the dishes appearing on his table are of solid gold, as well as the spoons, knives and forks, the handles of which are besides ornamented with precious stones. Moreover, the chef, in preparing dishes for the Shah's table, must use: none but silver spoons and forks, > and any dish on which he puts cold viands to keep them must be also of silver, gilded inside. THE PETTICOAT. The original "petticoat" appears <o have been a man's garment. Early in the fifteenth century Ijydgate used tha term in his "Chronicle of Troy' , for a short coat of armour, and it seems commonly to have meant an under-tunie. Even when the other sex annexed the word there was for long enough great variety of meaning. Sir. Pepys, who was an authority on such things, uses Hie word " petticoat" to mean an ordinary skirt, an underskirt. ■ nd a rid-ing-skirt. Men have kept the word in some country parts even to our own time. A "petticoat" meant a waistcoat (or "vest" as the tailor will call it) ill I Kent in the seventeenth century, and in a modern glossary of Kentish expressions the same meaning still appears. the SHORTCOMINGS of the GTRL OF THE DAY. The integrity of the Englishwoman of \ social position has boon exercising the minds of American writers of late. To t!ios« uiio watch all our social doings as closely :ls do our American critics, the curious inp-ci from the straight path of common honesty, which occur every now nil.! tin a in what, for want of a bettor name, one must call society, are matters which, say.-- a writer in the "St. .James's liazittc." cause a good deal of comment. 11. seem*, a.- one of the«<? writers remarked, as if position, wealth, and influence, of themselves, no lunger make a woman respect the primitive laws of "mine" and "thine." Cases of extensive robberies, the purloining of valuable jewels are not common. The woman Raffles exists chiefly in romance. Although there were instances of unexplainablc losses during the last season, it was not. after all, conclusively proved that the non-pro-fessional thief was in the end responsible. At a London crush it is, of course, a simple matter for a stranger, on picki pocketing intent, to walk into a house, shake hand* with the ho.-tr-s, and mix with the guests without being discovered. It is, however, in small matters that women seem less scrupulous to-day than they used to be. "Never lend, never borovv from our fellow-guests," was an old rule -which used to be impressed upon a girl when ehe left home on her first round of country visits alone. If a warning of this description was necessary thirty yea.rs ago, it is much more needed to-day. People's memories .-eem remarkably short regarding their borrowing?. It is not only in dealings with money. A girl who is .sufficiently good-natured to lend a scan or a coat may very possrbly discover that owing to a series of accidents the loan is not returned. Small thefts arc, besides, by no means rare. The most unexplainablo losses sometimes occur at private dances. A fan, for example, may disappear if left on a chair while dancing some new step for which both hands are wanted. On many occasions this happen , *, although none but guests have entered the ball--1 room. In fact the owner may see some other girl using her lost fan later on in the evening, and using it without an apology. Formerly, if such a thing had I happened, it would have been thought very embarrassing to have been caught red-handed. The girl of the day, howI ever, does not seem to stand aghast. If something were said she would merely explain that she had picked it Tip and had borrowed it for a moment.' MOW TO TREAT A WOMAN. The Idealist.—Put her in a glass case and kneel at her feet and worship her. Treat her as if she were a goddess merely larryinc with you for a while. Close ! your eyes lest you see her blemishes and your ears lest you hear her tongue too often. i The Practical Man.Give her a. waterI proof shelters comfortable bed, plenty j to eat, as many clothes as you can afford, I a few children, that she may not have time to get into mischief, and allow her to have her own way whenever it is best for her. , The High Brow.—Raise her to your intellectual level — possible. Try to make her your companion and equal. Discuss literature, art and the topics of the day with her, even if you are required to'do a tiresome lot of explaining. jlt is possible for a woman to be more ' satisfactory as a companion than a man. If she has tactand most women have— i she. will never tell you that you do not I know what you are talking about—and 1 prove it. And if she loves you she will accept your opinion as the last word on I the subject. I The Low Brow (alias The Brute).— I Treat her just as you do your horse. ] Feed h«r enough to keep her in prime working condition. Buy her new harness when the old is likely to reflect discredit upon you. Say nothing when she works well; 'beat her when she doesn't. Brag to others about what, a true, steady puller she is, -but don't let her overheat you. When she is worn out, get another. The Average —Provide for her the best you can. Love her a good deal —in an undemonstrative way after the first year. Be as true to her as the strength of temptation will permit. Be a brute to her, sometimes, and. then repent, apologize and atone. Remember that she is not a creature of logic, reason or iron, but an inconsistent, lovable, breakable being, with faults more numerous and less grave than your own. I The Woman Herself. her lots of clothes. Tell her often that you love her—whether you do or not. Listen to her when she wants to talk. Pretend that you like to have her make a fuss over you, muss up your hair and sit on your lap, wrinkling your 'best trousers, when you are well, and to give you nasty medicine when you are sick. Should her love become oppressive, give her children. If you won't or can't do any of these things, do not blame her for turning to a pug dog or an affinity. She must have something to love. This is hex ideal, but rather than, such treatment from a man she does not love, she prefers being treated like a dog by one she does love. A i