COMPLAINTS OF FASHION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 104, 25 January 1908, Page 11

COMPLAINTS OF FASHION.

. To an unintelligent ontsitl.cr, says an Australian'writer, it looks as if liicn and Women go' oil marrying as they always have. But it is .customary to bewail tho way marringo is going out of fashion, iand to say it is because-

a wifc is such a nowadays a man. naturally hesitates before taking one. Yet there is many a clever-lingered woman ,\vho contrives to look marvellously well on a-very small income. And if .women do spend money on dress, don't the men make thorn?' A man bates to have his-wife look shabby.. He thinks it will make bis business associates think lie isn't "doing welL" And how is a'man "caught,'' to use a vulgar phrase? Hy plainness of dress and economical habits? Not at all. Ho is attracted by pretty dress. All the world abhors a dowdy woman. When a girl is dowdy in her appearance, her conversation is apt to bo dowdy too. It has a droop-shouldered effect, as if sho wero wearing old clothes ami were ashamed of the fact. Dowdiness is tho. result of imperfect vitality, said Oliver Wendell Holmes, and of course pulsing health is to bo preferred far above feebleness. Every now and then a grumbler arises and complains that all women dress alike, and that- fashion's slavery is gradually crushing out all feminine individuality. It cannot, be denied that a casual look at- a group of women gathered together gives the impression that women aro not exactly pathfinders in the matter of attire.

Vet hero comes nn Knglish authority on dress, with the statement that there is today "a body of women, slowly and steadily growing in numbers, who are always noticed and talked about for ,the remarkable taste and "originality of their clothes." Women 'ike the Duchess of Rutland and Lady Dickson-Poynder, or in theatriciil circles Mrs. Tree and Mrs. Patrick Campbell— women like these have done much to keep fashion's shackles from getting too tight. They have declined to follow exaggerated styles, they havo frowned nn senseless trimmings, and abovo ail they havo dared to express their own individual picturesque fancies in their dress. Yet they havo. never gone too far; nqvor so far as to bo conspicuous—just far onough to be unique, graceful, unusual — to mako in the crowd of conventionally drossed women a happy relief to the eye. Women like these are tho salt of tho world of, clothes. It would be unreasonable to expect too many women to cut looso from fashion. To bo really successful in that lino a -woman must havo position ; she must have unfailing good taste; sho must havo artistic capacity; sho must have money and good looks.. If a woman lacking these things says to herself, " Go to, 1. will be original in dress," sho is likely before long to overhear her friends saying, " What a guy poor dear Mrs. Empire looks to-day. What is the matter with her? Sho is certainly falling off."

■ A Woman Suffrage Association has lately been formed at Lausanne, Switzerland, and is meeting with unexpected success. It is called the "Association Vaudoise pour 1c Suffrage Feminin," and has already a goodly number of members. It plans to have lectures, to ■ introduce the teaching of civic.", into the schools for girls, and to petition the government from time to time. The members will also follow the courses at the rui';«rsi f »y wlaiub boir on this question.

the cake an inch deep into pans, spread blanched almonds evenly over tho top and sift powdered sugar to 'just cover them. Press evenly into the eako with a spoon and bako t(> a delicato brown. Election Cake.—Two pounds and a half each of butter and sugar, four pounds of flour, seven eggs, ono quart of milk scalded and cooled, one and a half nutmeg grated, haif a teaspoonful of cinnamon, half a teaspoonful of soda, and half n pint of yeast. Beat the butter and sugar to a cream. Divide it into two equal parts. Pub ono part thoroughly into tho Hour. Now mix with tho milk, adding thu yeast-, and set it in a warm place to riso. When very light add tho remainder of the butter, and' sugar, also t-lio eggs and spice, a'nd let it riso again. When well raised mix tho soda with half a cupful of dry flour, and sift it into tho dough. Now beat tho cake for several minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Stir in stoned raisins—more or less according to tasto, and placo in the pans in which it is to bo baked. Let it. stand until it has risen again before putting it in the oven. It should bo baked very slowly, so that- it may remain at least an hour in the oven and yet not'he baked a dark brown. A quick, hard baking will entirely ruin the delicacy of tho cake; let it stand half an hour in (ho pans after taking it- out. of the oven, turn it carefully out aud frost the top and sides of the loaves whiie they :ire warm. It is a good pla'u to put while, paper in the bottom of the pans before placing the cake in thorn. This recipe will provide" suflicient material for seven large loaves.