CURRENT GOSSIP.

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 86, 6 January 1926, Page 3

CURRENT GOSSIP.

“The Dominion” Office,

H'cdnesday, January 6, 1925.

A FTER the ball—-no, I mean, after the holiday —is /1 over comes the reckoning. Do we fell better or AJL worsen dre holidays all they arc said to be? Man ■is like a piece of machinery, and when I say “Man,” 1 mean that universal encompassing genus 'which, literally and metaphorically, embraces I'roman. It is a good thing to let machinery, even human machinery, stop occasionally. Scientists tell us that machinery seems to acquire a fresh lease of life after a. rest. The funny thing is that if you stop machinery it docs rest. Rut if human beings lake a holiday do they rest I No —they tear about the country getting tanned and open-air looking. Is that rest/ They say a change of work is as good as a rest. 1 don't know; when I want a rest the idea- that appeals to me more than any other is a nice hammock, a lawn, a spreading tree, a book, and a box of bonbons within easy reach. J think that even old Omar Khayyam with his loaf of bread and fug of wine and his affinity in the wilderness could not be happier.

Luxuriously,

MARGOT.

Perhaps the hardest thing is to tell the sinners from the righteous when you know ’em both pretty well. £ £ &

Whenever possible, new linoleum should be purchased a little beforehand and left standing in a warm room. This makes the cutting work easier and the linoleum less liable to crack. X if 4,

“Yes,” she remarked, “I ant greatly troubled.” “By what?” “Well, I want to get married just to prove that I can, and I don’t want to get married just to prove that I don't wish to. If j don’t they’ll say I can’t; if I do, they'll say 1 have no more independence than any other woman.”

Potatoes niasli snioothlv and quickly if hot milk is used instead of cold. Jg. £ Fi

The shoes 1 saw this week at Lindsay’s. Ltd., have just arrived, and arc nice in more wavs than one. Tn addition to their fashionable colours and flawless style, they will wear well and keep their shape and outline. Brittain and Bannister is a name which will convey quite a lot to those women who study and appreciate tine footwear. 'Hie new interlaced model in black and fawn looks and feels comfortable for hot days. A glace court shoe for wearing at functions with smart gowns is very well cut, Iso a black patent leather model, which lias a group of narrow straps across the instep. The "Lotus” send an open-sided shoe in tan and brown, with a gusset—always a well fitting and comfortable model. A Grecian shoe with a broad bar is very wearable. -

Every sink and dustbin should be disinfected to discourage the swarming of Ties near or in the house. For this purpose two-pennyworth of permanganate of potash, used with plenty of water, is a useful fluid. Lime, also, is a powerful disinfectant.

The mother called in vain for her young son. Then she searched the ground floor, the first floor, the second floor, and the attic—all in vain. Innally, she climbed to the trapdoor in ‘lie roof, pushed it open, and called: “Henry, are you out there?” An answer came clearly—“No, mother. Have you looked in the cellar?”

A new tennis racket may be your ambition for the New Year. J. R. .McKenzie have tennis rackets at all prices—from seven and sixpence upwards, in various makes. Tennis balls are stocked also. A hot day on the beach calls for a gav Japanese sunshade, and these rance in price from two and sixpence to fifteen shillings.

To soften a hard sponge, place it in cold water in a clean pan, add a tcasnoonful of borax, and bring slowly to the boil. Take out the sponge, rub drv borax into it, and rinse well in cold water.

Duck I’ie.—Take the remains of cold duck, free it from bones, and cut the meat in slices. Pass haF a pound of lean beef through the mincing machine, mix it with chopped parsley, season, and line a pie dish with it. Pour in a little well-flavoured brown sauce, add the pieces to duck, seasoned with pepper and salt, and cover with slices of hard-boiled egg; add a little more sauce or diluted meat-essence and cover the dish with a smooth layer of mashed potatoes. Brush over with eggyolk and bake in a moderately heated oven for forty minutes. Serve very hot.

Sale time, proverbially pitted with traps for the unwary, has a bagful of prizes for the discerning shopper, but the prizes to be won are pre-eminently the reward of determination to find t.nc thing needful, restraint from the purchase of tempting but useless articles. Miss Samson, Colonial Mutual Buildings, has her usual midsummer sale beginning this week, in which a number of very smart garments are included. Summer frocks in dainty materials, hand-made embroidered, tucked and hemstitched, are among the collection. Hats, intriguing, very up-to-date, and all this season’s models will be offering in small, close-fitting shapes, and also those with wide and graceful brims. Very drastic reductions arc being made.

Old Gentleman: “So you think niv daughter loves you, sir, and you wish to marry her?” Dudelcigh: “That’v ./fiat I called to see you about. Ip there any insanity in your family?” Old Gentleman: “No, sir; and there’s not going to be any. Good evening.”

Equal parts ol wood violet sachet powder and powdered orris-root, tied up in little bags, is a good mixture for scenting clothing. Another recipe is this: Take one ounce of cloves, Carraway seeds, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, and Tonquin beans; then add as much powdered orris-root as will e(|iial the other ingredients put together. Grind the whole well to. powder.

A schoolmaster had explained to his pupils the functions of a British consulate, and to find out whether or not they understood, he asked: “If someone carried you off in an aeroplane and after a long flight dropped you ten thousand ot miles away in a foreign country, what place would you seek out first of all?” An eager hand was uplifted “Please, str, flic hospital,” came the unexpected auswei. 6 4 Economy is still the order of the day, and we would like to remind housewives upon whom the chief burden of thrift rests, that one great factor in household economy is a really up-to-date and efficient system <>( cooking, heating, and water-heating. A coal range is seldom ready for use on the moment. First thing in the morning there is all the troublesome work to be got thro’gh before even a kettle of water can be boiled for breakfast; and throughout the day there has to be stoking, rearrangement of dampers, etc., whenever further cooking is to be done. Hence more time wasted, and more trouble for the cook. What at one time was an obstacle to the more general use of gas for cooking, namely, the difficulty of' obtaining hot water when the coal range was out of use, has been overcome by the. invention of efficient and economical gas-heated appliances, whereby a constant supply of hot water can be secured at reasonable cost quite independently of the kitchen range boiler. Consult the Wellington Gas Company.

To clean a white mackintosh moisten an ounce of Fuller's earth with a tablespoonful of spirits of turpentine, then mix in half an ounce of salts of tartar and one ounce of potash. Blend the whole into a stiff paste with a little,soft soap. Apply this mixture to the mackintosh with a piece of flannel, rugging it till it lathers, and then sponge it off. '.if X

Cover grease stains cn leather with pipe-clay made into a •. aste with water. Let it remain for twelve hours mid then brush it off. If the stains have not entirely disappeared, a second application of the pipeclay will banish them completely.

He was an elderly son of the soil, and he had all the farmer’s savage hatred of rates and taxes of every kind and description. To add insult to injury, a perky little iack-ill-office of a collector recently called for taxes he had already paid, but for which lie had mislaid the receint. “And would you b’lieve it, Bill.” be said, when relating the incident later to a friend, “the jeller began to abuse me.” “Did he?” said Bill. “And what did you do?” “Do? Well, I remonstrated with him.” “You did. 'Jo what effect?” “I dunno, exactly, but the shovel got broke ”

Trv using a cork dipped in scouting powder lo clean your kitchen knives.

To avoid the usual flat taste peculiar to boiled water, pour several times from one jug to another, in order to let the air pass through it.

Ethel Gotrox: “Oh, Reginald, they say you are a fortune-hunter, and are only marrying me for my wealth. Tell me it is not true.” Lord Dedbrokc: "Why, my dearest, I would marry you it you were penniless.” Ethel Gotrox: “Prove this, my own Reginald, and I shall be absolutely happy.” Lord Dcdbrokc: "Settle the whole of your vast fortune upon me, leave yourself destitute, and I will wed you in the face ot the whole world.”

The newest hot point table servant is a turn-over toaster which toasts both sides of the slice without handling. Charm of design is not the only feature that commends the new Hotpoint Turn-over Toaster. Perfect toasting qualities are provided for, and in the production of this laboursaving article every care lias been taken to maintain high quality. The result is a toaster that is a vast inipt ovement over any electric toaster that has ever been offered to the public. It will toast two slices of bread in approximately three minutes —perfect toast—delicious, crisp, appetising, and uniformly browned, and it is not necessary to touch the slice until both sides arc fully toasted. Think of the pleasure of making your toast on the breakfast table just as it is needed, fresh, crisp, and hot, instead of those flabby slices of unevenly cooked bread which is so often the best that a servant will offer. If you have no help, just think what a comfort it will be. The Hotpoint service is la-bour-saving in the true sense of the word. Consult the National Electrical and Engineering Company for particulars.

(S’ "S' When lingerie ribbon becomes tied in a hard knot, don’t lose time and patience trying to unpick it with your lingers. Insert the points of embroidery scissors into the folds of the knot and force the scissors open. The knot will become loose enough, to undo easily. Any sort of knot or tangle, yields quicklv to this method. A %

Copper may be cleaned by scouring it with a hot lemon dipped in salt. When clean rinse in pure hot water, and polish with a soft cloth.

“How di<l Santa Claus treat you?” “Fust-rate. Jim Colson brought back that gun he borrowed. I found inv old jack-knife in the cow shed, my taxes was rcdooccd four shillings, an’ Aunt Eliza wrote to say she couldn’t visit us.” *

It is among clothes that the sale time shopper hopes to find treasures. The model which arrived at the beginning of the season, and for some reason or other has not yet found the right owner, will be verv much reduced in price, and will be offered at a figure which will make it a higlily-desirablc acquisition. Havward, Ltd., Lambton Quav, begin their summer sale this week, and their exclusive stock of ftocks, ensembles, coats, junipers, lingerie, and millinery will, be marked at very reduced prices.

The big guns of business arc seldom those who have never been fired. A woman writer says that mischief xiuscs dimples. And vice-versa. JS> '6 X Gilt frames should be dusted and wiped with a damp leather; if very dirtv. a little vinegar may be used in lukewarm water.

Old Gentleman—“ Why are you m this condition?” Tramp—“lt won’t take long to tell, sir; I can’t live with my wife.” Old Gentleman (sjmipatheticallv) —“Poor man! I feel deeply for voii. Tell me why you can’t live with your wife?” Tramp—“ Because 1 haven t one 1”

From to-dav and continuing to the 16th Castel-Jaloux, Ltd., hold their annual midsummer sale, when all their stock is very greatly reduced in price. In buying frocks it is well to consider holiday requirements, and silk and silk crepe washing and tennis frocks can often be picked up very cheaply. Castel-Jaloux have many frocks of the semi-tailored type, well cut, which will •not date and can safely lie purchased for wearing again next year. Several jersey silk'frocks, which have so much popularity in Paris, arc offering in striped washing colours, and arc of the pleated skirt type. Soft uncrusliabie linens and dainty voiles in soft shades arc all hand-made and hail from Paris.

"George, is there anything in life but love?’’ "Nothing in all the wide, wide world—where’s dinner?”

Never rub soap on silk or woollens. It hardens woollens and causes silk articles to become yellow. Make a warm soap lather and squeeze and knead the garments. Rub only very dirty stains. »

Edna—“ Jim is going to be a great wit some dav.” Sarah—“ Sure, he is; why he’s a half-wit already ”

In laving in a stock of clothes one must not forget that juniper blouses arc very much worn, i and thev help considerably in making a change in one's holiday wardrobe. George and Doughtv, Ltd., have jumper blouses in scnii-tailored styles in the maxilk brand, imported models which give excellent wear. They are in black stripes in black and white, red and white, and shot purple and mauve. A particularly pretty one is in grev crene de chine, triinmedl with brick coloured cre'pe de chine. A charming evening gown of gold lace over flame-coloured georgette has loose pointed panels of georgette, and is most reasonable for five pounds ten shillings. A pretty little afternoon frock is of light-weight black striped Ottoman silk with a flared effect, long tight sleeves, and a row of scaling wax buttons down the front.

The foreman of a gang of railwaymen had more than his share of Irish wit. One day he was walking along his section of the line when he found one of liis labourers fast asleep in the shade of a hedge. Eyeing the man with a smile, he said: “Slape on, ye idle spalpeen, slape on. So long as ye slape ye’ve got a job, but when ye wake up ve’rc out of wurrk 1”

It is possible to remove marks from silver and plated articles with a paste formed of olive oil and putty powder. The paste should be rubbed gently over the marks.

The dignity of advancing years may be maintained with the assistance of a little extra hair to cover the scantiness and make a softening frame for the face. Consult Elsie M. Fell in her private rooms at 55 Courtenay Place. Prices reasonable ana work of highest quality. ’Phone 323. "iF

“Young man,” he said, as he followed him out on the steps the other evening, “I want to have a talk with you. \ou have been courting my daughter?” "Yes, sir.” “You think you love her?” “I know I do.” “And you would fain bear her off to some woodbine cottage?” “That is what I would fainest, sir.” “Ah—um! What is your salary?” “Four pounds a week, sir.” “Just so--take her. I was afraid you couldn’t support us all on your wages; but, it’s all right. Hurry up things and get into the familv in time to nay next month’s rent. You don’t know what a relief it will be to us old folks to have someone to support us.” 'i -SF

A piece of flannel moistened with sniirts of camphor will remove stains from mirrors and windowpanes.