THE LADIES. A DISLIKED FASHION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1908, Page 4

THE LADIES. A DISLIKED FASHION.

There is a fashion followed by some girls which does not find much favour with men, and 'yet is so small and unostentatious that it might have easily escaped notice altogether. It i& the high linen or pique hunting stock collar, which 'is worn folded around thp neck, and fastened off with the o'rtho,riox crossed ends jn front. Certainly it is rarely becoming, and still more rarely is it correctly folded ; but it does seem absurd "in these days, when we speak (says the Melbourne Argus) of blouses- as "shirts," and wear the sailor's 'knot tie tiri a matter pf course, to say that the stock is unfeminine. That it is often unsuitable to the stylo of costume, and inappropriately worn, is another matter ; and possibly- some men will be pleased to hear that probably this fashion will not be a very kng-lived Gne. • Tho-Unen. collar,' which looks wondei fully smart on some girls, is most trying 'to othsrs, and the same applies to the hunting slotk, which is not ever likely to be generally ■ worn, fhere is a- good r deal of prettiness in the new, long, narrow lawn necktie vith embroidered ends, but real comfort ia to bo found in tho lace collar band when well bound, especially under th? ears ; and yet ridiculo has been cast on that, too. But, atj. all events, such a. collar keeps clean muqh .longer than one that creases raid soon becomes unsightly. Uh fortunately, the lace neckbujul is nol appropriate to the severe "Gibson" blouse, although it is the onty one suitable to the popular kimona bodice. Quite the prettiest neekgear is the one so popular among French girls, who rarely venture on any fashion that is 1 ' distinctly masculine. This is the littlo white embroidered lawn Puritan stock, which is neither stiif- nor ham to the face. It. should bo reme>mberjd, .especially at this timo of year, that thick and tight neckbands always leave a brown "high-water' 1 marla on tho vdiite skin, which is harder ( to eradicate than sunburn, "PROBLEM r ; OF >THE 'ONLY. , ' 'Recognising the fact .that l facjiliß3 : in which there is- only one child •are becoming wore frequent in America, solaie of the magazines there aie devoting special articles to tho "Pioblein of the Only Child." They appear to have gone past lamenting tho decline of tho bil'th rate, and to' accept tjie, fact that thero arc plenty of, parents, especially those living in large cities in. small flats on limited incomes, who find the c t har»e of one child as much as they can properly manage. The woret of itr all is (says Harper's Bazaar) that an ,only child i 3 either dreadfully spoiled, ol'i that in the effort not to spoil him he is made moie | or less of a prig. Thf noimal cliilf]', of, 6oi\rse, ' is osio of a group who in his daily iiilercouxso \yith brotners and sisters learns to givo and take, and tt> adapt himself to what others do and are. No older poison, however anxious, can teach a .child what othe/ children teach' unconsciously, and so parents ' with 'biit one small boy' (or girl) arc urged to send him to school," ©v arrange for frequent mixing with other children, for very often the' only child, whatever his mother or father wishes, .finds his little world ao lio grows up a, very liard place to livS in ' t HOMAGE TO ; WOMEN. Known as "The League to Rdspect Womeu," a body to encourage politeness in France (bays the Daily Mail) has jnst been formed. One of it 3 foundera explains the ob'jeet thus:— "For many

yearn wv Frenrhmtn hiuc hicn losing! our n*puu»tioi7 for poiiicrA^'j to v. ouiou ! — in faff, we aio no loiimu" ; s polite to v.-omtA j's ;uv the En;,'iisli, Italian"', or Aiiitiiaiih. Tins is evidenced d.'ily »'i » hunilretl little v. ajs. Fov inst.usc • n Fiendiman seldom, ii i-\ ci , tliinks of giving up his r.oi't iv ;>, ti'iun\v;iy-c.ir dr ommbuj to ;i v\Lrman. It is quite caramon at a st.iUnn to &tv ] ;i man elbow his way tljivough ii <io\vd ol -Hcitiit!? women to gef 'to the front. In milway luriin'jos men will smoke in nonSiaiokjng compartments, without asking the permiofaion of the wenien present. We want, not to go back to tho old, somewhat ridiculous, fuims ot ceremonious politeness, but to kejp alive, or rather to revive, something traditional in -French < ourtesy tawaiels women, which 10. unfortunately fast dying out." SUITABLE HUSBANPS . From time immemorial women have avjeeived 'advice on' how to select suitabio husbands. Mostly tho hints have been proffered by women, but sometimes masculine writeis have vencuveil to mdicnta which type and age. of 'man is the best for tho ordinary woman to marry. Mr. George Harvey approaches 'the topic, in the Noi^h American Review, because he f-eels that what has been thought and written previously on the choice of husbands is out-ot-date, nnd that the subject is like history or geography, inasmuch as continual revision is needed. To his mind the best hu&bandj of ' all is he that i 3 young and plastic*, and it is preferable that *'c should be 'in love. Mr. Harvey has a high opinion of the strength of mind which ho takes for granted is charaeteriatie of widows, for he is particularly forcible on the point that no woman except she be one should marry a bachelor past 40 years of age, and even 35 is icgardrd as dangerous. Again, a widow is tho only class of wo-, men for whom >t is safe, to select a philosopher or a writer of essays. Men past 40 years, unsubdued by feininino discipline, are apt to make" rules and flagrant demands that exceed thp bounds bi reason. All they really itquiro ia a dignified head of the table^ a clever houstkoeper, and a, good nurse. Of such male persons all women other than widows arc warned to bowaie. But if none better can. be had the narrow path, of duty lies straight before tho searching eyes of every living spinster. , BABY LANGUAGE. Professor John Edgar, M.A.. Bell Professor of Education at St. Andrew's University, leeluring on "Imitation and Its Individuality in 'Children," bciore the. Child-Study Society, said (remarks the Daily Mail) that it was very harmful l'cr mothers tr> epeak "bnby language" to, their young children. Tho young child, in its plastic, period, was ready to imitate anything it heard. It was therefore very necessary for 6veryone aiound the child to speak slowly and ■ distinctly* , A parent imitating the child in its baby talk only retarded .its advance. A boy imitated iuany things which 'came in front of him — ■ policemen, _ soldiery, sailors, all of which he promptly ri'jocLad. But if the instinct persisted there , came a deeper imitation, which became -prophetic, and probably decided the boy's career. Sir J sines Criehton-Bro>Vn&, -wh'6' presided, said .ho was afraid 1 ithafc the imitation 'of children arcuo 'from lovo nnd ttdnn'ration; but in 1 later- life ft was derisive and contemptuous. He knew .a^ man in an important position, in a university who could instantly tell from wli'iil, public school a iieshm.m hull comd by some, pocnliaril.y of manner which lie. had acquired by imitation while at tire school. The whole question of imitation in children, as of mimicry in animals nnd bird's, was a very wide ona, and in his opinion needed lestudying. Th'-y had neard a good deal of the power of come llies, which flew around flowers to imitate wasps, and so be' safe from their 'enemies, to such an extent as to cultivate a large- yellow band round ( their abdomens. If ( theu> w^3 anything in that cWtrihe he *couM not understand why thijy did not imit.ite the sting light iway while .they were about it. ,