FEMININE FANCIES.

Evening Star, Issue 8279, 26 July 1890, Page 3 (Supplement)

FEMININE FANCIES.

At tbo risk of rousing the ire of some of my newspaper correspondents, who advise my abstaining from the enjoyment of balls, dinners, and musical parties, I most describe one dinner party I was at lately, because the table was so prettily arranged, although there were no flowers except in the tiny posies stuck in each guest’s tablenapkin. A sheet of looking-glass took tho place of contre-cloth, and had soft swathes of green siik, concealing its junction with the table-cloth. Little glass pots of ferns were placed here and there, and long sprays of real ivy glistening apparently with hoar frost, and with tufts of cotton wool to represent snowflakes here and there, were negligently arranged, trailing over mirror, silk, and tablecloth. Quaint terra-cotta figures held the menu, slung round their necks. They told a tale, ns far, as I could make out, of a workman who gradually abandoned his work for the bottle, with disastrous results, each figure being different from the other and illustrating his downward career. At another dinner I was at recently the difficulty of flowers was got over by using pressed autumnal • tinted leaves. These have a good effect, especially if fairy lights are used, as by leaning a leaf against one of these illuminated domes of glass its tints are brought out strongly and effectively. Bright - colored silk kerchiefs twisted together, with pots of ferns, make a good table decoration at this season, when flowers are so scarce, and some of the common ferns, such as the asplenium, will live for weeks if the roots are kept in water only, provided it is changed constantly. It should only cover the roots; if you have much the stalks rot.

To return to the dinner party. Having described the table 1 must mention one or two of the gowns worn by tho guests. One woman had a lovely and most becoming frock of apricotcolored soie royale, with striped rnoird of the same mellow hue mingled with it. Another wore a costume of the tea gown species, equally becoming, of black and amber, with the long outer sleeves which hang so gracefully. A gobelin-blue ottoman silk and velvet had the front covered with very rich bead embroidery to match. Two or three were in black, but I notice this sombre color has not been much worn lately. It is often becoming to individuals ; but in this age, when men must perforce don it, for the sake of the look of the room we women should choose bright tints, as the men are quite sufficient foil for us. At all parties 1 find the topic of conversation just now is the proposed Servants’ Union, It is not confined to the half-hour after dinner before the men rejoin us, for our lords and masters are just as interested in the subject as we, seeing it is one that may touch their comfort. From what one reads in the papers it doesn’t seem to be making much progress, and I haven’t heard of one servant in the houses I visit who has the least wish for it; indeed, they appear strongly opposed to it. I believe myself that were such a very unlikely thing to happen as the organisation of hj universal servants’ union, with limited hours of work, numbers of ns would do without any at all. This would be a dangerous experiment for the domestics, as many mistresses wonld find it such a saving of money and worry that they would be loth to return to the present rigime, and with the deorease of places wages would naturally have to fall. However, this is not a subject I am very much interested in ; I only touch upon it as it is being so generally discussed now.

I rejoice to see that the St, Clair beach is returning to us. During the last week or two the successive tides have brought in such quantities of sand that all those unsightly stones we have for so long had before our eyes are at last bidden. Somebody said “ souvent femme varie ; ” ha might equally say it of our beach, and find as much difficulty in discovering the cause of it. For months—years even—the sand disappeared ; now it is all being returned to ns, and the sea has given up encroaching. Perhaps the visit of the Marine Engineer has something to do with it! If so he is more successful in his order to the waves than King Canate was 1 As my next letter will probably be taken np with the description of some tableaux vivanls, or “illustrated songs,” we are to be treated to shortly, I had better seize the chance of having a little space to spare and give a few domestic—hints I will call them, as they scarcely deserve the name of recipes. In using red cod, which is so plentiful here, if bought tho day before it is required and steeped in salt and water, it will be found mnch improved,. as tho salt makes it firm—the fault of this fish is that it is soft and flabby. By trying my plan, however, it separates into good flakes when boiled, and can be cat into good steaks for frying. The former with oyster sauce and the latter garnished with oysters, clothed also in eggs and breadcrumbs before frying, make two excellent dishes. In using the large Stewart Island oysters it ia well to cut i off the hard piece that adheres to the shell, as well as tho beard, otherwise they are so very large and unshapely; also, that particular portion of them becomes leathery when cooked. For cleaning windows a newspaper is very useful. Crumble np half a sheet or so into a “ swab,” use it quite dry and it brings a splendid polish on to the pane. One last hint before signing my name. When washing anything that has had kerosene in it, use cold water at first. You can rinse with hot. Martha.