WOMAN’S WORLD.

Evening Star, Issue 14001, 6 March 1909, Page 9

WOMAN’S WORLD.

[Bt Viva.] " Viva ” will in this column answer all ■ reasonable questions relating to the homo, ] cookery, domestic economy, and any topic of : i interest to her sex. But each letter must bear the writer’s bona fide name and address. ' • No notice whatever will be taken of anonymous correspondence. Questions should be 1 , concisely put, and the writer’s nom de plume : . bo clearly written. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “ Trixie.”—Have given the recipe for apple . cider this week. i “Ella.” —(a) Try a littlo powdered borax; , it is excellent, (b) Yes. You need have no ( fear; it is quite correct. r “Mother.”—Nothing is better than lemon- , juice. ’Hake two lemons, and extract anti strain the juice. Pour a little warm water over; take a littlo of tho juico in tho band and rub it well in. i _____ HOUSEHOLD RECIPES. 1 Apple Cider.—Tho apples, after bring ( gathered, should be left for a fortnight to ; mellow. Then grind them to a pulp, and ' put into a strong bag and press with a ! weigiit until you have squeezed out all the i juice. Then place in a tub and keep at a heat of about 60deg, about two or throe ’ days for weak cider and eight to ton days 1 for strong cider, or as soon as tho sediment ; has subsided; the liquor is poured off into I clean casks. These should then b© stored in a cool place and left for about six , months. Preparatory to bottling, tho cider should bo examined to see whether it is clear and sparkling. If not so, it should be clarified, and left for a fortnight. Tho night previous to bottling tho bung should be taken out of the cask, and tho filled bottles should not be corked down until the day after; as, if this is done at | once, many of the bottles will burst by . keeping. Rhubarb AVine.—To Make Ten Gallons: Take fifty pounds of rhubarb and thirtyI seven pounds of moist fine sugar. Provide a tub that will hold from fifteen to twenty : gallons, taking care it has a hole for a ( tap near the bottom. In this tub bruise the rhubarb ; when done, add four gallons . of water; let the whole be well stirred together ; cover the tub with a cloth, and let the materials stand for twenty-four hours ; L then draw off the liquor through the tap; add one or two more gallons of water to ; the pulp, Jet it bo well stirred, and then . allowed to remain an hour or two to settle, j then draw 05. Mix the two liquors together. and in it dissolve the sugar. Let the tub be made clean, and return the ’ liquor to it. cover it with a cloth, and let [ it remain in a temperature of not less than 60deg. Here it is to remain for twenty- . four, forty-eight, or more hours, until there is the appearance of fermentation having , begun, when it should be drawn off into a [ ten-gallon cask, as fine as possible, which cask must be filled up to the bung-hole t with water if there is not liquor enough; let it Jean to one side a little that it may discharge itself. If there is any liquor in t the tub not quite fine, pass it through ’ fianncL and fill up with that instead of water. As the fermentation proceeds, and the liquor diminishes, it must bo filled up \ daily to encourage the fermentation for ton or twelve days; it then becomes more , moderate, when the bung should be put in, ’ and a gimlet hole made at the side of it, ‘ fitted with spile. This spile should bo taken out every two or tiuee days, according to the state of the fermentation , for eight to ten days to allow some of ’ the carbonic acid gas to escape. AVhen this state js passed flic cask may bo kept full by pouring a Littlo liquor in at tho vent-hole once a week, or every ton days, for three or four weeks. This operation should bo performed, at long intervals of a month or more, till the end of July, when on a frosty morning it should be drawn off as fine as possible, the turbid part passed through flannel. Make tho cask clean, return the liquor to it, with one- drachm of pure isinglass dissolved in a little water; stir the whole together, and put in the bung firmly. Choose a clear day in October for bottling. Oysters a ia Vatcl.—Required: Two 1 dozen oysters, six even-sized, oval-shaped potatoes, throe tablespoonfuls of thick white sauce, two tablespoonfuls of cream, if possible, one egg, breadcrumbs. Wash and peel tho potatoes, trim them into as neat an oval as posable, and cut a small slice from one side, so that they will stand steadily. Lay them on a buttered tin, and bake them in a quick oven until they aie just tender. They should, if anything, be rather under than over cooked. Next scoop out the inside of each crust so as to leave a hollow case. Brush the cases over with beaten egg, and coat with crumbs. Then fry a golden brown in hot fat. and drain them well. For the mix- ' ture: Beard and halve tho oysters, and save any liquor from them. Heat the sauce and cream. Add the oysters and their liquor. Alake them thoroughly hot, without letting them actually boil. If they boil they will become tough, and the eauco will curdle. Season carefully, then fill in the cases with the mixture, heaping it up gently. Serve at once. N.B.—lf liked, a littlo chopped parsley could bo sprinkled over the tons of each, or a few shreds of 1 chilli. Puree of Carrots.—Required : Six large . carrots, four sticks of celery, two onions, two ounces of dripping, four ounces of ham, throe pints of stock, one toaspoonfnl of castor sugar, salt and pepper, peel the onion and wash the celery, then cut both into slices. Scrape the carrots, and cut off all the led parts. Then cut tho ham into small dice. Alclt the dripping in a saucepan. AVhen it is hot. put in tho i onion and celery, and fry them carefully. Next put in the red part of the carrot and 1 tho ham. Put the lid on the pan, and let the contents cook gently for ten minutes ; ■ then poor in the stock, and cook until the vegetables are tender. Next rub all through a sieve, put tho puree bade into 1 the pan, having first rinsed it with water, bring to the boil, skim it well, and let it > cook for about ten minutes. Add the 1 sugar, salt, and popper to taste. Serve in 1 a hot tureen. ' 1 Tipsy Cake.—Required : Four round, ■ flat sponge cakes, quarter of a pound each 3 of macaroons and ratafias, a pound pot of 1 jam. quarter of a pound of sweet almonds, 3 quarter of a pound of glace cherries, one ' pint of boiled custard, oho pint of sherry ’ or home-made wine. For the whip: One ' pint of cream, castor sugar, and vanilla ; to taste, For a cheaper variety: Use quarter of a pound of either macaroons or ratafias instead of both, and only two ounces each.of almonds and cherries." Make ; a less rich custard. Use a fruit syrup f flavored with wine instead of all wine. 1 No matter which you may be making, lay ) tho macaroons or ratafias, or both, in some - of tho wine to soak for half an hour before I you want to make the trifle, as they are , so hard. Spread one side of each" cake f rather thickly with jam. Put one cako on i the dish in which the trifle is to be served, , keeping the jam side uppermost. Next put 1 a layer of macaroons, etc.. then more cake, , and so on, until all tho cake is used. End - with a round of cake, this time with the jam downwards. Take a clean skewer and 3 pierce a lot of holes right through the r trifle. Then pour the wine over slowly, 3 and as it falls into the dish take a spoon ! 3 and again repour it over the cake, until 1 the whole is well soaked. This should be 1 done some hours before the trifle is to be I eaten. Next pour over the cold custard. ‘ AYhisk the cream until it will just han<r ‘ on the whisk. Sweeten and flavor it to 3 taste, and heap it over the custard. Shell and shred tho almonds, and cut tho cherries in halves. Stick the almonds in rows s down the trifle, and ornament it prettily i- with the cherries. . j 3 Bread Omelet.—Let one teacupful of milk I come to a boil, pour it over ono teacupful 1 ■ of bread-crumbs, and let it stand a few minutes. Break six eggs into a bowl, stir

fnot beat) till well mixed, then add theT ■ milk and Ixread, season with pepper and < salt, mis all well together, mid turn into i a hot frying pan, containing a largo spoon- i ful of butter boiling hot. Pry tho omelet ; slowly, and when brown on the bottom cut i in squares and turn again, fry to delicate ' brown, and serve hot. Potato Fillets.—Pare and slice tho potatoes thin; cut them, if yon like, in small fillets about a quarter of an inch square, and as long as the potato will admit. Keep them in cold water until wanted, then drop them into boiling lard. When nearly done’ take them out with a skimmer and drain them; boil up the laid again, drop the ■ potatoes back, and fry till done. This operation causes the fillets to swell up and ■ puff. ■ HINTS. A Water-softener for the Bath.—Buy a i yard of cheesecloth or butter muslin, and cut it into squares about 4in wide; sew 1 these up to form bags. Next mis together two pounds and a-half of fine oat- : meal, four ounces of powdered Castile soap, and eight ounces of powdered orris ■ root. Fill the bags (not too full) with ■ this mixture, and place in the bath, using it as a sponge. These bags are splendid, and will soften and perfume the water beautifully. You can remove oil spots from a boarded floor by well washing with strong soda and water in which a little unslaked lime has been dissolved. Use the scrubbing brush, and follow the grain of the wood. Wash well with clean hot water after the scrubbing, and dry with a rough cloth. After a long and tiring day, especially if the hat has been worn continuously the morning and afternoon, the sculp often feels excessively tender and sensitive at night. Considerable relief can bo obtained b 7 simply dipping the comb in cold water in which a few drops of eau-de-Cologne have been added, and passing it through the hair at tho top of the head, or a few drops of rose water may be sprinkled over the hair and the skin rubbed gently with tho finger-tips. To Clean White Furniture.—First of all dust thoroughly, then wash it well with iv arm water to which enough soap powder has been added to make it lather well. Rinse with cold water, being very careful to swill out the corners, for nothing looks worse than little heaps of damp dust left in cracks and crevices of light furniture or paint. Wipe quite dry, then go over it with a slightly damp flannel dipped in powdered whiting or prepared chalk. Finally polish with a dry, clean chamois leather. Really godd enamelled furniture will wash again and again, if carefullv done, and will come out as “good as new 5 ’ after each cleaning. For tlie chronic knee-swelling popularly called “ water in the knee ” try painting with liniment of iodine. FASHION FRILLS. Breast pockets elaborately stitched are a feature of many of the new blouses. Some new dress attachments are decorated with steel beads and fringes. Big pocket flaps and close-fitting sleeves denote the newness of some smart coats. Brown shading to amethyst is a favorite idea for hat trimming. Belts with a buckle at either side of a skirt front panel are novel and attractive. Some of these are of strong, but fine, net, others on firm and heavily-worked velvet or silk. Wonderful girdles of black satin are arranged for wear with dresses of all pretty colorings. pi pad along tho seams with another color are among the novelties of the season. Embroidery Bouncings are used quite a good deal on the more expensive ornamental lawn blouses. THE ABRUZZI ELKINS ROMANCE. Although Senator Elinas has denied that his daughter Katherine is engaged to the Duke of the Abruzzi, no similar authoritative statement lias been made at Rome. A former Minister of tin Royal Household, who may be regarded as being “an courant with tho present rather curious position of affairs, has made tho following statement:— 13 No announcement as to a coming marriage between the duke and Miss Elkins can yet be made, for the reason that there are certain very serious difficulties in the way For one thing, Miss Elkins and her family stipulate that all the members of the Italian Royal Family must give their sanction to the match, a thing which the duke finds Impossible. This is the chief problem which has still to be solved. As matters now stand, it is impossible to bo--1 ><;vc that His Royal Highness’s relatives will give way. Having failed to secure this unanimous approval, the duke cabled to Miss .Elkdgs giving her back her liberty, but it is scarcely correct to say that he definitely broke off the engagement. He is still ready and eager to marry her, provided that her family yield in their demands. Thus, it is with Miss Elkins and her relatives that tho final decision rests. So far, I believe the Duke of tho Abruzzi has gained the formal consent only of King Victor and Queen Elena. His other relatives are resigned to whatever may befall, but are certainly not enthusiastic or desirous of expressing formal approval. Hero arc Queen Margherita's own words on the matter:—‘ The duke can marry whom lie pleases His wife will be a Princess Royal, and will certainly receive at the Italian Court the welcome which she has the right to expect. But I still hold to the principle that a Prince of the blood royal ought always to make a marriage suitable to his rank, in order that the other Princes of his line may not be placed in a compromising position. This line of reasoning has been followed by others. The Duke o7 Aosta and the Duke of Genoa, both of whom have children who one day will marry, cannot approve a ‘mesalliance’ on the part of a relative. The Count of Turin, who is believed, and with very good reason, to aspire to the hand of a certain English Princess, knows that if his brother marries a lady in the position of Miss Elkins he himself will find it very difficult to realise hi,, hopes. It can be easily understood, therefore, that the position is a difficult one. The duke is a man of his word, and has passed it to Miss Elkins. The withdrawal is no light matter.’’ THE QUEEN AS A PIANISTE. Queen Alexandra, though a Dane by birth, has not been so much influenced in her tastes by the music of her own country as by that of Germany. The great Danish composer Niels Gade, sterling musician though he is, is not ranked by Her Majesty so high as the leading German masters. This is because her taste has been formed on the best models from her girlhood upwards, and however much she may admire the musicians of her native country, she assigns the superiority to German music. Her Majesty is a beautiful and brilliant player on the pianoforte, and it is one of the greatest pleasures to those afound her to listen to her performance. ISho attributes her exceptional skill and technical ability on the piano to patient and unwearied practice, and to the further fact that she had the benefit of having as her master one of the greatest pianists that England ever produced—Sir Charles Halle. Under tho superintendence and careful tuition of this great musician, the Queen’s style of playing ripened into consummate excellence and that complete ease of execution of which Sir Charles Halle was ever so remarkable an exponent. It was one of. Queen Alexandra’s greatest pleasures to play duets with her distinguished master, in addition to studying as a soloist under him, and it was in -which she frequently indulged. Besides her own skill as an executant. Her Majesty is a competent judge and critic of musical compositions. She has always been a very earnest admirgr of the music of Brahms, which few i but those thoroughly versed in the art can thoroughly understand and appreciate in its often mazy intricacy. Gounod is another favorite composer of Her Majesty, and she frequently plays his music. It is pleasant to realise a fact which we may here mention: that sacred music attracts a large share of our gracious Queen’s attention. Sacred music is so often given the go-by in the present age, and con- ; sidexed of no account and uninteresting, j that many readers will hear with pleasure I that such, at any rate, is not the Queen’s ' opinion. While others would relegate sacred music to a position of inferiority, she* on the contrail 'would exalt its im-

portance, and much of the time which she devotes to music ie spent in playing hymns - find other sacred pieces. In Queen Alexandra wo have a royal lady-whom many mi English girl may take for her pattern of steady practice, eff brilliant result, and—last, not least—of simple delight in that chaste and solemn sacred music which, though the most unpretentious, is yet in its spirit and its aims the highest and noblest music of all. —J. F. Rowbotham, M.A., in tho ‘Girl’s Own Paper.’ AN “ ETHICAL MARRIAGE.” New York has been slightly shocked by the “ethical marriage” of one of the University settlement workers, Miss Broski, with Dr John Hameiton, the head worker in the settlement. Miss Broeld, aged twenty-one, is the daughter of Dr Broski, a self-styled atheist, who believed in the “ethical form of marriage.” 'The marriage came as a surprise to many of the settlement workers, and on Sunday when the news spread through tho settlement houses, where orthodoxy has so far reigned unchal- , lenged, there was a great buzzing of pos- . sip. The ceremony took place in the j apartments of Dr Elliott, head worker of I the Hudson Guild Settlement House, who j is a close friend of Dr Hameiton, and well known amonp; sociologists. He is an asso- ■ ciate of Dr Felix Adler in the Society for Ethical Culture. Dr Elliott himself performed the “ethical marriage.” Dr Hameiton and Mias Broski, standing before. him, formally accepted each other as husband and wife, promised each to love and honor the other, and to fight life’s battles side by side. After the “ethical marriage, ” tho couple entrained for tho honeymoon. The father and mother of the bride said they believed in “ ctliioal marriages,” and thought they would become increasingly popular as people became more 1 enlightened. Dr Hameiton and Miss Brosld, they said, secured a marriage li- • cense from the municipality, and that was j considered sufficient by both parties. Ono result of the “ethical marriage” is that Mrs Broski Hamertou may lose her appointment as a public school teacher. GIRL “YEOMANRY.” A novel irregular force is being raised in London by Captain E. G. Baker, as an offshot of his Islington Drill Brigade. It is a nurses’ division, is styled the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Corps, and is divided into two troops, but arrangements have already been made to start a third. Tho corps now number forty officers and troopers, and there are plenty of girls fired with military zeal who are ready to join. It is expected that the corps will take a prominent part in neixt year’s tournament. A well-known titled lady recently joined the corps, and has taken rank as a lieutenant. Each troop has two lieutenants, a troop sergeant-major, noncommissioned officers, and signallers. Tho two lieutenants in charge of a troop are daughters of the late Colonel Grenall. It is not intended that they should be fully trained nurses. Their province is to render first aid to tho wounded until the base hospital staff arrives. They would follow the fighting line as closely as possible, and do what they could for the men on tho spur of the moment. Wounded men sometimes have to wait hours before the hospital staff reaches them, and often lives could be saved by prompt attention. The girls are taught to ride out carrying their nursing kit. They ride side-saddle, but they are able to mount and dismount without help. Arriving at a case, one girl dismounts, and another remaining in the saddle holds the free horse. If, after j attention, the wounded man is able to sit otl a horse, he is placed in the nurse’s saadlOj -and the other nurse conducts him hack, returning afterwards to her comrade. Some of the girls have learnt flag j signalling, and in this way they are able to summon more assistance when it is needed. PERSONAL AND GENERAL. Someone must take a told step and popularise dances that involve graceful movements, remarks tho ‘Lady's Pictorial.’ Nowadays we drill, wo swim, and prate of the exercises that render us supple and graceful, yet when we get into a ballroom all we can do is to spin round and round and rush up and down. A great dish at Egyptian harem feasts is that of a lamb roasted whole. After tho manner of a ucst of Chinese boxes, each smaller than tho other, the lamb is stuffed with a whole turkey, the turkey with a chicken, the chicken with a pigeon, tho pigeon with a quail, and tho quail with a becafico. the smallest bird known except the humming-bird. The lamb roasted over a slow fire until it is almost ready to fall to pieces. Tho idea of American women that jewelled teeth was a new fad, Mr E. P. Gaston stated in his lecture to young people at the Royal Geographical Society, was quite erroneous. There was nothing new in the world. Tho latest fad of American actresses was popular among Central American women countless ages ego. In | tho ancient burial-grounds skulls had been found in which jadite and pyrites had been skilfully let into the enamel of the teeth.