WOMAN'S WORLD

Evening Star, Issue 14308, 5 March 1910, Page 4

WOMAN'S WORLD

[Bt Ym.j "Viva” will m this column answer all reasonable questions relating to the home, cookery, domestic economy, and any topic of interest to her sex. But each letter must bear tho writer’s bona fide name and address. No notice whatever will be taken of anonymous correspondence. Questions should ba concisely put, and the writer’s nom de plume be clearly written.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENT^.

“Rona.”—The stain should bo rubbed with a little oil of some Id ml, linseed for preference, although paraffin or sweet oil will do. Leave for some time if possible, then polish. If that ia not effective, got a small bottle of spirita of nitre: clip a feather in this, and with it touch the stain. Then at once rub with a cloth moistened with sweet oil. ‘AElsa A.”—Have given recipes of macaroni cheese and potato croquettes. Pleased your cake proved such a success. “E.A."—Try adding a few drops of essence of vanilla just before removing from the fire. It greatly improves tho flavor. HOUSEHOLD RECIPES. Poached Eggs With Spinach.—Required ; Stewed spinach, one poached egg for cadi person, neat round of fried or toasted bread. Gut the btc.ul rather thicker than you would: 'or ordinary toast. Toast or fry it carefully. Goat each piece thickly with some of the spinach mixture, whicii should be very hot. Smooth it evenly over, and place a neatly-poached egg on each. Serve very hot. Strand Cake.—Required : One pound o ; Hour, quarter of a pound of currant;, nvarter of a pound of (sultanas, quarter of a pound of bn.wr. sugar, six ouncm of butter, three eggs, two terspoonfuls of golden syrup, one level teaspoonful 1 of bicarbonate of soda, half a pint of milk. Beat Die butter and sugar to a soft cream. Beat up tho eggs, and add them gradually to the butter, beating them well in. Clean and stalk the fruit and add it. Sieve together tho Hour and carbonate of soda, and -t:r them lightly into tho other ingredients. Last!r, add the milk and syrup, mixed together. Have ready a cake tin lined with two layers of buttered paper, which should come throe or four incites higher than the top of the tin. Put in the mixture, spread it evenly, place it in a very hot oven for tho first live to ten minutes, then lessen the heat. Bake for about two hours. Slick a clear, skewer into it, and if it comes out clean and free from mixture tho cuke is done. If not, cook a little longer. Egg Salad.—Required : .Six hard-boiled eggs, aspic jelly, chopped pan-ley. coralino pepper, green eaJad, mayonnaise: dressing. Boil two eggs until quite hard, cut into slices, rinse out a border mould with eold water, pour in a little liquid aspic, decorate the bottom of the mould alternately with chopped parsley, coralinc popper, and yolk of egg passed through a sieve, pour in a little more aspic ami allow it to set. Fill Die mould with layers of hard-boiled egg and aspic. When set turn out on a bed of green salad, fill the centre with chopped egg mixed with mayonnaise, decorate with cress and chopped’ aspic. Aspic Jelly.—Required: An ounce and r,-h:df of stock or water, one onion, one small carrot, one small turnip, stick of celery, twci cloves, a bunch of herbs, the rind and juice of hedf a lemon, half a gill of sherry, two tablespoon fids of vinejar, two tablespoonfnls of tarragon vinegar, ten peppercorns, salt, two and a-half ounces of gelatine, whiten and shells of two eggs. If stock is used remove the fat; put the stock into a saucepan with all the ingredients except the whites and shells and the sherry ; stir over the tiro till the gelatine is dissolved. Whisk the whites slightly and add with the crushed shells. AVhisk* well until it comes to boil, rlien stop whisking and let it boil gently for ten minutes’; then set aside for a few minutes with Die lid partly on. Strain through a hot tea-cloth ; put* the sherry through the cloth last. Note: .More gelatine must be used in hot weather. Mayonnaise Dressing.—Required : Two yokes of eggs, one gill of salad oil, half a teaspoon/in' of mustard, one tablespoonful of vinegar, one tablespoonful ox tarragon vinegar, one tablespoonful of cream, salt and cavenne. Place two yolks in a basin, add salt and mustard, stir in the oil drop by drop to prevent curdling. When all the oil is in. stir in the vinegar in the same way ; add the cream last of all. This sauce will keep some time if kept airtight and in a cool place. '.Macaroni Cheese (by request).—Required: Two ounces of macaroni, an ounce and a-half of butter, one ounce of Hour, half a pint of milk, two ounces of cheese, a few bread-crumbs, salt, ami cayenne. Cook the macaroni in fast-boiling water with some salt for twenty or thirty minutes. Drain it, and cut it in inch lengths. Make a sauce, using an ounce of butter, anil the milk; add an ounce and a-half of grated cheese; season well, add tho macaroni, and place in a greased dish ; sprinkle over a lew bread-crumbs, the remainder of tho cheese, and put some small ’ pieces of Mutter on top. Brown nicely in the oven. t Potato Croquettes (by request!. —Required : Gold potatoes, halt an ounce of butter, a little milk, chopped parsley, salt and pepper, egg, and bread-crumbs. Put live cold potatoes through a sieve or a potato masher, make them hot, and add (he butter, a little milk, chopped parsley, and season well with salt and pepper; divide into equal portions, form into balls, :oat twice with egg and inoud-ciumbs, fry a golden brown in hot fat.- Put a. small piece of parsley stalk ki each. Dish on a hot vegetable dish on a folded serviette or a fancy paper. Boiled Butter Pudding.—Required : Half a pound of Hour, one pint of milk, two rings, a pinch of salt, marmalade. Add lire salt to the Hour, make a well in the retitro, drop in tho eggs, mix smoothly with a little of tho milk, heat till it bubbles; add Die remainder of the milk, and if possible allow tho hatter to stand ; well grease the mould or basin, lino with marmalade, [Him- in the batter; bolt for two hours, serve with marmalade sauce. Note: Currants may ho used instead of marmalade. They sink, and form a, black cap, called black'cap pudding. .Servo with a sweet sauce. Marmalade Sauce.—Required: Two tablespoonEnls of marmalade, one gill of water, lemon-juice, one dessertspoonful of uigar. Boil together for five minutes, and drain. Ginger AVine (six gallons).—Required : Three-quarter.; of a pound of bruised ginger, loll) ot Dcrnarara sugar, twelve lemons, fix gallons of water, twelve oranges, 11b of raisins, 2oz of isinglass, two tablesnoonfuls of yeast. Boil the sugar in tfio water until no scum rises, peel tho oranges and lemons, and add with the ginger, lied in a muslin bag ; boil all together ’’or an hour ; remove into a tub, and when lukewarm add two tablespoonfuls of yeast on pieces of toast. Lot it stand till next day, then put in a cask with tho juice of tho oranges and lemons. Stir every day for ten days, add isinglass vo clear it, arid the raisins, then, hung it Jovvn. It will bo ready to use in two nonths. Molasses Sponge Cake.—Required; Half » pint of molasses, half a cup of boiling water, one level teaspoonful of soda, quarter of a cup of butter, three cups of pastry Hour, one level tablespoonful of ground ginger. Heat the molasses and idd the ginger. Dissolve the soda in two tablespoonfnls of water, add it to tho hot molasses, and then add the boiling water and butter. When the butter is dissolved, stir in quickly the flour. Turn it into a shallow baking pan that has been lined with paper, and bake in a moderate oven for thirty minutes. Apple Cup Custards.—Required: Four apples, four tablespoonfnls of sugar, ono tablespoonful of butter, half a pint of milk, four eggs. Pare and core four goodsized apples, steam them until tender, press through a colander, add whilo hot tho butter, the yolks of the eggs, sugar, and milk. Turn this into baking cups, and bake for twenty minutes. Beat the whites of the eggs until stiff; add sugar, beat again; heap over tho top of the cups ; dust thickly with powdered sugar, and brown a moment in the oven. Serve cold. HINTS. To Polish Linoleum.—Some people object to highly-polished floors, because of the danger there is. of slipping ] but the

% following polish gives a good gloss without making tho linoleum tho least slippery. Get a gill of methylated spirits and an ounce of shellac, mix both together, and when tho shellac is thoroughly dissolved apply it to the linoleum with a soft flannel. The gloss will remain even after the linoleum has been washed. _ / To Wash Chiffon.—Get a basin of warm water, make a lather with plain, yellow soap, put the chiffon "into a wide-nocked bottle, and shako about in the suds until perfectly clean. Rinse in clear warm water in a similar manner, and only squeeze very carefully to got rid of the water. Rut through a wringer, if one is handy, in a ejeun doth. Mix one teaspoonful of dissolved gum—such a consistency as one would use for sticking paper—in half a pint of cold water, and put the chiffon through this to stiffen ami glaze it. Iron with a clean and hot Hat iron. If the chiffon is colored, put salt and vinegar into the water in which yon rinse it. When acid fruits set tho teeth on edge, tho acidity may he counteracted by a wash made by'dissolving a teaspoon ful of bicarbonate of soda in half a pint of water. Removing Stains from Leather.—lt can be greatly improved by nibbing with a cloth slightly moistened with petrol, and afterwards polished with a soft duster. Rut remember petrol must not bo used near cither a light or a fire, as it is highly inflammable. The best plan is to use it out of doors. NOTES FOR WOMEN. [Fuoit Oun Lady Cor.iiKsrosDKXT.] LONDON, January 21. —A Great Dramatist's Wife.— Madame Rostand, wife of fiio author of ' L’Aigloa,’ the long - looked - forward - to ‘ Chanticleer,’ and many another wellknown play, is herself, besides being a beautiful woman, an accomplished poetess, and she is. in collaboration with her elder son, Maurice, now writing a play which is intended for «uo of tho Boulevard theatres. This son. it is said, has all his parents’ romantic qualities, and the second hoy, now only fourteen years of age. shows already an extraordinary love for science, so (hat he also will probably be hoard of in the future, So intense is the artistic sympathy existing between husband and wife that, poet though she is, when Rostand is composing she finds her own brain in a chaotic state that will not allow of creation. ) —Woman Playwright.— Lady Bell, who is one of the foremost members of the Writers’ Club, and an astonishingly brilliant woman, is shortly to have another play acted by llio Stage Society. Her husband, Sir Hugh Bell, is one of the best-known ironmasters of the Midlands, and has been, and still is, as a matter of fact, master of many interests, politician, ironmaster, coa lowin'r, chemist, and newspaper proprietor. Lady Bell was a daughter of the late Sir Joseph Ollilfe, M.D.. and one of her plays had the honor of being produced by the great Coquelin. —A Lady Guide.— Hearing that there is to be found in Rond street a lady guide to London ami '•professional shopper - ’ for colonials. I made a point of calling on Mrs Anstcy, tho lady in question, to see in what way sh makes herself useful to colonial visitors, and in a pretty room I mot her—a smartlyfrocked, bright, little lady. .She has. ’ I find, a thorough knowledge of London, though she lias travelled widely abroad, its sights, shops, places of entertainment, etc., and her profession is that of acting as pleasant and intelligent “guide,” or merely giving advice and instructions, as clients_ desire. Dor terms are low, varying with her clients - demands upon her time, of course, but she is a mine of information for a bewildered tourist. —Royal Musician,s.— The Queen o{ the Belgian* ifi tho only Royal lady who can boast the degree of M.D.. hut our own Queen, as long ago as 1865, received from the Royal University of Ireland the degree of Doctor of Music, and the Princess of Wales has a similar degree from tho University of Wales. —Tho Czaiitsa.— It has been well said by one of the dai’y papers that, “every Englishman with a heart under his ribs will hear with concern tho anxiety o£ the Czar and the Russian people on the .-abject of the .health of flic C/aritsa. - ’ For some time past disquieting reports have reached England of tho health of the noble woman whoso great position has robbed her of health and peace of mind, .and given her in return only wearing anxiety ami constant fear for her beloved husband and children. Never was there a more cruelly pathetic evidence of the uneasiness of tint bead that wears a crown than in the gradual breaking down of the beautiful woman whose husband is ruler of id! the Russians, and few indeed there are who would change placet; with her. —An Old Wedding Custom.— In the old days of Romo newly-married couples used to scatter walnuts among their friends and neighbois as an emblem of putting away childish things. —lnviting. The following advertisement appears in the ‘ Stage’; Wanted, an act ref.; to plav suffragette pari : must lie able to slide down a thirty-fool polo. —A Woman Botanist.— A woman scientist, who has already done, and is doing, valuable work as a i-.olauist, is Miss Alice iieukei, whose career has been an interesting one. .She is now one of the experts in the Washington Department of Agriculture, but she began life at tiro bottom of the ladder as a type-writer and stenographer in the Department. —What Children Laugh At,— A bright little interview with Mr Wilkie Bard, the noted comedian, on the subject of children’s enjoyment of his efforts, brings to light tho paiticular kind of humor that children like best. It seems that no greater fun can be provided for the young baibarians Dim to hurt someone on the stage, dislocate a rib or a knee, for instance, for their special benefit, throw bricks at the hero, or chase someone with an axe ! .Subtle humor docs not appeal to small folk - they are elemental, and ap preciate real pantomime and broad burletqtto. FASHIONLAND. [Fkom Oun Lady Correspondent.] LONDON, January 21. —Woman and Her Diess. — Sales and elections form every topic of conversation, and make up life just now, and neither are interesting from a colonial standpoint. The sales are crowded and disappointing, since drapery altogether seems dcirer in England than in New Zealand, and elections—for women —are dull when the one that immediately concerns them has taken place. Fashion is somewhat at a standstill, as tho uann,unseasonablo weather makes a now array of winter hats appear rather ridiculous, and tho month precludes a show of spring goods that may 'ook foolish in snow tomorrow. Therefore T have been hunting about in papers and magazines for fashion hints for the coming season, and in my wanderings 1 came upon a piece of advice to women who would like to be, perhaps without any great means, considered smartly /rocked. 1 reproduce a few sentences : Tho woman, is the important thing, and her clothes should bo subordinate to her. Everything that is worn should bo really decorative, or it should be omitted'from her costume. So many women, when they have a new jabot or a jewel that has been recently acquired, stick on the little accessory whether it ia needed or not, and so spoil tho attire. Develop your own individuality. Do not wear things simply because they are tho latest fashion. If’every woman’wore only what was becoming to her there would soon bo an end to atrocious fashions. The woman of superfluous inches must take care not to wear square, uncompromising lines which reveal all her defects, nor must she go too far in the other extreme and adopt shapeless garments which make her look like a sack. Every woman should study the best feature in her personality, and

dress up to it. If she has no redeeming features save, possibly, pretty blue, brown, or grey eyes, let her choose her frocks and hats and dress up to her eyes, Drat no one will remember her weak points. To drers well, every woman should also ask herself these . questions: “ Have I ornaments which I might do better without? Does everything I wear fulfil a purpose cither of beauty or utility? Am I wearing anything’ that docs’ not suit me in color, line, or fashion? If I am, then lot me alter the mode ot my dress, ami refuse to bo a slave to anything simply became it is in fashion i.nd is worn by hundreds of other women. 1 ' —Two Mourning Costumes. — Black, when not used as aM advertisement of grief, but as quiet mourning, need not necessarily be hideous, and a couple of mourning costumes described this week by Lydia Lovelace are very smart. One, made in Russian style, was of black Cheviot, the coat Raving a straight collar of Astrachan, and an Astrachau toque to match was worn, A blouse of black nitron, tucked and trimmed with line narrow lace, was worn underneath the coat. Tho second costume was of black striped cashmere suiting, collar and cuffs of silk, and the coat and skirt both braided in little ornaments. A black beaver hat was worn with this, and black fox furs. —Scarves. — Long scarves of tulle are very fashionable in Franco just now for evening wear, and, indeed, retain all their old fascination for .Englishwomen. They are graceful adjuncts nearly always to a dress, and the latest ones, of pale-tinted tulle, cdgexl with tarnished gold galon, jet, and iridescent trimming, are charming, and have the virtue of ncirig simple enough to he home made. Fine gold net makes a very modish scarf. —Skirts.— Short skirts, according to some dictators of fashion, are. to have a brief reign, and except for the streets are said to be already doomed. Certainly trailing gowns, whether of velvet or flimsier material, are infinitely more becoming than attenuated ‘•half-mast - ’ garments. Corselet style is a prime favorite just now, and is von - becoming. —Recoining Evening Dresses. — Ono of the smartest, of this season’s evening frocks is undoubtedly composed of white satin, with a narrow bordering of mink fur cn the tunic of dewdrop net, the net jewelled with bugle trimming. There aro little lui-edged shoulder straps, and a great bmuh of purple violets is worn on one side of the decollutagc. Another- frock, much simpler, but still charming, is of white chiffon, with a tunic of white milfoil continued as a fichu on tho bodice, and edged all round with tiny pink loses. —Fashionable Trimmings.— Silk fringe is being widely used for trimming velvet and cloth hou.-e gowns, and bugle fringes, silver-beaded ones, and delicately-tinted tine silk make a pretty finish to an evening gown. A now mode of trimming is that of drawing silk, charmease, or chiffon cross over draperies on a bodice through embroidered rings of (he same shade. - -Diamond Logic.— Men buy diamonds because women like them, and women like them because they are expensive, ami diamonds are expensive because women like them. —‘ Canity Fair.’ AN ANGLO-COLONIAL WEDDING. A wedding of more than local interest was solemnised at the Church of All Saints. We.-t Dulwich, London, on January 18 (writes my correspondent), when Miss Audrey Togotmeier, the only daughter of Mr and Alts C. G. Tegetmeier, was married to Mr Hugh Vincent Runaway, solicitor, of Gray's Inn. tho eldest son of the late Air James Ilarraway and Airs Ilarraway, of Strcalham Hill. Air Tegetmeier is well known in New Zealand as tire chairman of the Auckland Tramways Company, and was for some time general manager of the Bank of New Zealand. The. bridegroom is a nephew of Air Henry Ilarraway, of Green Island, near Dunedin. Tho ceremony was performed by the Rev. James Beeby, and was attended by a very large gathering of the friends ami relatives of the bride and bridegroom, including a considerable number of Anglo-New Zealanders. The bride was given away by her father, and was attended ly two "juvenile cousins, Aliss Alargaret Tegetmeier and Aliss Ida Bloomfield, who acted as bridesmaids. The bridegroom was accompanied by lus brother. Air Victor Ilarraway, as best man. After the ceremony a reception was held at tho residence of the bride's parents, Sussex Gardens, West Dulwich, and later on the newly-married couple left for Bournemouth, where they will spend the honeymoon, preparatory to taking np their residence at “Llantwitli." Pulley. A .STOCKINGLESS WOAIAN. A startling reform on woman’s dross lias been advocated by Aldlle Lydia Lipkow.ska, a Russian singer at the Boston (U. 8.) Opera House, who declares that women, for hygienic, reasons, should discard stockings. “ Stockings are a necessity when one is out visiting, or walking, or’on the stage.” she says, “ but worn constantly throughout the day they are, to my mind, ci source of evil. When at home’, I confess that most of tho time I am .stockingless.'’ A well-known society woman in London, with strong views on health culture, said to a. i-enresentative of the ‘ Daily Mail ’ that she agreed to a certain extent with Aldlle Lipowska. ”1 am certainly of opinion that heavy stockings prevent graceful, easy walking. Of course, to abandon stockings altogether would bo impo.s--sible in the present age; but there is no doubt that to go stockingless, provided tho weather is'warm, is far more healthy anti hygienic. The thinner the stockings —if 'they must bo worn—the better. French girls wear very thin silk stockings, mostly half-open work, and they are far better walkers than English girls.” Another hygiene specialist declared that it would take 200 years for women to get accustomed to go stockingless. “ The English climate is unfitted for such luxuries. To suddenly abandon the present custom would inevitably bring colds and possibly pneumonia. To avoid illness, such a. reform should be commenced at babyhood, and never bo relaxed during life.” FEMININE FRILLING?. Long tails of fur stand up at Die right sido of fur-bound velvet toques. A big bow ot fur comes on hats as tho chief trimming. Large picture hats of velvet swathed in creamy laco have a group of cascade ostrich feathers at tho back. Small sleeves to tho elbow are often braided like the fancy trimmings on the dress. Belts are growing wider, and nearly every belt ;s set off with a wide buckle. Big shirt rutiles of lace-cdged ljwn aro important details with open-front coat costumes. Tho Russian blouse coat fastens across tho shoulder and down tho left side. For trimmings, plain cuffs, upstanding collar, and a band at the lower edge, all of velvet, aro seen on the Russian blouse. Black-and-white shepherd’s plaid is coining to the front again for children’s dresses. Little coals of tho same complete tlio costumes. This material was much worn in Paris Inst autumn. AVido pompadour ribbon arranged over a while silk foundation and veiled in tulle makes up a smart evening dress. A largo square buckle covered with rucked silk catches together a bolero bodice in tho middle of tho back on a very smart gown. An up-to-date half-mourning toilet is a dress of black charmeusc, a long coat of black velvet, with a big picture hat of black, around tho crown of which sweeps a broad band of blue fox.