Every Lady’s Journal

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6204, 8 October 1921, Page 3

Every Lady’s Journal

By Vivienne

PERSONAL. Miss E. Hookey lias returned from a visit to Auckland. Mrs H. Humphrys, who-was thb guest of Mrs Dunlop, has recently returned to Whakatane. Miss Walker (Auckland) is the guest of her sister, Mrs H. Packe, at the Vicarage. Mrs and Miss M. Shannon (Sydney) are ,on a brief visit to relatives in Gis]x>rne.

Mr and Mrs Guy Sturdeo (Adelaide) have been visiting friends in this district.

All stall-holders in connection with the forthcoming Christmas Pair will be entertained at afternoon-tea on Thursday next at Mrs J. R. Reynolds’ residence, "Sandown.” Miss Edith Lyttelton, the well-known writer, has returned to her home at Ealing, after nearly a year’s absence in Yukon and Vancouver. Mis Lyttleton is well known in Gisborne, where she has visited on many occasions. Her stories have been published in. all the leading magazines in Australia, London, and elsewhere. Her nom-de-plume is “G. B. Lancaster.”

The Gardening Circle of the Women’s Club will be entertained by Mrs Howard Kenway on Friday next at her charming residence. The function is being much looked forward to, and as the beautiful, picturesque grounds are looking especially attractive and pretty just now, flower lovers should be ini their element. The terraced garden at the water’s edge is radiant with choice summer blooms of infinite variety.

GAIETIES - AHEADOn dit, that dances and theatricals will be enjoyed during Show Week. Country people will be present at the festivities, and it is expected that a jolly time will be spent without any committal of lavish expenditure.

'CHARMING AND EAR-HAUNTING.'

On the return to Melbourne of the J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, the first production in Australia will be given of "Merrie England,” the music of which is by the famous English composer, Edward German. The action of the story takes place in the Elizabethan, period. The music is described as "charming and ear-haunting,” whilst the comedy is delightfully droll. There will be a specially-selected cast.

THACKERAY DISCOURSES ON LOVE.

\ When a man is in love with one woman in a family, it is astonishing how fond lie becomes of every person connected with it. He ingratiates himself with the maids, he is bland with the butler, he interests himself about the footman; lie runs on errands for the daughters; he gives advice and lends money to the youngest son at college; he pats little dogs which he would kick otherwise; he smiles at old stories which would make him break out in yawns, were they uttered by any one but papa; he drinks sweet port wine for which he would curse the steward and the whole committee of a club; he bears even with the cantankerous old aunt; he beats time when darling little Fanny performs her piece on the piano; smiles when wicked, lively little Bobby upsets the coffee on his shirt. LITERARY NOTES. What luck some people have! An Irish correspondent writes to Mr Clement Iv. Shorter, of the "Sphere”: — "At. ail auction of the library of Lord Carew at Castle Boro, Enniscorthy, I bought about 1,200 volumes of books from the library. These were ail put together and went for £9. They are beautiful volumes, all bound in full polished calf and beautifully tooled. They date from 1800 to 1840, and include sets of Swift, Burke, Scott, Lingard, etc.” AN INTERESTING SALE. In a sale at Sotheby’s recently a very interesting (manuscript in Captain Cook’s hand on "arithmetical trigonometry” and "arithmetical dialling,” , with some quaint verses to any finder ’ of the manuscript, if lost, brought £2OO (Quartitch). FAULTS OP ARTICULATION.. The lazy merging of similar sounds when they happen to fall together may be heard any day of the week, even on Sunday (writes " Matanga ” in the Auckland Weekly News). "Make lean our hearts” does duty for "Make clean our hearts,” and "precious tones” for "precious stones.” In "the Glove and the Lion,” a reciter has given the line "Till all the pit, with sand and mane, was ini a thunderous smother,” as ending in a "thunderous mother.” So "His beard descending, swept hi® aged breast,” has been given as "His beer descending.” In song there is. less excuse than in spoken recital, yet a lady lias been known., in the course of a popular duet, to send "the white mist eeling,” instead of "stealing;” and many “an ocean” has become "a notion.” NEWS AND NOTES. • To avoid' criticism, say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing. * *■ There is no saying shocks me so much, a© that, which I hear very often, that a man does not know how to pass his time.

CONTENTMENT. Some h'a’e meat who canna eat. And some wad eat wha’ want it, But we ha’e meat, ail'd we can .eat, And so the Lord be thankit. —Burris.

NOT TO BE WONDERED AT. Mrs A.: The doctors have just discovered an extraordinary thing about Professor Strutter; they sa.y, his heart is on the wrong 6ide. Mrs B.: Ah, he always was an untidy man.

MEDICAL STUDENTS’ BALL. There were ..some rather gruesome decorations at the annual ball of the Medical Students Society in Melbourne. Thte scheme included a real .skeleton and designs of skulls and crossbones. The skeleton was placed on a swing, which hung from the centre of a large pendant of lights, with cleverly designed black-and-white streamers.

SPRING FASHIONS. The outlook for the coming season is unusually gay (states a writer in the "Australasian”). The above statement is not made from any advance knowledge of'the social season, but is gained by close observation of the showrooms in the various drapers’ shops. Not for many years have our eyes been arrested by', such astonishing combin-

NEWS AND NOTES OF THE DAY

ations of vivid colours, such- striking arrangements of design and' pattern. One sees sponge cloths, ratines, silks, and cotton voiles with queer geometrical designs, while broad stripes and broken or whole checked patterns in hitherto unheard-of colour contrasts have quite driven out the demuro tints and neat small designs which, a summer or two ago were considered the only wear. Possibly it is the hot pursuit of "smartness” that has brought the decidedly pronounced colours and patterns into vogue.

. The new style for the washing frock is much the same as for the garden ' party or. race frock. It is true that the latter is made more elaborate by inlettings, flounces, and embroideries, but the loose fit and the "slip-on” style prevail everywhere. The plain bodice, which looked well on undeveloped, boy--1 ish figures, is now varied by narrow vests of organdi muslin-, or by the pretty crossed-over peasant effect. The wide muslin "front” of a season, or two ago is quite dead, and the narrow , line of vest which is introduced in the' new frocks may ho only a few inches t deep or may run to the waist. Tiny buttons, not bigger thani an ordinary pill, are" being used as a finish to | some of these pretty frocks with ! charming effect.

There is every indication that white organdi' muslin will play a prominent part in the dressing for the summer. Not only are entire dresses made of it, but it is being used extensively as a trimming. One sees cotton voiles made with narrow flounces or kiltings on the skirt, each kilting being headed by an upstanding hem ■of white organdi. As a finish to the open necks, little square collars of the muslin, with a contrasting narrow hem, look charming, and they are quite in keeping with the Dutch style, which is a feature of so many of the more durable tub frocks. In one shop these Dutch frocks make a special attraction. They are simplicity itself. The narrow skirts, mostly of plain Japanese crepe, have the loose outstanding hip pockets usually seen on the costume of a Dutch boy rather than a Dutch girl. These pockets are of a contrasting coloured crepe, and have an appliqued finish of vari-coioured cotton material in the form of crude fruit and foliage. The shapeless bodice is adorned in the same way, and the skirt is buttoned to it by a row of large white bone, buttons. Such a frock could be easily washed and dried and ironed in under an hour, and the 6tyle will probably become very popular, especially for holiday wear.

WOMEN AND FASHIONS. An emphatic protest against the constant changing of dress fashions was offered by Dr. Agnes Bennett to a lecture at Wellington. She deplored the disappearance of the good, sturdy principles of our grandmothers, who wore underwear of fine bleached linen, Which was washed, boiled, and' hung in the sun. and wind to bleach and dry. Contrasted with this was the modern usage of silk and crepe tie chine, which was usually rinsed in warm water, rolled up wet, and ironed. A woman should make the most of her looks, dress herself suitably to her figure and employment. Folio-wing the fashions was about the most idiotic occupation that any girl could give her time to; the liability to chill was greatly induced by the modern] evening dress, with its filmy stockings and high-heel shoes, while the latter were not at all comfortable. Dr. Bennett also deplored the use of the powderbox and cosmetics, and hoped the fashion would quickly bring about its own decay. Eskimo wives are cheap. A report from Les Pas, Manitoba, tells of an Eskimo trapper on his way to a trading post bartering four for a pound of tea and some tobacco. Two wives were previously involved in a similar transaction, one having been bartered six times—twice for a. pound of tea, once for a tin of condensed milk, once for a plug of tobacco, and once for a side of bacon. According to Eskimo customs the husband may redeem his wife by paying double her purchase money.