Women's Realm

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11949, 20 May 1933, Page 10

Women's Realm

By “Marie”

STRANGE WOMEN,

HIGHLAND LASSIE SPONSORED

BY BISHOP,

ILAURA BELL AND GLADSTONE.

it VICTORIAN SENSATION. When Airs Gordon-Baillio bought a thing, Sho gave a cheque for it. But, when it was presented, there was Nothing to expoet for it!

Frantic applause from Edinburgh audiences greeted this doggerel during tide pantomime season following the raid upon that city’s pockets made by Mary Ann Sutherland (otherwise Mrs Gordon-Baillie), a humble Highland lassie whoso early “call” to become an “evangelist” bad first landed her in tli'e dock for bilking cabmen and tkei'caftci' led her to perpetrate widespread, colossal frauds in the name of philanthropy. In the course of these she was sponsored by *a bishop, was received officially by a Governor-General, bamboozled W. T. Stead 1 , and so captivated Jtlie great Professor Blackio that he begged for her photograph—the- photographer afterwards sent him the bill!

Fox- seventeen years successful swindling of tho charitably disposed she received five years’ servitude. It is au amazing fact that a, reputable bank supplied her with a cheque-book without) louet shilling deposit or a single reference, and closed her account after thirty-nine cheques had been issued and dishonoured ! THE SAILOR’S DAUGHTER. Somewhat similar was the career of Henrietta Strangway (otherwise “The Hop. Eva, Fox-St rang ways, daughter of the Earl of Uchester.” as she used to sign hotel books), the/ clover offspring of a bluejacket-, who defrauded hotels, tradesmen, and the pxxblic in three continents! and, when charged with issuing cheques without having a banking account. retorted; Well, they were Bank of England cheques. What more could anyone want}?"

'So glib was hex - tongue that when dis covei'ed jLicketless aboard a liner, sho induced ai wealthy American to pay her fare. Ironic was the discovery on her arrest, among countless bills and dishonoured cheques, of an MS, entitled '''Adventures ox a Woman in Search of Happiness.” Ironic also the news of a £2,000 legacy which arrived one hour after the destitute adventuress had committed suicide in her prison cell. Those arc* two of the ten “heroines” portrayed in Mr Horace Wyndliaiirs “'Feminine Frailty,” a study of sexni-icriminal literature, rcmai’kablo for its wealth of humour, irouy and romance. “Fenyinine Frailty”, we are reminded, began in the Garden of Eden. It lias been continued everywhere and ever since.” And has manifested itself in divers shapes.

MILLINER TO PRINCES’

MISTRESS

Caroline Walters, beginning life in a public-house skittle-alley, brought London to her feet and outraged society bv hunting with the Quorii. Cora Pearl, daughter of the composer of “Kathleen Mavourncen,” graduated from milliner to mistress of four European .Princes, assumed the crest of Dianne do Poitiers (somewhat appropriately!), gave banquets.costing five hundred pounds each, and was hounded out of Paris after the suicide of ond ruined admirer. There she returned to die in abject poverty.

Of different type was Maria Manning, who, having “cooked the goose” of Patrick O’Connor with a pistol, ate roast goose over his corpse, and calmly made (herself in prison a new set of underwear in which to he hanged, and destroyed the vogue of black satin for feminine attire. Mystery surrounds ,'tho birth of Lam-a Bell, who stormed London afte r queening the Dublin demi-monde. Peers, politicians and merchant princes flocked 1 to her. house in Wilton Crescent. In Paris she captured Napoleon I'll, for a lover. The wealthy young blood who married her left £IOO,OOO. Yet suddenly this famous courtesan, with tlio (world still at her feet, became converted. She addressed countless religious meetings so fervently that Gladstone becamo her friend.

At one meeting she Avas speaking of the folly of a life of sin, Avhen a young girl called out: “Come, come. Laura; anyway, you haven’t done go badly!” The sensation of 1866 was the claim}! iii the Probate Court of seventy-year-old Lavinia. Ryve to be declared tlm legitimate daughter of George lll.’s brother, the Duke of Cumberland. Allegations made on her behalf wore so far-feacßLng that even the legitimacy of Queen Victoria was challenged!. If successful, I.avina Avould he the rightful Queen! The documentary “proofs’’ of her descent had, she declared, been brought to her one tea-tinio hy Lord Warwick’s ghost. An alarming experience ! Yet the case took siix days to fizzle out.

Mary Anno Clarke served an appren ticeship as mistress to three baronets before emerging as tlie paramour oi Frederick, Duke of York, Avlioestablislied her in Gloucester Place, where she kept three cooks, innumerable liveried flunkeys, and refused to eat off any tiling but gold or silver plate. 'Gay goings-on in Gloucester Place f wrote a paragraphist. We can believe it. Gay goirigs-oii in Whitehall, too ; and Parliamentary inquiries were soon instituted) into the sale of Army.commissions W H.R.H.’s mistress. “In all the pride and bloom of her beauty, tlie lovely Thais stood, at the Bar.of the House,” a contemporary . records. mm, Mary'.Aline was bribed to leave England-and died at Boulogne aged! seventy-six.

NOTES, NEWS and HINTS

A FAMOUS DANCER

‘‘LOLA MONTEZ.’” Most amazing oJL' all iwas thg daughter of an Irish Ensign. ‘Lola Montez,’ who was hissed .olf Convent .Garden stage travelled tlio world, became successively mistress of Czar Nicholas. 1., Franz Liszt, Dumas pore, then captivated Ludwig I. of Bavaria, who ■ within a -week had introduced! her to his Cawinot and Diplomatic Corps and was writing poems to her. For months she ruled Bavaria ; then came disgrace and iliglit. In, London she was arrested for bigamy, but absconded from her bail to America, where she held “receptions,” charging one dollar for the

privilege' of shaking ter hand. In Australia, she horsowlfipped an editor. Finally she took to the Bible, preaching Methodism until'her death from paralysis:— “Within the compass of her fortytwo years she had known pomp and power and poverty; and had boon equally at borne in palaces and pawnshops, in conventicles and mining camps; she danced in opera houses aud she had sung in the- streets; she bad Jbeen caressed by monarches and expelled by underrappers. Men had lived for her, anti men died for her.” A scandalous hut entertaining chron icle.

APPEARED BEFORE KINGS

Mine Espinosa, a- dancer once famous in the capitals of Europe, who died buti lately at her home in Ashford. England, after suffering a stroke, at the age of 84, began her stage career as a dancer at the Drury Lane Theatre when sire was 12 years old. Later, she was acclaimed in Baris, where she was married to the balletmuster, Leon Espinosa. Thereafter she appeared with her husband as ‘File Sophia, dancing in the principal theatres of the Continent before every crowned head of Europe.

Mine Espinosa appeared before the late King Edward when he was Prince of Wales and was formally complimented by him. Sin* c-toured the United. States eight times. On her ic'tiremont Mine Espinosa founded the London dancing school which bears her name.

HOW MUCH SHOULD A WOMAN ■ EAT ? |,)o women need less Lood than men f According 10 a report of the British Ministry for Health a woman requires only 0.83 <T the food -requirc• 1 by a man. This statement v. as challenged by Dr .Jane Walker, of Harley street, who, at a dinner ni London of the Open Air Council, said that food consumption was not a matter of sex but of personal idiosyncrasy (reported the ‘'News-Chron-icle”). The idea that it was unladylike to eat a hearty meal should have passed with the Victorian era. "The Ministry for Health figure surprises me very much,” said Dr. Walker, “for my own observations suggest to me that no such difference exists. Sonic women eat mere, some less, and it is the same with men. 'Th L . distinction of sex docs notarise.',’ Professor It. U. A. Pi i turner, biochemist- and dietitian at St. Thomas’s Hospital, however, agreed with the Ministry. “It is an established fact.” ho said, "that men oat more than women in Hie proportion given iu the report.” M. Francis La try. the famous chef ul the Savoy Hotel, contends that, although women generally ear more than they used to, and could, with benefit to their health, eat yet more. “My experience as a- chef has taught me to vary a menu considerably according as women are to oat or not,

lie said. For a dinner attended exclusively by men I prepare richer food than when men and women are dining together/. Sometimes I add a course for a men’s dinner.

PANCAKES FOR ALL TASTES

Winchester Pancakes. —Take 2 eggs it pint milk, .1 11j flour, A teaspoon baking powder, saltspoon salt. Break the eggs into a- basin and beat them, then stir in the flour and: a little of the milk till you have) a. smooth paste, and add the rest of the milk and salt. Let the hatter stand for 1 hour, and just before frying add baking powder. Fry with a very little butter rubbed on the bottom °f a hot pan, and when cooked split while hot and spread thickly with butter.

Bread Pancakes—-Soak Ij cups crumbled' stale bread in 1} cups of milk ;fo-r 10 minutes,' add 2 tablespoons melted butter and beat up well. ' Add '2 well beaten eggs, T tablespoon sugar, § teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Mix; well and cook on a hot! greased pah,*: when puffed up, turn and cook theother side. Servo with golden syrup

Baked Pancakes.—Take 2 eggs, 1 heaped tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoofi baking powder, 2 tablespoons castor sugar, -1 cup Hour, 1 cup of milk. Cream butter and sugar, add well beaten eggs and the Hour' sifted with baking powder. Stir well and lastly add milk slightly warmed. Put mixture on buttered small sandwich, tins and bake in hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot with lemon aud castor sugar.

Savoury Pancakes, —Make a batter with 1 pint of milk, 1 cup Hour, 2 eggs, and a pinch of salt,beating' .well as milk is added, and leave for 1 hour, then put batter into a jug. Melt a good tablespoon of lard in pan and put in sufficient matter to cover the bottom of the pan, brpwji one side, then turn and' brown the other. Have ready bet minced meat. Spread mince on each pancake, roll up, and send liot’ to table.

Wholemeal Pancakes.—Take 3 eggs 3 dessertspoons wholemeal flour, a pinch of salt, milk to make a thin smooth batter. Beat eggs well, add flour, salt and lastly the milk. Put aside for 21 hours. Melt a little butter in a pan, make hot- and fry eucb pancake quickly browning both sides. Drop a little golden syrup on each, roll up and serve with slice of lemon and hot syrup.

MENDING HINTS. A clean tear in thick material should be mended with fishbone stitch. Tiiread the needle with silk exactly matching the material in colour, or with a reveling of the cloth if possible and. holding the several parts lengthwise on ;the first fingei; of the left hand, work thu needle backwards and forwards between the edges, passing it tliroug only half the thickness of the cloth. The sides of the tear will thus be drawn together, and the repair will be invisible. When finished ruffle up the surface a little with the needle, and press the material on the wrong side with a hot- iron. A patch- on the tablecloth may be darned in, if a piece of linen matchthe .original fairly well in texture and pattern can be obtained. Cut the patch nearly one inch larger all round than the hole to be repaired, tack it all round, leaving small loops. Turn the cloth right sido up, cut away the torn material to within a quarter of on inch of he patch, 'and darn the edge in the same way, but leave no loops .

A tailor always give a- button a “stem” when sewing it to a coat, so that the buttonhole may slip easily over it. To raise the button sufficiently to leave room l'or the false shank, cut a ring of cardboard a little larger than the button . slip it between the button and material, and pass the needle through the hole in the centre of the cardboard. The thickness of the card will prevent the thread from being drawn too-tightly. When the button i«l in place, break away the card, and strengthen the shank of cotton by several twists of thread and one or two buttonhole stidies.

DELICIOUS SMALL CAKES

Coburg Cakes. Take Mb flour (».r-) ilb butler, buz sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, -A teaspoon mixed 1 teaspoon cinnamon. 2 egg-, 1 CIUI milk. Beat butter and sugar to n cream and add. also milk. Bake m well greased patty tills alter putting half ti split- almond in each and hake 20 minutes.

Spiced Rock Cakes.—Take Pb s - r flour, ’lb sugar. :',lb butter. - eggs, ground mace, loz thin honey, loz chopped raisins. ”oz chopped jweserv. ginger, loz chopped peel cinnamon and all-spiec to taste. Beat sugar and butter to a cream, and add honey. Sift in flour and spices, add pinch salt, also fruit and moisten with beaten eggs. Bake a golden brown. Spiced Ginger Cakes.—Take 1 heaped cup flour, A cup castor sugar, l-o cup butter, 1-3 cup treacle. 1 egg. A teaspoon ginger, -A teaspoon grateo nutmeg, A teaspoon ground cloves, teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon curb. soda, .} cup hot water. Sift all dry ingredients into bowl, beat butter and sugar to a cream, add beaten egg. add' warmed treacle and spiced flour. Lastly stir in hot water and soda, then beat well. Bake about lb minutes in moderate oven.

Eggless Raisin Cake.—Take’ 1 cup soft brown sugar. 1 cup stoned raisins. 2 cups s.r. flour, 3oz butter. 1 teaspoon cinnamon, i teaspoon grated nutmeg, A. teaspoon salt , largo cup water. Place sugar, butter, water, raisin s and spices and salt in a

OAKES

saucepan, and boil for 2 minutes, when cool add sifted flour and mix woll. Bako in shallow cake tin in moderate o’vcb for half an.ihour.

SCONES, SHORTBREAD AND

A.s the 1 winter is now coming, many housewives arc . looking for comfy to-, capes and as such a number of people are of Scottish descent, it may be useful if they had some genuine Scottish recipes for scones, shortbreads, and calces. In Scotland a girdle consists of a piece of round flat iron, 12m to 15in across, with a curved handle, which is used in the fire to cook some of these. Bui a fliicu bottom frying pan will serve just as well.

Prince Charlie Scones.—-Sieve together lib flour (4 cups), l teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking: soca), 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, and \ teaspoon salt. Add buttermilk or thick sour milk sufficient to make a very soft dough. Turn out on floured board divide into four, and flatten each piece into a round scone about ball an inch thick. Cut each into four or six pieces, sprinkle with flour, place on the frying pan or girdle, and cook steadily till well risen and Ughtly browned underneath; then turn and cook the other side. Serve fresh, baked with butter. A soft dough, handled as little as possible, is the secret of making good.- scones. Iloval Balmoral Cake.—This cake is a great favourite with the King and Queen, and is always served at Balmoral Castle. Mix together 4oz currants, 4oz. raisins, 4oz sultanas, 2oz chopped candied peel. Beat to n cream Mb butter, and Mb sifted sugar. Into this break 6 eggs, one at a time, beat well, and gradually beat in Mb dried and sifted flour, add the fruit with 3oz ground almonds, and zest of an orange. Put into a cake tin lined with buttered paper, flatten tlio top, and strew with blanched and shredded almonds Bake in a steady oven.

ShortSfe-ad.—This is Scotland’ s most famous cake. Toils of it arc luado in Dundee and Aberdeen for export abroad, and thus it- goes everywhere. It is called Auld Reekie. Put on a board Soz (1 cup) butter, and 4oz castor sugar (i cup), aud work with the- hand until thoroughly incorporated: mix Soz flour (2 cups) previously dried and sieved, with -loz rice'flour (J cup) and work gradually until the dough resembles short crust. Do not roll out, but press with the hand into two round cakes, either iu oiled and floured shortbread moulds or on a sheet of baking paper. The best- thickness is 3 111 for a caliC gj u in diameter. Pinch the • edges neatly with finger and thumb, and prick the cakes all over with a fork. Put into a fairly hot oven over i.350<l Fahn\). (reduce Hie heat presently and allow the shortbread to crisp off to a light golden brown

WIIAT IS A LOVER?

The following definition won the “Definition of 'a Lover” prize offered by an American newspaper:— “A lover is a man who is totally ljlind to the imperfections in the woman bo adores; who is provoked u other men are not- signless. and jealous if they arc. The definitions accorded honourable mention were the following.

A lover worships her alone The- only perfect thing. She. only she. is nature's queen. And he thinks he's the king,

••A lover i s a- deluded victim possessed of an insane idea to provide for another man’s daughter and perhaps add t 0 the comforts of home byacquiring a mother-in-law. <-A lover is cue who is transformed bv the magic wand of love from the king of brutes t 0 an angel. Lauanum also effects the change.

PERTH HAS FEMININE LEGAL FIRM

Perth is soon to have a legal Arm in which the partners will be two girl graduates of the University of Western Australia. They will be admitted to the Bar this month and they intend to open a city ofiice soon afterwards. states an exchange. The two airls have been prominent i„ universitv life-, both scholastic and social, and concluded brilliant careers with degree? in art and law • 1 have served article? with legal arms. The girls state-: “We do not expect Vdo as well as a man’s firm., hut if wo do reasonably good at our work, we will be successful. \\o expect to do more in conveyancing and probate# and will-making than m the Courts.” • “Do you intend to marry f one f the girls was asked.” and if yon do. will you give up your work ” tshe looked a little surprised. “Ok no. Av least I have not thought very mucii about it- yet,” she said, “but if J ma.’Tv I shall certainly keep on witn av work, r have spent all my Me getting ready for.it, and it would not seem verv reasonable to expect me to give it up just because I got married."