Miscellaneous

Lake County Press, Issue 2266, 1 April 1909, Page 7

Miscellaneous

Dogs' night gowns made of soft flannel, lined with mauve-coloured satin, are announced in Paris.

A Widower's Dilemma.—A widower of Bale, who had advertised for a wife, received three applications, and made an appointment with each of the ladies. These proved to be his own daughters, who had answered the advertisement unknown to one another.

The old custom which endures even among the brides of the present day of wearing orange blossoms during the wedding ceremony found its origin among the Saracens, and was first brought into Europe by the returning Crusaders. The Saracen bride used m wear the blossom as an emblem of maternity; but it was adopted in England without any reference to its symbolism, solely because of its rarity and expensiveness.

Seaweed would seem an unsuitable material to trim hats with, but the slender feathery sprays of a marine plant cast ashore on the Isle of Grain : England, are so effective that Quee£ Alexandra has seen in them a rival ot the aigrette and other plumage, and is encouraging their use for the purpose of protecting the birds. Hats trimmed with seaweed have since become quite a feature in London shops, and promise to increase in popularity.

BANK'S FIRST STRONG-ROOM.

In the Bank of England's museum may be seen the old oak chest which was the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street's first strong-room. It is a little larger than a common seaman's chest, and in this the bank stored its cash, notes, and valuable papers. Today the strong-room is a formidablelooking "object, built of armour-plate, boasts of huge doors that weigh many tons., and represents the latest skill and science of the engineer and locksmith.

THE BIGGEST CIRCULATION. The book with the largest circulation in the world is the Telephone Directory of the City of New York. An edition of 1,000,000 is printed twice every year to meet the demands of the subscribers to the 450,000 telephones which are now in use in the city and its immediate suburbs. This book is now almost a foot square, has more than 800 pa pes. and weighs over 31b., while its last edition weighed some 2,000 tons. Yet. until less than thirty years ago, in 1879, the Directory consisted of 252 names printed on a small card.

WEDDING CUESTS AT SEVEN-

PENCE-HALFPENNY EACH.

The municipality of Ghent has just drawn up a civil marriage tariff which, it is hoped, will serve as a model for wedding cefemonials throughout Belgium. The marriage celebrations are divided into three classes, with two tariffs. One class, intended for workmen, is gratis. The two other classes, bein"- more ornate, must be paid for. A wedding page costs Bs., two pages mav be had for 14s. Gd., half-a-dozen will attend the ceremony for £2 165., and eight for £4,. If the page is decorated with ribbons he costs 4s. more. If he carries a bouquet of flowers the tariff stipulates that he must receive Bs. extra. . Guests, plain or wearing decorations, can be hired for the ceremony at Tad. each.

A SELF-PLAYING VIOLIN. The latest accomplishment of inventive genius is the self-playing violin—the instrument which, above all others, was supposed to be capable of making its influence felt only under the lingers of an individual who was especially endowed by Providence with the ability to reach the heart of men and women, even as the born poet. L'hc Mills automatic violm is an ordinary violin, which is played by a series" of automatic fingers. Under this series of automatic fingers is placed an ordinary violin with the ordinary number of strings reposing upon an apparatus, which contains the electrical motor required to work the automatic bow, which is not at all bow shaped. Necessarily a series of fingersautomatic, of course—comes with the arrangement. Thtre are, for instance sevcntv-four fingers, which deal with the two strings that reproduce the notes of the first two strings.. The bow's place is taken by four rolls ot celluloid which touch the strings as the finger movement is required. It is possible, since the four strings are available at the same time, for the instrument to play trios and even quartettes.

FASHIONS THAT MUST NOT BE COPIED. Both Oucen Alexandra and the. Prtn cess of Wales dispose of dresses which they do not intend to wear again, by havincr them taken to pieces and the materials distributed amongst members of their households. There is an inviolable rule however m Buckimrham Palace and at Windsor, that hf recipient of any Royal finery « never in any circumstances, to wear a gown "n the form in which it .s worn Majesty wears, a dress only See, particularly those m which she is seen at evening Courts, alter which the are taken to piects and the parts distributed, with the excep ion of the valuable lace trimming which is used over and over againv On the other hand, the Princess of Wales has the same r,,IP regarding gowns worn on State and other important occasions as Queen Alexandra, and they are never seen again in the same form. bC QueJn Amelie of been known as one of the Queens in Europe. She se M° m .3 seen in any gown more than once, and is verv generous in her disposal or oia clotS fmongst the less affluent; adies of her Court. The Queen of Italy, on rt other hand, is noted for the exreme plainness of her dress She has one extravagance, however Sh never wears a par of evening shoes more han once In this respect she is like he ex-Empress Eugenie, who used to Sve all her discarded. slippers to a girls' orphanage in Pans.