CHIT-CHAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6261, 10 December 1881, Page 3

CHIT-CHAT.

Queen Victoria converses on hooks and paintings in the Italian language, on general subjects in French, criticises music in English, and reads in German. At a wedding in England lately the bride paid the compliment to her husband's national ty— he belonging to county Tippciv.ry—of having her white satiu gown embroidered with pearl shamrocks. Spirits of turpentine is good to take grease spots out of woollen clot lies ; to take spots of paint from furniture ; to cleanse white kid gloves. Cockroaches and all vermin have an aversion of spirits of turpentine. In these days, when even love is an article with a mercantile value, it is butter to accept a good ofi'er at once than to run the risks which attend sweet dalliance. Bo warned by the gentleman who wrote a very tender am- pressing epistle to a lady of his choice, and then added in a postscript, " Please send a speedy answer —somebody else in my eye." A novelty was introduced recently at a concert given at the Grosvcnor House iu London. The programme announced a valsc, "a hull doigts," and four young ladies appeared upon the platform, and as they held up their hands it was apparent that only one finger of each was free, the others being tied down with ribbons. They seated themselves in arow before the piano, and the valse of eight fingers was played, to the intouso amusement of the audience. A few years ago there was a generous Turkish Ambassador in England. Whun any lady happened to praise one of the handsome shawls that decorated his person, he immediately presented it to her. This led to a. very general expression of admiration for his excellency's shawls, and, iu consequence, to a great diminution of the embassadorial wardrobe. At last, when his excellency's stock was reduced to the one he wore, upon a lady fondly expressing her admiration of its beauty, instead of his former reply, "Madame, it is at your service," he said, with more than Turkish gallantry : "Madame, I am glad you like it; I shall wear it for your sake." HATS. Hats with a big brim, and hats with .1 small ; Hats that arc low, and hats that arc tall ; II its that are crumpled, and hats that are straight ; Hats like a mushroom, and hats like ,iplate ; Hats like a shovel, and hats like a shell ; Hats like a basin, and hats like a bell ; Hats you can hide in, and hats that you can't; Huts worn awrv. and hats worn aslant; Hats for the seaside, and hats for the city ; Hats that are ui,-ly. and hats that are pretty; Puzzles to wise men .is well as to Hats, Never was such a collection of hats. In an amusing article in a London weekly, entitled "Should Women Smoke," the writer says :—" In all probability ' the higher education of women' will bring about one j result which its advocate-; have never thought I , of. Girl-graduates, overworked and cramned | will take to the solace of smoking. The ' women who .are pushing their way into the ' professions will discover the need of it. ' When women begin to work they will smoke * also. Gradually the cigarette will be entirely * associated with the blue-stocking instead of Anonyma and her imitators. It will he use- : less to condemn. The use of tobacco was 1 prohibited in Russia—the knout threatened 1 for the first offence, death for the second— ' yet Russian ladies are the greatest of smokers, i Pope Urban VIII. issued a bull against it, ( our King -Tamos fought vigorously against its '< introduction hero. In thu East the priests ' and sultans declared smoking to bo a sin 1 against their holy religion, and yet the Turk is seldom seen without a pipe. Even the- \ edict of society will not alarm the now gonca- 1 tion of clover women. The actress smokes t iu her dressing-room because sho is exhausted: • tho authors, the artists (and wo have one or > two women now who can paint) will smoke I in their studies for the s<l , ne reason. When c sensible men go to see them, they will light f up together and have a sociable talk. Let us j console ourselves with the fact that a pretty I woman who smokes Iccaujcs'uc likes it look's ' well. Doubtless there will come a day when a Worth will always add to his dresses a dainty i little tobacco-pouch or cigarette-pocket. Anil t we may be sure, when fashion has ouoo got 1 a word to say in its favour smoking will 110 t longer be improper. :, 0