THE WOMAN'S WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12856, 3 May 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE WOMAN'S WORLD.

A CASK FOR SUNSHADES

Much o. the dust incident to travelling may be saved from our dainty parasols if they are slipped into a case before being packed with umbrellas, rugs. etc. It is also a good plan to make use of such a. case to put them in at home instead of leaving them in a corner of the bedroom till required. The sketch shows bow one may lie carried out either in brown crash oi coloured linen, embroidered in a pretty trailing design of conventional flowers and leaves, bound all round with ribbon, and tied with a bow of the same. This case would make a pretty present, especially just now, when sunshades are of the daintiest, style. Measure off a yard and a-half of crash, and cut a strip

lOin wide ; this will form the back of the case, and also the flap which folds over. Round each end of this strip. Then cut a second, also lOin wide, but. rather shorter, as it is only to reach as far as the turn of the flap. Round the bottom edge to match the back, and hollow the top slightly. Iron off or trace a pattern on front and flap, work in shaded linen threads, then iron from the "buck. Bind with ribbon the hollowed top. of the front piece, then lay front and back together, tack, and bind neatly by machine all round. The ribbon must be sufficiently wide to hold the edges of the Holland witnout any danger of their fraying out. Strings of "the ribbon should be sewn one. on the Hap, the other at the point to which it folds over, for securing the case when the sunshades arc in. A very pretty effect may be, obtained by using linen, thread, and ribbon of varying tones in one colour-*-say, darkest butcher-blue linen, worked only in blue of lighter shades, or ordinary crash, worked in browns, and tied and bound with dark brown ribbon. THE FLIRT. No girl with any dignity of character, with any reverent ideas of life, will deliberately deserve the unworthy name of "flirt." However, to do her all possible justice, there is a comparatively innocent, though not blameless, type of flirt, viz., the cheerful, light-hearted girl who is often bubbling over with healthy, hearty interest in life generally. Though her tendency to appreciate and encourage malts admirers is distinctly more pronounced than the more sedate and sturdyminded among her friends like, still this is not the girl who resigns the reins of government to vanity and degraded ambition, who sells her priceless birthfuP of self-respect for a delusive mess of superficial appreciation, who can wear the guise of an angel of light or be cruel as the grave at will, so long as .the'golden apples of her desire fall i, her portion. This is the girl who flirts mischievously, thoughtlessly, but not with cool, selfish, iiavU-hearted design, who has a mine of warm, true heart underneath which, if really touched, yields the pure gold of substantial, yes, lasting affection. When this comes to pass she makes a good, true wife (I have known her to do it), a steady, delightful, economical, healthy, ambitious helpmeet (presuming, of course, that she is mated with a true, deserving husband), and is as proud of and devoted to her spouse as if she bad never in the past permitted at least comparative triumph to the superficial side of her nature.

WHAT GIRLS SHOULD AIM AT BEING.

We talk a good deal about the girl now-a-days. Some of m say she is useless. Others say she was never so " all-round " as now. Others again say she is good at amusing herself, and nothing more. Of course, such statements are sweeping. There are some girls who are useless. There are some who are good all round. There are others who tan amuse themselves and do nothing else, but no one of these descriptions de" scribes the whole sex.

Nor In we want it to, perhaps, for if all « - omen were alike there would be a terrible sameness about the world,

There is one desire, however, which we might all entertain with advantage, that being a desire to be practical. We may be useless when it is possible, we may be entirely taken up with amusing ourselves when the fates are so good as to give us nothing better to do, only we should certainly wish to be practical enough to adapt ourselves to any circumstances which may arise.

The practical girl does indeed hold the world in her hand to a certain degree. If she is practical she can face with equanimity any change in fortune which may be her fate. If she is practical she can play heartily in play time, as heartily, indeed, as she can work when there is work to be done.

A good many members of our sex fail rather because they are " whole hoggers " to a certain extent. If they oner give themselves over to a. life of enjoyment, then they can never, with any comfort to themselves at least, take up work again. If they woik for a, living they have a supreme contempt for others whose way is cast along different roads. Sir. who has brought herself up on practical lines, ion the other hand, is by no means tho slave of circumstances, and she can let, herself go in play time, because she can take to work again when tho time comes, which means that she gets quite the most enjoyment out of life. ARE SPORTS GOOD FOR GIRLS? There seem to be quite a number of people left, even now, who will query whether it is good for girls to go iu for sports. True, they are old-fashioned 1 folk for the most pan. Folk who "did not. find it: necessary fur their health to play all kinds of games." Nevertheless, one does meet them occasionally, notwithstanding the strides the wot has made. , For then' is little doubt but that, it was a stride in the light direction when the members of our sex first took to outdoor games with real zest. How much nerve, have these engendered'/ How much more sensible and reliable is the girl who is great, on outdoor exercise than hei sister win. mopes indoors and is afraid of the cold'.' Of course, such things can be overdone, and one must own that there are girls who will neglect obvious duties for their games. All the o .same, such a state is by no means general, and common-sense would remind one that there are black sheep in every fold. . f The "ill who is keen on games is for one. thing rarely dull, rarely grumbles that she. has no interest in life, and rarely suffers from that very trying and demoralising complaint of having " nothing to- do." The girl who is keen on games, too. i* generally self-reliant and independent, two very useful qualities in any station of life; whilst undoubtedly the girl who is keen on, fames, is, if she chooses her games rightly, stronger and less "nervej" than the stay-at-homes. So, that on the whole one is certainly,of opinion that spoils are good, and can hail with delight the systematic way in which they arc now taken tip in most schools.