WOMAN'S WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14492, 5 October 1910, Page 9

WOMAN'S WORLD.

THE AET OF SAVING. WHAT THE WOMAN CAN DO. The great hindrances to saving are laziness and self-indulgence, mental apathy, narrowness of outlook, feeble or dangerous misconceptions as to the origin and functions of capital, untrained imagination, a low standard of life, ignorance of practical arithmetic and entire neglect of accounts, ignorance of housewifery arts, and the lack of a proper spirit of independence, writes Miss M. Loane in the Spectator. Different causes need different cures; but probably the most deepseated reason for the general unwillingness to save is the general ignorance of the fact that saving is a beneficial act, not only to the person who eaves, and to those immediately dependent on him, but to the world at large. The duty of saving must always rest principally on the woman. A man, unless earning exceptionally high wages, cannot possibly save money without his wife's active - co-operation ; while the wife, in order to save, needs nothing but her husband's passive consent. The greater part of his earnings inevitably pass through her hands, and unless she talks too much about the matter, she can "save on" even a careless and wasteful husband. In relation to thrift, practical arithmetic is one of the most valuable studies, especially for girls. If a boy left school unskilled in the art, in a large proportion of employments he would be compelled to acquire it; but a girl who leaves school ignorant of "figuring," and who is not engaged in commerce, may go on all her life not knowing how much her husband's wages amount to in a month or a year, how large a proportion the rent bears to the sum, nor the yearly aggregate spent on any one item of household expenditure. KEEP ACCOUNTS.

Every mistress should encourage her servants in the habit of keeping accounts, as it is one rarely practised unless acquired in early life. One young servant told me that her study of the previous yew's accounts had led her to the conclusion that postage was her great extravagance, and that she had resolved to limit it to a shilling a month. Even this seemed a large proportion out of 255; but as her parents expected a letter every week, and she was engaged to be married, it could not well be done for lees. She has been married for 12 years now ; her husband's wages have never exceeded 325, but the home is kept with a care and exactness and a sense of proportion largely due to her account book, which is used not only as a record of expenditure, but also as a work 'of reference. The condition of the working-class home can never bo really stable until young couples begin their married life, not merely free from debt, but with at least six months' bare maintenance in the savings bank, and learn to reckon their income as being their average yearly earnings, not their highest weekly. When privileged, or obliged, to inquire into means, I frequently ask : " How much a year does your husband get?" The wife can seldom or never tell me, although she usually has all the necessary figures at her command ; but the very question is instructive. Reckoned in this way, the amount available weekly may seem alarmingly small; but there is everything to be gained by facing facts. But if the daily duty of saving unavoidably falls chiefly on the wife, the responsibility of preventing savings from being squandered and of finding secure investment for them should certainly be the husband's. A.local atmosphere unfavourable to saving often makes forms of investment desirable which, considered in the abstract, might not seem the most advantageous. There are many cases where the propriety of sinking money in life insurance,- house property, and deferred annuities might be questionable if it were not for the constant danger that those who have saved the money, or in whose interest it has been saved, will be robbed of their property or wheedled out of it by graceless relatives and friends if it not securely "locked up" and inaccessible. Considerable pressure is brought to bear upon a woman if she is known to possess even a small sum in the savings bank, and sometimes for no reason but inborn wastefulness. In one instance that came under my notice, a young married woman had £15, the remains of her girlhood's savings after providing herself with an ample trousseau. All the husband's savings had been exhausted in furnishing four rooms very neatly and suitably, and I hoped that. this nest-egg would have been kept for the proverbial rainy day. Within four months she was so worked on by the reproaches of her "in-laws," and taunts as to her "having brought nothing to the home," that she spent £14 on an American organ, which neither 6he nor her husband coujd play. Less than three years afterwards her husband lost his berth, and could find' no work in the district, and she was obliged to borrow £12 to move to a distant town where he had been offered a situation, a debt which hampered them for 18 months.

SHOES.

The habitually well-groomed woman is sure to lay stress upon the condition of her shoes, for she appreciates that to a great extent they make or mar the effect of the whole costume. A plain gown is redeemed by a pair of nicely fitting, well-cared-for shoes, while the handsomest one becomes commonplace if the footgear does not correspond. The woman who "gets on" with one pair of shoes is most certainly practising mistaken economy in two directions: Shoes worn continuously are found to be more or less abused, no matter how careful one may be, and consequently will not wear so long; neither are they healthful, for a shoe, like other wearing apparel, needs to be frequently aired to cleanse it of the impurities thrown off the feet. This cannot be done when but one pair is provided. A cheap shoe is always an extravagance. Aside from its wearing qualities, a cheap shoe never fits, nor is it either comfortable or stylish. In point of cost, everyone knows that one pair of good quality sho'es will outwear two pairs of inferior ones. And, above all, the woman whose ambition is to bo well shod should steer clear of bargain counters, for nothing is so deceptive in appearance, to the uninitiated, as leather. The style of one's shoes should be determined by the us? to which they are to be put. For the street, there are the low-heeled, thick-soled walking boots, companions to the short skirt. These shoes are suitable for outdoor wear only, and nhould be doffed when the short skirt makes way for the house or visiting toilette. In the line of dress shoes, there is always a large selection from which to choose, and individual taste and 'preferences may be consulted. However the woman whose allowance for dress is limited should eschew ultra-fashionable shoes. It is wiser, too, to stick to black when there is necessity for limiting one's self in the number of pairs, which is the case with the great majority of women. When one must, one may get along very comfortably with two pairs of shoesone for street wear, one for the house and dress occasionsif these are supplemented by a pair of low-cuts for summer, and a pair of slippers. Next in importance to the quality of a shoe is the care accorded it. The best shoe cannot long withstand ill-treatment, but will soon look shabby. Each time a shoe is taken off the foot it should be wiped free of dust, pulled into shape, and, unless one owns a shoe-treewhich is an investment that pays for itself many times over—filled with tissue paper to hold it in shape. When it is desirable to keep a pair of shoes for any length of time they should, after being wiped clean, be rubbed over lightly with vaseline applied with a flanBel cloth*' This preserves the leather,: .

AGE BEINGS. BEAUTY. - A lady whose wisdom may be described as mature made the following remark on the art of growing old gracefully:"lt is a woman's own fault," she says, "if, with advancing years, she allows herself to be neglected and pushed aside by youthful and inexperienced members of her sex. If she has occupied her time well, and kept herself abreast with the age, she will be sought after, and her voice listened to with attention, in all active and advanced circles. There is no law relegating a woman tc the background when she is no longer youthful. On the contrary, a woman may become more attractive as the years go oh. even the plainest acquiring beauty as the result of pure life and aspiring character. The presence of such women is a blessing to all about them, and the attainment of the proud positions they occupy is within the reach of all women—beautiful or plain—who set themselves to grow in mind, and spirit."