HOME TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14809, 12 October 1911, Page 4

HOME TOPICS.

THE IDEAL HOLIDAY.

Too often - nowadays a holiday resolves itself into merely another form of work. This is not as it . should be now that competition is so keen that the utmost efforts are. necessary to hold a position and keep abreast the commercial stream. Girls—or men either, for that matter— take a much-needed two weeks' holiday once a year cannot plan out too carefully thoso brief and precious days of "rest." It is, | for example, sheer madness for a nervous, highly-strung girl who is on the | verge of a breakdown to go away for her | holiday with a strong, robust young dam--1 sel, whoso idea of a refreshing holiday is to bathe and cycle ail the morning, play tennis or climb the cliffy in the afternoon, and go for long country walks in the " cool of the evening." Yet such badly-matched holiday. companions are often to be met with. A delicate girl will, if she goes away with someone stronger, than herself, strive her utmost to accomplish all that they do, and keep up with them in their various occupations. It. is her natural desire to do so, but it is the very antithesis of the kind of holiday she ought to spend. ■ "la;the workers holiday, rest is of paramount importance. Suppose you bath© in the. morning, or take any other form of exercise, you will probably feel very sleepy after lunch. In such circumstances nine girls out of ten pull themselves, together, and make the effort to go out one® more, because they say "It would be a wicked shame to spend this lovely afternoon lying down.*' As a matter of fact, holidays more often than not are the things in life that should be ".taken lying down." An afternoon sleep is a very "real holiday for the business girl, and one that circumstances render quite impossible for her to have during the greater part of the year. Do not be afraid of being considered " lazy" when on your holiday. You are entitled to be lazy, and have earned your " loaf." If your companions suggest outings which you know in your heart are really too tiring for you, and which you would rather not take part in, he sensible enough to say so,/ and enjoy yourself in your own way, with your favourite book, idling or sleeping as the fancy takes you, and storing up health anil ; strength to earn- you through till the next i holiday comes round.

TO PACK TRUNKS. 5 The French woman packs in one trunk what the English woman puts in two. First, ' she begins with the dress skirt, which is always placed in the bottom of the trunk. At each end are strips of tape securely tacked along the edge, and to this tape the skirt is pinned with long hat pins, both at the belt and hem, which prevent* it from slipping to one end. Drawers are neatly rolled from the band to the hem and the ruffles are folded back, making pads to insert in the fronts of soft lingerie dresses that are liable to be crushed. •- Stockings are rolled from tip to top and used instead of . tissue paper in stuffing sleeves. "Night-gowns, chemises and starched articles are folded flat and square, as thev com® from the laundry. They take up little space. Handkerchiefs, belts.' pins, and small articles are placed in labelled boxes. A fine hat placed in a box is held with stout hatpins driven through the crown of the hat into the box, and plumes are protected; with tiesue paper. In £>omo trunks there is a tray for blouses, and they are separated from each other with strips of canvas hooked with metal hooks into metal rings on each side.

HOW TO WASH ANTIQUE GLASS. Curio collecting. has. on occasion, its drawbacks. If the collector is content to secure new acquisitions at their true value at an antique dealer's, it may reasonably be expected that the old piece of furniture, the engraving, tea set, or first edition will not require doing up or reparation.

To collect as a Welshman hunts— of pure love of the tracking prints and old lace in out-of-the-way places m humble back streets, is, however, another matter, and the spoils of the chase often require more than a little attention, before any but the initiated could tell their true worth. Old cut glass depends much for its ultimate appearance upon the way it is cleaned. Sponging with warm water may remove the coating of dust and dirt of long neglect, but it is useless as a moans of ridding the crevices of crystal of the specks which lodge in the corners, and is futile where its -gloss and lustre are concerned. " ■

Borax soap, warm water, and ammonia I axe the best remedies. Failing a wooden I tub, which, as a matter of fact, everyone I who owns old china or glass should possess, | ari ordinary hand-basin should bo lined ; with a bath towel and filled with warm water, one piece of glass being washed at a lime. The borax soap, which in quantity 5 must not be stinted, should be shredded into the water, whipped with the hand to make a froth, and a wineglassful of ammonia added to a gallon, of water. A piece* of linen rag may be used with which to sponge the glass, while a badger tooth-brush or a soft nail-brush must be employed to clear the cut facets of their accumulation of dirt. ~

Ope of the greatest mistakes in washing antique goblets .and decanters of cut and engraved glass is that of rinsing them in hot water. This mav obviate .the trouble of drying, but, instead of shining with the peculiarly scintillating lustre of old crystal, the glassware will remain dull aid grey. Dabbing the glass with a soft towel is, the beat method of drying it, while there is nothing to equal tissue paper rolled into a ball as a polishing medium, an alternative being a clean leather, which must, however, be kept expressly 1 for the dutpoeej. ■ . ';■ .