WOMAN'S WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18206, 27 September 1922, Page 14

WOMAN'S WORLD.

SOCIAL HEWS. Mrs. Vailo has returned from a visit to Rotorua. Miss Foster is visiting her sister, Mrs. Stephen Allen, at Momnsville. Miss B. Lockhart is paying a round of visits in Christchurch and Dunedm. Mrs. H. Horrocks has taken np her residence in Birdwood Crescent, Parrell. Mrs. Allan Moody returned to Auckland last week after paying a short visit io Tauranga. Mr. and Mrs. T. Wilford, -who have been staying at Cargen, have returned to Wellington. Miss P. Alexander, who has been staywith her :ister, Mrs. Dunibletou, in Wellington, lias returned to Auckland. Mrs. Dewes has left for the Bay of Plenty, where she is visiting her daughter, Mrs. H. A. Cory-Wright, at Tairua. Miss C. J. Brandon, United States and Canadian representative of the Heart of Africa.. Mission, left on her return to America by the Makura on Tuesday. Miss Rachel Harcourt, of Hamilton, was one of the perfonners at the Minnie Hooper pupils concert at the _ Grand Opera House, Sydney, on September 5. ..us. Cory Wright and Mr. S. CoryWright have moved from Epsom and taken np their residence in Claybrook Road, Parnell. Mrs. Tancred Cooper, of Wanganui, who has been on a-'two-months' visit to her parents (Mr. and Mrs. J. Thornes, Parnell), returned to Wangafcni by last night's Main Trunk express train. Mme. Sarah Bernhardt has sold her magn*_oent chateau at Belle Isle, and has built a modest little villa on the same island. The famous actress' now home is a typical little Breton dwelling, with a red-tilled roof and a large garden. Definite instructions were given by Mme. Bernhardt to the architect that her new home should face the east, so that she might receive, the first warmth of the morning *un. Queen Alexandra remains faithful to the " Ess Bouquet," which has been in use by the Royal Family since 1829. The recipe for this perfume is jealously guarded by the manufacturers, and handed down by them from father to son. When a great court perfumer talks of so mighty a secret as this, he becomes purposely vague. All he will say of it is that it is composed of roses, violets, jasmine, orange nowers, and lavender, " a fitting bouquet from which to cull a perfume for, a beloved Queen." The jumble sale organised by the ladies' conmittee of tie Flying Angel Missions to Seamen was held last week in S£ Thomas' Hall, Freeman's Bay, and realised PlbTa quantity of useful clothing having been sent in. The committee has decided to hold a similar sale in another district about the first week in November. It is thought that after the " spring ' cleaning "' period, curtains, linoleum and other household furnishings are often" disci»rded, and these, if kindly donated to thra committee, would, with the addition • of clothing, supply ample and usefuil material for a sale. The Royal Society of British Sculptors ,has followed the example of many another ancient conservative society, and .at last admitted women within its sacred precincts. Actually the first woman sculptor allowed to belong is Miss Christine Gregory, and this is apparently because she (or someone else) discovered that" there was no rule among the archives of the Royal Society of British Sculptors which prevented women from belonging. At the meeting after the one at which Miss Gregory was elected Miss Flora Kendrick was also made a member, and Lady Feodora Gloicl.en, who died just before Princess Mary's wedding, was posthumously elected to the society. ) - " A mile to the north of the town of Jedtiah., in Arabia, lies the reputed tomb of Ev«u Here, according to a tradition, which is older than Mohammed, the mother of the race was buried. Adam is believed by some to rest at hia own l>eak in Ceylon, but Eve is said to have spent her last years at Jeddah, where she was buried. Mecca, the Holy City of the Moslems, is only 38 miles away, where is-the temple, which the Mohammedans ascribe to the hands of Adam himself. A common legend attributes to Eve a height of 118 feet, but this does not correspond with the dimensions of her tomb, which is nearly 400 feet long. Sho must ..have been of a somewhat strange shape, as her grave is only ten or eleven feet wide! The tomb belongs to the Mohammedans, and few Christians have entered it. A piece of news in which no woman can fail to be interested is that a Boston man has invented a sort of super-sewing irsaohine which will relegate even the most modern of automatic stitchers to the background. The new contrivance will not only perform all the operations that the ordinary sewing machine accomplishes to-day, but a good many more in addition. Its inventor claims that much of the | hand labour now necessary on the best class of machine-made goods can be done neatly and efficiently by his maeffine, which will sew on. trim and finish lace i edgings, insert lace trimmings, make French seams, and complete most of the complicated " finishings " that no sewing machine has yet dared_to tackle, and all , this will be done in about a tenth of the time demanded by present methods. If the , new machine con>es up to expectations yet another blow will be dealt to the "ready- - made " trade. ~ It appears that for the last three years ' " Foyes des Campagnes," or village clubs, ] have been established over the devastated < treas of France, with a view to re- 1 starting village life by providing a centre ' of education and recreation. The foyers ' are open to men and women alike, and provide special interests and amusements i for the children. Organised classes for '< needlework and economy are held, as well as properly-running vilage clinics. ' The establishments are undenominational • and non party. Speaking of the differ- « ence between the English and French ! rural clubs, the writer says that in Eng- « land the women hold their club life separately from the men, while in France 1 all share alike. In France any separate ' organisation of women is looked upon •' with suspicion lest it should foim a ( nucleus of a woman's political party, and rumour has it that another pofent reason ' is that the French village woman is more * • active-minded th;;.n her husband, and that ' if she did not take an active part in or- ' the foyer for both men and ; women the men would go *'foyer]ess" M for ever! Yet the men ar e terribly afraid f lest the example of other com *ries should be follow id and other women be- 1 come enfranchised. A strange attitude of mind. At the distribution of prizes at the Architectural Association School, Bedford Square, London, a woman student, Miss E. G. Cooke, received her diploma, and it is expected that next year several more women will achieve a like distinction. "We . havo-«£X) students in the school, about 30 of whom are women," said the* secretary to a correspondent. " The course is a five years' one, and includes such subjects as design, colour, sanitary engineering, interior decoration, historical study of architectural styles, and town planning. The general 'bent' of the woman student is towards interior decoration. She has a natural appreciation for colour. We do not find that labour-saving devices are more to her than to men. for at this stage the student has had no experience of cock. jug and «uch household arts, and has not ' * ■ J

therefore come in contact with domestic disabilities or amenities. A man architect is just as likely as a woman to possess special qualifications in this direction.'' Mrs. May Cane, first member of the Concrete Institute for Architects and Engineers, who specialises definitely upon lab-our-saving devices, expressed her views on the subject. " I agree with this opinion," she said, "and have always advised that women who are going in for domestic architecture should first of all learn housewifery* How else are they to discover the needs of women in this line? My own architectural training started at homo under my mother's guidance, for she was determined that I should learn housewifery in its various branches, and that knowledge has stood me in good stead ever since. I have specialised upon fitted furniture because it saves space and cleaning underneath.' It is particularly adaptable to flat and bungalow life, and can be adapted to anv individual needs. Even a bed can do this, i r or tho part that is usually waste space can bo employed as low cupboards." Englishmen have an undeniable reputation for the manner in which they wear evening clothes. Since the war there has been a tendency towards popularising dinner clothes; ixl other words, substituting dinner jackets on occasions when evening clothes should be worn. In pre-war days it was an unwritten law that a man should always wear a white tie and tailed evening coat when he accompanied a lady to a theatre or dance in London. The dinner jacket was essentially a style worn at one's club or in one's own home: that is to say, ror informal wear. In the stallsgpf WesC End theatres men often wear dinner clothes. White evening waistcoats are all-im-portant. At the .moment, the younger set of well-dressed men are wearing the double-breasted waistcoat having four buttons, cut straight at the waistline, a "U" opening, and rolled collar that is stitched down. This waistcoat is backless except for a small neck piece and a strap and buckle at the waist. It is put on over the head, and is the only waistcoat that will give the belt-like flat appearance at the waist which is so much sought after. Then there is the single-breasted waistcoat, with or without a back, "V *' opening, double-breasted lapel, three or four buttons close together at the waistline, points that are not long and do not gape wide apart, a style suited to the short, stout man, as the double-breasted waistcoat above described is best on a tall slender figure. f NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN. The National Council of Women met in the Business Girls'' Club on Monday evening. The president, Dr. Hilda Northcroft, was in the chair, and there was a good attendance. The meeting was the first to bo held after the annual conference which took place last month in Christchurch, and* Miss Jackson, the Auckland branch secretary, read a most interesting report of the business accomplished fit the conference. It was resolved that a letter of thanks be sent from the Auckland branch to Miss Henderson, Dominion secretary, for the satisfactory and evmifortable arrangements mad© for members attending the conference, and as an expression of appreciation of the hospitality and attention received from the Christchurch branch. The following were accepted as honorary members: Mrs. Amos, Mount Eden; "Mrs. Watson, Glen Eden; Mrs. A. Buchanan, Remuera; Miss Clouston, Mount Eden; Mrs, Mackay, Bavswater; Miss I. M. Spicer. Karangahape Road; Mrs. H. Thomas, Onehunga; iMrs. T: Gray, Epsom; Miss F. Lysnar, F.R.G.S., Mount Eden. An interesting paper on "Motherhood Endowment," in which the subject was widely dealt with, was read by Mrs. Rowlatt. The endowment of motherhood is a proposed scheme making for the elevation of parenthood, and its chief tenet is the granting of an allowance at'a flat* rate for each child, this to be paid to women of all classes of the community. The English scheme is the most advanced and comprehensive yet advocated In America they have adopted a plan whereby instead of separating mother and child, brother and sister, by placing them in institutions, the children are left under the care of the mother, and she is paid a sum for their keep. France and Germany have both adopted the- same principle. The necessity of doing something on behalf of motherhood was not recognised in any country % until infant welfare schemes were put into operation. It was then realised how far short the work would fall if the mother were not to receive the first consideration. Judge Lindsay, of the United States, says: "To reduce tho national inequalities by greater equality of conditions, we must begin with the mother." Tho balance of mind and emotion, as well as the child's physical state, depended largely on the condition of the mother in the pre-natal period. Before concluding the meeting, it was resolved- that during the months intervening between the last and the next conference, the matter of the Amendment to the Crimes Act be furthered by every means in the society's power; that the question of better and sufficient housing be, taken up, also the provision of farm homes for feeble-minded persons; and finally, that sub-committees be set up to consider the questions named. The housing committee is to comprise Mrs. Carr Rollett, Sister Hannah. Sister Esther, Adjutant Gordon, Mrs. Ely, Nurse Saunders Jones; and the farm homes committee consists of: Mrs. Kidd,, Dr. Montgomery, Sister Hannah, Adjutant Gordon, and Miss Leahy. VENETIAN LADDER WORK. One of the prettiest and most effective decorations for underwear made of linen, lawn, or silk is Venetian ladder work—a 'pretty cut-work embroidery. Mercerised cotton, flax thread, or fine embroidery silk should be used for the embroidery, according to the material to be worked. To do the work, closely buttonhole stitch or over-sew the material along the outer side of each design to be worked, such as the wing of a butterfly. Then over-sew •r buttonhole the inner line, but when the position for the first "run?" or "bar" is reached, carry the needle over to the outer line and slip it through rthe head of one of the stitches at this point. Over the thread connecting the two lines work buttonhole stitches, being. careful not to take them through the material. When the inner line is reached, continue buttonholing or over-sewing as bejore until the position for the next " bar ,r 'or " rung" is reached. If a really strong " rung ' or " bar" is wanted, two threads should be passed across, the needle carried back to the inner line ajid then over to the outer line again. If there is only a single outline to the work, as in the case of the body portion of the butterfly, it is usual to buttonhole or over-sew along the left-hand side of tho shape, then to turn the corner and proceed along the right-hand side, making the "rungs" or "bars" from there. When the shapes are done, take a small but sharp pair of scissors, and cut the material away underneath the bars close up to the over-sewn outlines. To make round holes, pierce the material with a stilotto and over-sew or buttonhole them. If large round holes are_to.be made over-sew or buttonhole the outlines, and cut the material away from tho centre. Another plan is to slit the material twice, in trie form of a cross, turn the edges under and over-sew round the outline. _ The antennie.of the butterfly consist of lines of fine over-sewing or satin-stitch.