CHIT CHAT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1199, 22 February 1895, Page 15

CHIT CHAT.

Mr Hall Caine, the well known novelist, th| ; a discusses the " New Woman" Question-—in the columns of The Young Woman magazine. My position is this — that the woman should marry for love; thflkt in order to marry for love she should be free to love only where her judgment approves, and that a judgment based on ignorance may be dangerously unsound. Therefore, I am forced to the conclusion that all women should know certain facts about the world in which they live. To tell girls the kind of life that some men live might have the effect of rubbing the bloom off their modesty, but even that is better than that their happiness should be wrecked through ignorance. The first generation of the emancipated always have to pay for their emancipation, and so, maybe, girls of the present day will have to pay the price of knowledge. But alll this will amend itself ; men's lives will become purer when women demand that they shall be pure ; so that in a generation or two we shall get back for woman that sweetness and bloom that is half her charm, and that freedom in the phoice of a life-partner which is her inalienable right. ''.;'"'

Unconsciously, then, parents are influencing their children towards a right or wrong marriage, writes Mrs Lyman Abbot iei tine -Ladies' Home Journal. Not for an instant must it be felt by them that ""children are h necessary evil," that household cares are only a burden, that life would,have, been better and happier for them if they had never married. This root of selfishness will send its poison not only through the home of to-day > but into the homes tit the next generations. Too often the vow taken to cleave to one another "for better or for worse," is forgotten as the months and years develop faults which did not appear in the days of courtship, and morbid criticism and unwillingness to recognise self-failures breed ill-temper which turns love intb hate. It is probable that in the majority of households one may be sure that for every fault discovered or imagined in another, there is one to mate it in the self-satisfied critic. An early recognition of this truth, and a consequent humility and forbearance, would preserv e happiness and give abundant harvest of blessing. But leaving general and unconscious influences, there are direct and definite questions which occur to wise, earnest and devoted parents in respect to the marriage of their children, perhaps the daughter seems more easily giiided, and the duties of a parent toward * son more difficult to understand and to perform, but the obligation to faithful care is as inexorable in dealing with one child as with another; and why should it not be so ?

Hats and bonnets, says" the English Ladies' Magazine, carry out the fatal tendency to spread. Crowns are kept low, but protruding, ear-like side bows or feathers are added, which simply crush a short figure. Some bonnets are mere plates of velvet, with a little aigrette in the middle, one or two dahlias in velvet, without stalks or leaves, trimming the lop. There are a good many dahlias about, made of velvet in blazing colours. T/hey are insufferably ■;'; jbhbugh ; anything butcheap. Fashion,unhappily, is leaning for the moment to the loud and ] zridrd. The sooner it tones down in' form and colour the better. There is little beauty even in a real dahlia (but as a background in a large garden), with its innumerable petals, each methodically rolled, and its deep colours. Ribbons of two shades—that is, lined with a second colour—are being employed for millinery bows. The loops are large and widely open, so that the coloured lining is weil displayed.

i "What with the lavish use of velvet, face cloth of lovely hues, rich furs, lace and embroideries, says the Lady's Magazine, our evening gowns and wraps have attained a splendour not yet reached within the memory of younger mondaines. There are great pelisses in rich brocade, trimmed with guipure collar or pelerine ; Loie Fuller round cloaks, as full as a dancer's skitt, hanging in rich folds, made of velvet in delicious shades ; short capes of luminous satin in green shades like fresh grass, or downy shot pink and yellow like a ripe peach, enriched with bands of white velvet embroidered with gold, or with silk muslin stiff with jet or pearls. ; Myra's Journal says that the velvets 4his year are specially beautiful. The •Colours are exquisite. As to the satins for evening dresses, they are simply wonder<ful, as sheeny and full of light as polished -metal. Shot colours have this effect to a cmarvelloua extent, Embroidery is less

used to trim both velvets and satins than fur, jewelled lace, and bows of black satin. A delicious dress of shot banana satin, with low neck and double-puff elbow sleeves, is simply trimmed from the right shoulder to the edge of the skirt with a band of sable. The bodice and skirt are not in one, but the fur is arranged to look as much as possible like a single diagonal band. At the left foot and right shoulder are placed smart bows of broad black satin ribbon. The plastron of the bodice to the left of the diagonal fur band is richly embroidered with jet and manycoloured beads. The double puffs of the sleeve are separated with a black ribbon.

It has been said that the Chinese unnatural custom, among women, of pinching the feet into the smallest possible dimensions has its origin in a desire to keep women indoors, and so prevent them interfering with matters, which, it is said by the men, did not concern them. The Chinaman of antiquity, indeed, had but a low opinion of " the sex," as the following translation of a poem in his language tends to prove:— A beautiful clever woman should be regarded As a hoarse and hateful bird. Women with long tongues '•_ Are stepping-stones to misery. State commotions come not from Heaven— They are born and come forth from women. Sufficient exercise is very necessai'y for bodily health; There is little doubt that the majority of people take too little exercise, but there is now a tendency on the part of some to overdo this " necessary " of health. It must be borne in mind that too much bodily exertion is likely to do harm. Those who devote themselves entirely to athletics are apt to suffer from affections of the blood-vessels and heart, brought on by over-exertion. Cycling is a most enjoyable and convenient form of exercise, and when moderately indulged in proves beneficial. But one cannot help regarding attempts at " record breaking " as likely to throw an otherwise harmless form of exercise into disfavour. We hear of the successes ; but what of the failures ? Some grave facts could be brought to light on this point if anyone chose to make enquiry. And in these days it is necessary to remind people that the natural act of walking will always hoU the foremost place as the most efficient exercise—of course, provided a proper distance be covered.

A few years ago (remarks a writer in Harper's Bazaar) it was predicted that the children of the present day would be troubled with defective vision as a result of using the gaily-coloured canopy for the baby cariage, a fashion which prevailed so generally at that time. But now a wellknown physician protests against the* whits parasol so much in vogue, and claims that it is even more harmful than the coloured one. "It is surprising," said he, not long since to the writer, "that an intelligent mother should canopy her baby's carriage like that," pointing to one passing at the moment, in which lay a baby dainty and sweet under a white lace-trimmed parasol. We look at the pretty picture and then at the doctor enquiringly. " Yes," he continued, "it is strange indeed that in this day of general information among women mothers should not know the proper amount of care to bestow on the precious eyesight of their children in helpless infancy. I consider it cruel to subject an infant's eyes to the glaring light of a white canopy, and the sight of thousands of babies is being burned out while lying under this deceptive shelter. The bright colours of a few years back were nearly as bad, and it is no wonder that after a course of such treatment so many of our young children are obliged to wear glasses. The proper colour for a canopy is green of some dark shade, and the material should be thick enough to exclude as much light as possible. Nature provides a screen in way of green foliage. Why do we not take the hint and shade our babies eyes with a like grateful hue ? If you want to know just how it seems to the tender eyes of a little child place yourself in a position where the eye can be upturned to a sunny sky with nothing intervening but a white translucent parasol; lie that way for an hour and note the effect upon eyeball, brain, and nerves; then think what cruel an injury is done to the children who are thus exposed daily to such an intense glare—an injury that never in this world can be repaired."

When you have been caught in a heavy rainstorm, perhaps you have known what to do with your best kid boots, which have been thoroughly wet through, and which,

if left to dry in the ordinary way, will be stiff, brittle and unlovely ? If not, you will be glad to learn what I heard only recently, from one whose experience is of value. First wipe off gently with a soft cloth all surface water and mud ; then, while still wet, rub well with kerosene oil, using for the purpose the furred side of Canton flannel. Set them aside until partially dry, when a second treatment with oil is advisable, they may then be deposited in a conveniently warm place, where they will dry thoroughly and thoroughly. Before applying French kid-dressing give them a final rubbing with the flannel, still slightly dampened with kerosene, and your boot*} will be soft and flexible as new kid and be very little affected by their bath in the rain.