WOMAN AND HER WORLD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1266, 4 June 1896, Page 13

WOMAN AND HER WORLD.

Very pretty and inexpensive blotting or scrap books may bo easily mado from common light sand-paper, which, from its rough texture and glistening effect, makes a charming background for painting on in oil colours. I will describe one I have just mado. On a small sheet of sandpaper I painted a bold design of pink and whito poppies, with grasses and loaves, first filling in the design with flake-white. The grasses may be painted in with gold paint, which has a very good effect, with another piece of sand-paper for the back. I bound both together with an inch-wide dark crimson velvet, and pasted for lining a dark red paper, which completed the work. The cost of a few pence only. Both light and dark sand-paper make good backgrounds for screens, and being very cheap and easy to work on, is a great advantage.

Thoro is a lady bank cashier in America who carries on her duties with as much business acumen as auy man. She has hold the post of cashier to the First National Bank in Huntington, Indiana, since 1881, and is the only member of her sex in that capacity. She has no assistants, but manages to write notes, drafts, cash cheques, discounts, &c, witli businesslike- promptitude, single-handed, and is romarkably clear-headed and exact in nil her dealings. The lady is married, but marriage has not provonted her fulfilling her duties, although she rosides away from the bank, and goes into a good deal of society.

The following fine verses from " To-Day and Other Forms" are well worthy of the attention of our New Zealand women :

woman's mission

The rights of women—what are they ? The right to labour, lovo and pray; The right to weep with tlio.se that woop ; The right to wake when others sleep.

The right to dry the falling tear; The right to quell the rising fear; The right to smooth the brow of care, And whisper comfort in despair.

Tho right to watch the parting breath, To sooth and cheer tho bed of death ; Tho right, when earthly hopes all fail, To point to that within tho veil.

The right ths wanderer to reclaim And win tho lost from paths of shame; Tho right to comfort and to bless The widow and tho fatherless.

Tho right tho little ones to guide In simple faith, to Him who died; With earnest love and gentle praise, To bless and cheer their youthful days

Tho right tho intellect to train And guide tho soul to noblo aim ; Teach it to rise above earth's toys, And wing its flight to heavenly joys

The right to live for those wo love, The light to die that love to prove; The right to brighter earthly homes With pleasant smiles and gentle tones,

Are these thy rights ? Then use them well, Tho holy influence none can toll. If these are thine, why ask for more ? Thou hast cnov>jh to answer for !

Aro these thy rights ? Then murmur not That woman's mission is thy lot; Improve tho talents God has given ; Life's duties done—reward in heaven !

Tho most fastidious person could find nothing to complain of in tho aspect and demeanour of the charming wheehvomen who now regularly adorn our streets, but thero is ono type of lady cyclist that comes in for well-merited abuse and contempt, that is the woman who von lures into tho crowded streets beforo sho is mistress of her machine, who is in what is known as the " wobbling" stage. Sho plunges in among tho traffic, swerving here and thero from ono side of tho road to the other in the most erratic and dangerous manner ; dangerous not only to herself—that does not matter much, for a woman of this stamp " nover would bo missed"—but to everyono who comes near her. It says much for the skill of the tram and cab drivers that serious accidents are not of daily occurrence.

Eudyard Kipling, tho novelist, possesses a bonny little daughtor who is just about three years old. This small maiden shares with her father a great love for animals of every kind, and, unlike most

children of her tender age, does not know fear of even the most savage species. The novelist has represented nearly all tho interesting beasts in his " Jungle Book" to her, and she is quite familiar with each one. speading her little hand over their pictures, and cooing out their names quite correctly,

Tho original of one of Mr Rider Haggard's most charming characters, tho lady who gave the title to the novel "Jess," was a native of Pretoria, and when married was in wealth) circumstances, but her husband soon ran through tho whole of his property, and began to depend upon her earnings. Then 'Mess" became a member of a South African Opera Company, which failed. Like her fictional namesake, her career has not been a happy one,

At this time of the year not a few of us suffer from cold feet, and the following simple direction for making comfortable night socks should therefore be of timely interest:—Half a pound four-ply fleecy wool, and a wooden tricot hook (size No. 1) will bo required. Make fifty chain stitches, and afterwards work in ordinary tricot stitch backwards and forwards, until the work measures twelve inches in depth (this will probably be when there are about twenty-eight rows), then fold it in halves, and, without breaking off tho wool, join the two edges together with single crochet; finally, take up every loop at one end, draw them tightly together, and fasten off firmly, thus forming a straight bag about seventeen inches long. Although there is no particular shape in these night socks, when tho feet are inserted they will bo found to fit very snugly, and to reach nearly to the knee. They are really a great boon on cold winter's nights, and in certain cases I have known of they decidedly insured a good night's rest, for I think everyone will admit that it is impossible to sleep well if tho feet are cold, and many people have an objection to hot water bottles, owing to the popular idea that they cause chilblains and tenderness in the feet.

The infant daughter of the Czar of Russia will not have a very bright future, if any reliance is to be put on tho horoscopo recently cast regarding her. From it, it is doubtful if she will reach the age of eight years, but should she do so, her life will never reach three decades, although sho will pass the age of twenty. If tho young Empress of Russia is at all inclined to bo superstitious, she will not havo been very pleased at learning the prophesied futuro of her baby daughter.

The wife of the Japanese Field-Marshal is a most interesting woman, of strong individuality and varied talents. She speaks Russian, French, German and English with accuracy, is an American college graduate, and is the arbiter of elegancies for tho feminine portion of the Court, while she is a most active apostle of dress reform in Japan,

The " power of the eye " was responsible for tho aberration of an almost avowed celibate, Sir George Airy, the celebrated astronomer. Hearing that the eyes of a certain young lady possessed the property of double refraction, his curiosity led him to seo her frequently to study the subject. The result was tho description that lovers of the romantic anticipated, and the lady became in due time Lady Airy. Mr Edison's wooing of his first wife was of the samo sudden determination; his mind being made up, tho eventful words spoken, and tho ceremony solemnised within the space of one month. Iu this case, the old saying, " married in haste, repent at leisure" was not realised, as their union proved a most happy one in every respect. Bismarck courted his second wife in a similar summary manner. Ho met her acting as bridesmaid to a friend of his ; a sort of mental understanding seemed to pass between them on that first occasion, and the lover—who was by no means a diffident wooer —surprised all present, and the lady herself, by openly embracing her before everybody on taking leave of her. There was no excuse of a " mistletoe bough" on this occasion, and the hasty courtship ended in a speedy wedding,

In tho February issue of tho American magazine The Forum, Sir Edwin Arnold pays homage to the many good qualities of_ the Queen :—Tho heart of gold, the will of iron, the royal temper of steel, the pride, the patriotism, and the deep piety of Victoria havo been enshrined in a small but vigorous frame, the mujnonnc aspect of which especially strikes thoso who behold her for tho first time ia these her

" chair-days." It was reported how, when Prince Albert was dying, he roused himself from a period of wandering to turn with ineffable '. ,c to his spouse and Sovereign, saying to her with a kis3, " Good little wife !" And when the Prince Consort was actually passing away, after those twenty-one years of wedded happiness, it was'told how the Queen bent over him and whispered, "It is your tilth wife," at which last words the Angel of Death stayed his hand while once again the dear eyes opened and the dying lips smiled,

In the March number of The Arena, Helen Campbell advocates the application of co-operation to housekeeping. She says !—But tho co-operative kitchen and laundry, no matter on how simple a scale. mean not only more time for the higher aspects of living, but more money to spend in real things. Living, as we get it in our isolated, individual system, is organised waste and destruction; and women who oppose and refuse to even listen to rational talk as to possibilities, what arc they but organised obstruction ? Women would vote for any suggestion under heaven rather than a deep and earnest consideration of the real place of co-operation.

Mr Arnold "White discourses in tho Humanitarian the elimination of tho unfit. He makes various suggestions as to the method by which the unfit can be prevented from propagating their kind. He says:—ln the first place, tho practice of indiscriminate performance of the ceremony of marriage by clergy and registrars would probably bo replaced by a system enabling them to refuse to act on good cause being shown. Clergymen of com-mon-sense would refuse to unite persons of known unhealthy or tainted constitutions, and although public opinion is not yet prepared for tho enactment of a law by which a veterinary certificate of physical and mental health shall be required of every candidate for matrimony, we may look forward to the time when marriage with persons with tainted constitutions shall be regarded as disgraceful. The second point upon which a searching enquiry into the multiplication of tho unlit would educate tho public, is the extent to which male minors, unable to support a family, should bo allowed to marry.

In the March Humanitarian Sarah Grand says that if she had her way she would abolish the House of Lords and establish in its place a House of Ladies. She says :—The method of doing it I leave to the wiseacres, but it has often occurred to me that a chamber composed of women qualified to wateli legislation as it affects their own sex, and to report their ideas to the House of Commons, would be doing more useful work on behalf of the general community than the present House of Lords is doing. Having a separate chamber for women would meet the objection of those who dislike tho idea of mixing tho sexes in Parliament, although these objectors seem to forget that women serve along with men on all our local governing bodies, and the arrangement appears to answer very well. However, a House of Ladies would be able to discuss many questions which call for reform with greater freedom than women coiill in a mixed assembly. Our inlluence would be chiefly felt upon questions of morality, and would, J believe, tend to purify the political atmosphere.

From the HW'/i at I hum for April, tho girl who does not want to bo left behind will gather some conflicting opinions about her cycling costume. Lady Jeune is all for tlie skirt, and cannot understand how any woman can mount a bicycle in knickerbockers. Lady Harborton is all for knickerbockers, but is most anxious that the.y should be worn for morning calls. Mrs Noraian denounces the skirt as clumsy and dangerous, and holds that knickerbockers which look unbecoming are usually ill-made. Do not women, with a proper sense of humour, shudder at the old bathing sack in which they used to make themselves marine horrors ? Lady Jeune says that woman must always take public exercise in a skirt; but if the bathing costume of an enlightened sex is suitable to the beach,

why are knickerbockers unbecoming on the bievcle ?

With regard to the wedding garment, some colours portend misfortunes. Hero is an old rhyme regarding them : Married in white. You have chosen all right. Married in grey, You will go far away. Married in black, You will with yourself back. Married in red, You will wish yourself dead. Married in green, Ashamed to be seen. Married in blue, You will always be true. Married in pearl, You will live in a whirl. Married in yellow, Ashamed of the fellow. Married in mm;li, You will live out of town. Married in pink, Your spirits will sink.

A new and profitable source of livelihood for women in New York is as models for modistes. The work' is pleasant, as well as lucrative, for the duties are light, consisting of tho mere fitting on of tho gowns, jackets, &c, and the salary ranges from .i'o to .10 a-week. One advantage of this calling, from the average feminine point of view, is that it affords such an excellent opportunity for obtaining firstclass gowns and mantles at much less than tho actual cost. Some months of the year these models arc very slack of work, but during the other months arc very busy indeed. They are required to wear neat, plain black dresses, fitting tightly at the waist, and their figures must measure about thirty-six inchc-a round the bust, and from twenty-three to twenty-four inches round the waist. Therefore, it will be seen that the atrocious custom of tight-lacing—happily no longer practised by refined women —finds no favour among New York belles.

With reference to tight-lacing, I seo that a foolish woman at Home has recently fallen a victim to that detestable custom, a fact which I confess has come as somewhat a surprise, as I thought that with the reaction in taslo in favour of well-built, healthy womanhood, and the popularity that outdoor pastimes have obtained, women had awakened to the fact that an " hour-glass waist" is an abomination not to be countenanced by anyone with any pretensions to good taste or common oensc.

Yet this instance of one woman's folly proves there are still such foolish members of my sex in existence. I wonder why it is that many women consider tho chief attribute to a good figure is a small waist. Probably the woman who errs in this particular has been endowed by Nature with broad shoulders and hips, and because her sparely-built sister owns a waist whoso dimensions could bo readily spanned, she considers that her own is quite in fault, and endeavours to squeeze it out of all proportion and comeliness in order to meet the requirements of her misjudged idea of a good figure. And yet I doubt very much if one woman out of a hundred would confess to such a breach of the laws of health, or the promptings of ir.excusablo vanity. 11 may bo interesting to know that on tho occasion of her marriage tho Duchess of York's waist measurement was twenty-four inches, and her figure lias always been considered a beautiful one.

The French Canadian in Quebec finds matrimony expensive at the start, whatever it may be afterward. On the evening of tho wedding day, there is a supper and a dance at tho bride's new home. When the guests rise from the table, tho bride keeps her seat, and someone asks, with great dignity, " Why does madam wait? Is she so soon in bad grace?" She replies, " Somebody has stolen my slipper; I cannot walk." Then they carry her, chair and all, into the middle of the room, while a loud knocking announces a grotesque ragged vendor of boots and shoes. He kneels before the slipperless bride, and trios on a long succession of old boots and shoes of every variety and size, until at last he finds her missing shoe. Tho groom redeems it for a good price, which is spent in treating the company. All this is according tc the regular programme. But if tho groom is not watchful, they steal the bride's hat and cloak, which he must redeem in tho same way, and they have been known to steal the brido, for which thero must be liberal pay. ,m,iy„li tnMAa fag*** <JL-^-

content themselves with contra dances. The event of tho evening is the jig, in which a guest volunteers to outdance the bride. If successful, the visitor demands a prize from the groom.

In Poland, every woman, whether princess or peasant, wears round her neck several rows of coral beads. These are supposed to bring her good luck, and she is never without them. Should the occasion occur for a grande dame to wear pearls or diamonds instead, she carries her coral necklace in her pocket, so that tho charm shall not bo dispelled.

Very picturesque is the national dress worn by the women of different countries. Ono of the most artistic costumes is that adopted by tho Roumanian. It consists of a white linen sleeveless garment, thickly embroidered in arabesque in bright red, blue, orange and black silks, and a band of similar embroidery encircles tho waist, from which streamers of coloured ribbons fall in a cascade. Tho hair is braided in four loose plaits, and tho feet are encased in crimson kid slippers.

All women who cannot boast faultless contour of neck and shoulders will welcome the revival of the becoming fashion of wearing a locket shmg round the neck on inch-wide black velvet. The Duchess of York is responsible for the revival of this pretty fashion, for she has appeared several times of late wearing a fair-sized locket of gold and blue enamel, suspended by a ribbon or velvet, which was tied at tho back in a rather largo-looped bow with six-inch ends. The tiny heart lockets, suspended from fine gold chains, arc still worn, but these only suit a very pretty neck.

It is frequently remarked that people grow alike in appearance after living together for any length, of time, as often old married couples are easily mistaken for brother and sister. It is also affirmed that human beings assume a resemblance to animals if they arc continually in charge of them ; and to illustrate this fact, tho Esquimaux and Laps are frequently in danger of being shot by seal-hunters, becauso thoy look so much like seals. In each case only tho head appears above tho water, and there is "omewhat the same expression common to both.

That literary talent is hereditary is ail undeniable fact, from the many instances on record of sons and daughters following in the footsteps of illustrious mothers anil fathers. It was the feeling that her reputation would be overshadowed by that of her father which decided Kingsley's daughter to hide her identity under tho nom ile <j\lerrc of "Lucas Malct." Tho secret was kept for a long time, but " murder will out," and the authoress' personality became public property, "Lucas Malot" is another of thoso authors who admits to writing very slowly, liko tho late Augustus Dumas, who used to say that at the beginning of his literary career ho wrote with extreme difficulty, and would labour for hours over a sentence before ho could write it to his own satisfaction.

An ideal marriage was that of tho great Mozart and his wife Constance, although tho course of true love did not run smooth in their case, great difficulties being placed in the way of their union at the beginning of their courtship, which were only overcome by tho staunch partisanship of an old friend of Mozart, who did all in her power to make tho prospective parents of tho young couple consent to their marriage, and at last succeeded. Mozart's wife was not his first love. His first passionate love was given to her elder sister, a beautiful but heartless coquette, who treated the young musician very badly. It was at that time that the younger girl proved the sweetness of her disposition by her sympathy and staunch friendship—a friendship which developed into real comradeship, and later on into tho true and constant love that existed between them until Mozart died, nine years after their marriage.

Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lome, has set tho fashion of unostentation in cycling by riding a cycle enamelled in plain black, not ornamented in any way whatever. Nor has sho adopted tho rational dress. I was very much amused, says a writer in a London Society papor, the other day at the spectacle of a " lady cyclist," who was riding at full speed, as though dear life depended upon her covering as much ground as possible, in tho distance, the spectacle of this flying figure, clad in tight fawn trousers, a short coat, and hard felt hat, was unmistakably that of a man, and as such I regarded it on a cursory glance ; but the remark of a sweet littlo girl coming out of school at that moment, " Why, hero's the New Woman," attracted my attention further, and I perceived that an elderly, but certainly a feminine face, and a fringe of scanty grey locks, proclaimed the rider's sex to be that of the " weaker." It struck mo very forcibly that if the lady could have seen herself as sho appeared to tho onlooker, and havo heard the naive remark of tho little girl, sho would have abandoned hor unbecoming garb thero and then, and adopted at once, the more modest, ladylike, but equally suitable, short cycling skirt.