THE GIRLS’ CORNER

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1745, 16 August 1905, Page 26

THE GIRLS’ CORNER

fThe Editor will be pleased to insert results of matches, tournaments, etc., and school and college news will be received with pleasure for publication.H A DEBUTANTE'S LETTER. My dear cousins, —At last I am fulfilling my promise of writing to you: This is why; we have been out for ever so many evenings running (delicious evenings!) and to-night my chaperon ordains that I must stay in and rest; bed at 9.30. -Voila! I rebel, hut yawn. London is lovely. The days are not half long enough, that's the trouble. I fall asleep after my early cup of tea, but wake with a start and bustle out of bed, because I know that Elise must have full time for dressing mv hair. She does it to perfection; indeed she turns me out so altogether sweetly that I Bcaroely know, myself. I should not wander if I am chic! ' We drive into Bond street, my chaperon and I, almost every morning. (I Bay drive, but, of course, I mean motor!) and interview hats —girl®, they are dreamy, just like the entrancing things you see in Watteau Shepherdesses 01 Fragonard damseuses, not- nowadays—if at all! —and get gowns fitted on, and flash into galleries, and ask everyone we meet if we shall see them at Lady B -’s “At Home,” or Lady M s musicals, (never any time to say anything else), and then for a dash round the Park, and so to luncheon. The afternoons are filled with ‘‘At. Homes.” I sometimes vish they were fewer, one is always “going on" ; some are charming, though at first I was so rfhy I could only listen to. the talk without joining In. Eiveryone knows everyone, and they just, skim over the surface of things, and understand each other in a couple of words, a grimace and a gesture. It seems difficult at first, but one soon gets into it. I was quite afraid of the men, too, they look so clever with their keen, clean-shaven faces; but it is all right—they don’t talk cleverly a hit when you know them. I believe the music is very good, but then one hardly hears It- Such a buzz, you know, and people murmur “exquisite!” “divine!” but never stop to listen; I suppose they haven’t time. The dances were. lovely, or would he if a few more of the men would dance, but they dike looking on in a doorway best, and seem only really to enjoy themselves at supper. Of course I love the theatre, though my. chaperon dislikes -the dining early, bo won’t take me as often as 1 should like And almost best of all are the little supper-parties after the play, at Prince’s or the Savoy, the latter for choice. . One sees everyone, and the men are much jollier than they are at the dances. Tt is 9.80 and I’ve scarcely ■written a word ! You shall hear again soon from your sleepy r VERA. ON HOUSEHOLD ARRANGEMENT. Henry. Ward Beecher writes: “Home should be an oratorio of the memory, singing to all our after life melodies and harmonies of old remembered joy.” Consciously or unconsciously, we absorb into our nature the beauty or ugliness; of our surroundings, and in time the impression Is reflected in our features or words .or: actions. Sd then we must seifously consider the arrangement of onr house, and not look upon the adornment of it as merely the expression dr individual feminine taste. The two great rules to be observed in every wellordered household are order* and punctuality. If these are faithfully adhered to, they will prove of inestimable benefit in preventing waste of time and the worry-that accrues therefrom. Artistic, cheerful surroundings should be the aim of the home-maker. We know how depressing and dingy the effect of grey or brown wallpaper is to< the mind and how pleasing is a wallpaper of soft yellow like the golden sunlight, shedding its comforting glow. Human nature craves light and warmth. Don’t fill the rooms with too much furniture. Crowded rooms cramp the mind as well as the limbs. It is not necessary to go to great- expense to make the home a bower of delight. The softest carpets, the richest hangings, on priceless pictures are as nothing in comparison with the artistic eye, a skilful hand, an observing mind and an appreciation of beauty. These alone can endue the bouse with the beauty of attractiveness. Plenty of flowers, arranged artistically, fill the rooms with beauty and sweetness The achievement of a beautiful home will repay the patient worker for all her trouble, and her skill and recourse will bring gratified smiles of approval to her inward satisfaction. A woman in a well-appointed home ha.s a much more attractive personality than a woman who takes no care of the province cihosen to be the setting of the jewel that may lgse its own lustra through the dimness of its background. CHOCOLATE ALMONDS. This is a very good recipe for Chocolate Almonds.—Any good plain kind of chocolate will do, but it. is better to Use - the unsweetened 1 “coating” kind. Out up, the chocolate into small pieces and place these in a j ar, and stand this

jar in a pan of boiling water to melt the chocolate slowly ; when melted, keep the jar till wanted in a pan of hot water to ensure its remaining quite soft. Shell the almonds, and then brown them slightly in the oven; leave them till quite cold, and dip them one at a time into tht melted chocolate, and then leave them on a tin, previously brushed over with oil till they are quite set. You can do little blocks of pineapple this way, only do not put them into the oven before coating. MUSICAL DOINGS. The wonderful little violinist Franz von Vecsey has returned to London from America., none the worse for his trip. He seems to be a sturdy, straightforward little fellow, his tone is still as manly and pure as it was, and his grasp of the music he plays is astonishing. He still holds sway as a prodigy among the three prodigies now playing, and his performance of the great Beethoven Concerto was weirdly wonderful for one soyoung. Little Miseha Elman had a large audience to hear him play in Queen’s Hall. He played Vieuxtemp’s Concerto and Bach’s Chaconne. The latter afforded a complete test of his technical powers. Miss Vivien Chartres has not been playing just lately, hut she will be heard again before long. She is only nine years old and loves to play in public, and after she has finished playing her pieces she runs off the platform very gaily, dressed in a little white frockj white socks and slippers. In spite of her popularity she is not in the least spoilt; she is a very natural and unaffected child, and always receives a very cordial reception. CUFF AND COLLAR SETS. It is high time that you were getting your white embroidery collar and cuffs sets ready, for nothing will be more popular than these to wear with the popular blouses this season. The most handsome new white work is the famous Danish Hedebo embroidery. Heavy old bleach linen and the hardtwist Hedebo linen thread are all the materials necessary. A very favourite set for a girl is a collar of sailor effect and gauntlets. The collar can be worn with or without a tie., but if a tie is worn, should be a sailor-knot and should match the dress.

A very pretty rabat collar can be made very easily of cream linen or fine canvas,, in a scroll design worked in crossstitch. The whole is edged with a lace braid, and faggot stitching, to a narrow piece of the canvas, also finished with the lace braid makes a nice finish to the neck. This rabat is most dainty and being made by hand looks so good, and will wear enduringly. For evening wear a pretty collar can •be made of washable chiffon, folded and tacked into narrow bands, joined with faggot stitching. The tab can be made of little circles of skiff on gathered into a little medallion, held- flat by two bullion stitches used in Mount Mellick work. These balls are connected with fine linen cord and little twisted bars hold them in place. The bands of chiffon also end in these little rosettes of chiffon. Perhaps an easier set to make would be Mount Mellick embroidery cuffs and collar. These should be made in good linen, and you can buy the 'designs at any of the fancy shops, or if you are clever at drawing, design your own. A design of roses and leaves forms a change from the marguerite, and the edges should be well padded and buttonholed. This would look very well with any cotton or linen gown, and looks handsome and good. I am sure you will be able- to make some of these sets, you will be' very pleased with the effect if you do, for they make a very effective finish to grace any toilette. THE! AUSTRALIAN LADY SWIMMER Miss Annette Kellerman, the lady champion diver and swimmer, has been giving an exhibition of her great skill in diving and swimming in London, at the large baths at Westminster, which proved to be most interesting. She holds all the world’s records for ladies’ swimming, and the English papers say that she is quite the finest diver that has ever been seen in the country. LITTLE ECONOMIES. Summer is coming, and soo-n you will have to go round your wardrobe to make things fresh and nice for summer wear. You will probably find your last summer’s gloves soiled and stained, and you will think with regret of the cost of a new outfit in cream, white-, and light coloured kid. or suede gloves. The best thing is to have a good cleaning day, choose a bright day with a fair amount of wind, and then get a quart or a gallon of benzoline; benzine will do, but if you buy it at the chemists it costs Is for a few tablespoonsful iu a tiny bottle, and so is too costly. Benzoline is much cheaper, and you can generally purchase it from a painter’s shop. You need three basins; put the soiled gloves into the first basin, and soak thr»m in benzoline, then take the gloves out one by one, and rub gently with a clean flannel every soiled portion of the glove, taking care not to rub with the same part of the flannel, but to keep c&dULgrtg it as it gets dirty. Put each gh*ve its it is cleaned into the second basin, and soak it in benzoline, until all the gloves have been well-rubbed and soaked again. Then take each glove 1 out, thoroughly squeeze the benzoline

out of it into the first basin, so that the dirty benzoline does not drop on any of the gloves, and go over them carefully with the flannel, to see if any dirty marks or stains are left, and put them to soak in the third basin, again covering with benzoline. The last operation consists in squeezing them out thoroughly, free from benzoline, and hanging them out to dry in the open air until the smell has entirely left them. You will then find your gloves quite spotless and will look like new. Soiled silk blouses can be cleaned in the same way, but. of course, more benzoline will be required, and I may as well remark here, that only failure is the result if the quantity of benzoline is limited. It is only money thrown away. The only stain on silk blouses that is quite impossible to remove is the stain caused by perspiration. Another little economy can be effected by turning a shabby skirt to make it fresh for the summer. Take out the lining and turn the skirt inside out, Brush it and sponge it well, until all dust and spots have disappeared. Press it well under a damp cloth, cut the turnings of the seams quite close and put strappings over each seam, either of stitched glace, or braid, or the same material. Put the skirt back into the band, and turn the skirt up neatly, add the braid, and, there, you will have a skirt that looks like new for tennis or bicycling next summer.