THE GIRLS’ CORKER

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1751, 27 September 1905, Page 27

THE GIRLS’ CORKER

fTh® Editor will be pleased to insert resulta of matches, tournaments, etc., and sohool and college news will be received with pleasure for publication. 1 (Conducted by Mrs Roland). THE PRICE OF ROYALTY. The following words of the late Empress Frederick, addressed by her to the authoress and painter, • Madame Yon Preuachen, show how cramped are woman's energies, even in the highest sphere: “What is the good of talents to me, or genius, or ardent longings, endeavours and strivings ? Have I even the time, have I strength enough, with all these thousand empty, hateful duties of etiquette which kill the human soul and nourish the propriety puppet in us. ? And. even if I did accomplish anything great in art, would anyone believe in it f Would it not he always thought—as with all art work done by crowned heads from Nero downwards—that it was not done by my own hands ? O'h! what a curse rests on us royalties—what a for those who would like to be human!” HOW TO BE WELL DRESSED. The more one studies dress m all its departments the more one is inclined to think that the art of dressing well is an instinct, some girls being born with the faculty of dressing well, as poets and musicians are bom. 1 know girls who wear the most expensive clothes and are always having new ones, yet never look quite well dressed, and 1 know other girls, and many girls who- earn their own living too, who look thoroughly weili turned out from the crown of their wellkept head to -the soles of their dainty feet. I think that this desirable faculty can ba cultivated with eai*e and thought. Every detail should' be perfect, and an unfinished appearance avo.ded, for after all, detail is what distinguishes the welldressed girl. Hair well brushed and beautifully done—no birds' nest effects if you please —the neck and all its finishes of dainty stocks, soft turn-over collars, always clean and fresh; the finish of the hands and nails; the neat-fitting cuff; the waist with a perfectly-fitting ceinture, whatever the mode; the tidy petticoat, never frayed, never soiled; the dainty shoos, with heels never worn down, no dirty untidy shoe laces; the list of detail is endless, but it is the secret of looking well. Girls with a small dress allowance need not be down-hearted because their best gown is no longer in its first freshness. Judicious pressing with a hot iron will work wonders:, and such a gown worn by a girl who has dressed her hair beaut:fully and has wellkept hands and perfectly manicured nails need never have a fear for her 'appearance. Just a word here about the New Zealand girls' hair, a© no one has ever remarked it before. The average girl has most beautiful hair, and 1 have seen and lived in many countries, but to my mind the New Zealand girl takes the palm for her hair. The sad thing is that most girls do not realise what glorious hair they have, and what possibilities lie in their hair, and they do it so badly! Away from the four capitals as a general rule the hair is done anyhow, and often looks more like a bird's nest than anything else. Take heed, girls, don't worry about your gowns and your hats, brush your glorious locks out until they shine like burnished gold, and do your hair in the style that suits you best. Do it tidily, smoothly, and show off the glossy coils and you will bo surprised to see hosS" nice you look.

FANCY WORK. Pretty table centres are made of soft white silk with two '‘pinked" frills about 4 inches wide of white chiffon, with a frayed one of coloured thin silk in between. The colour should match the lamp and candle ©hades. For af tern con tea-cloths there is a great fancy for white silk embroidery on linen, touched up delicately with tender green, the centre or the tips of flower© and half of a leaf. The leaves and stalks can be in green, and the flowers in white, with just a tinting of colour. Tea cosies are things of beauty on many a tea-table. They are made of lace, linen or muslin, embroidered fancifully. Silk embroidery with the introduction of velvet flowers on piece lace is admirable for cosy side©. Decorative handiwork is the appliqueing of very large cretonne flowers on to house flannel for curtains.. Stitches of worsted and ©ilk are put in as fancy dictate©. The work is fascinating and i» very easy. The larger the flower the more effective the work. The edges are deeply buttonholed. THE INFLUENCE OF THE WORKING GIRL. Girls who work have much to do with governing the world, and perhaps this is one of the fine plan® of the Ever Wise to prevent the beauties and benefits of woman’s influence from being wasted or loefc. The girl at home moulds her brothers’ and their friends’ ideas of girls and women by her wards and actions. The girl at business daily presents to the busy man about her the example of a gracious womanliness, lending itself to sanctify and uplift the crudities and hardness of commercial dealing®. Alas! sometimes she instead the picture of a girl to whom little is eacred, and work least of all. The maiden who does not do her best with pen or machine, fingers and brain, for the wages she earns," lowers all women in the eyes of those who observe her. She is unworthy of the noble name of "worker." No man or boy is better for knowing an emptyheaded girl whose sole interests in life

are novels, amusement, and frocks, and who performs her tasks in a slovenly, indifferent fashion. She teaches them by her actions that women are stupid, l&%y, and devoid of conscientiousness. A HINT FOR LONELY GIRLS. I knew a very lonely girl who was a lady help in a very trying post where the work seemed endless, the drudgery hard to bear, and she was away from all her friends who might have lightened her burden by a little sympathy. After one very worrying day in which her mistress had been more than usually bad-tem-pered and hard to please, she went for a walk, feeling thoroughly tired out in mind and in body, and too utterly depressed to talk to anybody had there bepn anybody to talk to. She passed the sunday School of the place of worship where she attended, and walked in to see what was going on. She found several bright happy girls there, round a long table covered with flowers and plants. They were busy tying them up in bunches, and one sweet girl came forward to her and said, “Ok, how good of you to come and help us, we are sending these flowers to the hospital, and to the sick people in the parish." Such a warm welcome was extended to her, and she joined in the packing, and the worries all vanished from her mind. Bright pleasant remarks and happy laughter passed the time, and on the way home she was commissioned to leave flowers on two or three invalids living in her direction. Two or three of the girls came with her as far as the direction of their own homes permitted, and all parted with friendly, happy feelings. When our friend entered the house again she could hardly realise that she was the same unhappy, tired, miserable creature who had gone out two hours earlier. All her trouble® had vanished, the tired weariness had left her. The unsatisfied aching had given way to a glow of happiness. She had been taken out of herself for the time being, and it had worked this miracle. So, for the rest of the summer, she met the flower band and helped them to carry out their noble and good work, and made many friends among them.

All lonely girl© can learn a lesson from thi®. Try to have something to take you out of yourself for a time every week. If possible, let it be something out of doors, and with other girl®. Join a hockey club or a tennis club, or, as these girls were doing, do something for those who are worse off than yourselves. It ie not good for you to be lonely. You must have companionship, and that must be congenial. Lonely girls are generally lonely because they are fastidious as to the people they know, otherwise they would not be lonely. So, my dear lonely girl®, you must find companionship of the right kind and you will be so much happier. Try it, anyhow. HOCKEY. Only two reports of hockey matches have been sent In this week, one from Hokitika and on© from Nelson, which are as below:—< AORANGI v. WAKATU. NELSON, September 13. A ladies' hockey match—Aorangi (Wellington) v. Waka’tu (Nelson) —was played to-day, and won by the visitors by three goals ‘to two. For Wellington, Miss Watson obtained two goals and Miss ijimpson one. KAI ORA B v. Y.W.B.C. This ladies match eventuate*! at Greymouth last week on Victoria park, and resulted in a win for Kai Ora by three goals to one, goals being scored by Miss A. Malfroy (2), from penalty bullies, and one by Mif-yLinuemann for Kai Ora and me goal by Miss Foord for Y.W.B.C. The Grey girls had the best of the game in the first spell, but the. Kai Ora team playing with better combination had the best of the second spell. Mr West acted .:• referee.