THE GIRLS CORNER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1756, 1 November 1905, Page 27

THE GIRLS CORNER.

TThe Editor 'will be pleased to insert results of matches, tournaments, etc., and school and college news will be received with pleasure for publication. | (Conducted by Mrs Roland). FRENCH STORIES TO READ. When girls have left school it is a pity to leave behind them all the knowledge they have gained, particularly is this the case in regard to languages. It is a wise plan to continue after school-days, a course of French reading for half an hour every day. Such a plan would never be_ regretted by a girl who is fortunate enough to take a trip to Europe later on. She would see Franoe with different eyes and with a wider intelligence than a g;ri ignoiant of French life and history. The following is a list of books very suitable for "reading, either in a class or alone". ll Le Roi des Montagues fcy Edmond About, “Cinq Mars” by Alfred de Vigny, “Coro mb a” by Prosper Menmee. “Les MLLserabl.es ’ and vailleurs de la IVier” by Victor Hugo. “L’Abbe Constantin” and “Un Marriage d’ Amour” by Ludovic Halev/. La Belle Nivernaise” and “Tartarin _d- e Taraseon” by Alphonse Daudet. Eugenie Grandet” by Balzac. FORETHOUGHT.

Do you ever ask yourself the question, “How do I spend my time? Am I using the days as wisely as I might? Nature has given us a certain amount of energy and vitality. It is the duty of each of us to direct that energy in the wisest way, and spend our vitality to the best advantage. Whatever time or nervous energy is frittered away or dawdled away is taken from what is really worth our while. So that it takes time and careful thought so to plan our days that we get the best possible results with the least expenditure of effort. By judicious forethought it is possible to plan every detail of the day and arrange so that every duty is fitted in. For every instance just before you go to sleep at night, in the quiet restful bedroom, you can think of the next day and of all the duties and pleasures you wish to fit into it. There are the morning duties which do not vary much, you are going to tea and tennis in the afternoon, six or seven people are coming to spend the evening with you. you will have cakes to make, and you did want to finish that silk blouse for tomorrow night and the hem of your tennis skirt, must be tidied up, and oh! the ’Frisco mail close; to-morrow and there are three long letters at least to write, to say nothing of doing the flowers, watering your plants and ever so many more things. I can imagine you begin to be flurried and want to get up at once to bustle about, but be calm and think. If I get up half an hour earlier, I shall get all the dusting and the flowers done before breakfast, then as soon as breakfast is over, I shall begin to make the sausagerolls and the cake® and shall have finished by 10 o’clock. Then if I dress for .tennis, it will save changing after lunch and I can do up the hem of the v skirt in no time. Then there will be time do finish the blouse before I need to help with the lunch. After lunch I shall have a full hour to write my letters before going to tennis, and when I come back I shall water my plants, and see that everything is ready for my guests, then I can enjoy myself for the rest, of• the evening. Then, satisfied with your plan of campaign you will fall off to sleep content to wait until the morning. This is the best way I know of getting as much in the days as one possibly can. To plan in quiet and peace, and to decide with calm forethought the order of the multifarious duties has a marvellous effect upon the routine of the next day. It seem® to go on wheels, so smoothly and one ha® the satisfaction of knowing that no time is frittered away or wasted with poor results. • SOME ECONOMICAL IDEAS. You find that the tops of your stockings break into holes after a time with the constant pulling of suspenders. A good plan to preserve stockings is to line the tops for a few inches down with thin black muslin as this make a strong support and the stockings will wear twice as long. When wearing a blouse and skirt, and you find that the continual safety pinning together wears the band of the skirt and tears holes in the blouse, an economical idea is to fasten two small safety-pins at the waist of the blouse and two stout hooks sewn firmly on to the skirt band to catch in them. Thus your blouse and skirt will be held firmly together, and the skirt band will be preserved. When you have a new washing-frock to be sent to the laundry it is an economical idea to send some of the pieces of the material to be washed too, as in time to come if your frock requires repair, the mending will be invisible if done with the washed piece, the same

colour as the dress, whereas a new piece would he conspicuous.