THE LADIES’ COLUMN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3409, 16 April 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LADIES’ COLUMN.

CONCERNING GOWNS AND OTHER MATTERS. I saw three very pretty gowns on Saturpuy, two of them worn by strangers. One was pale fawn, made in Prinoease fashion, and perfectly plain, but fitting the slim, graceful wearer to perfection. Tho other was of gray-blue cashmere, and was worn with a three-quarter full cape, with darkblue velvet rovers and that most becoming of furs, chinchilla, bordering tho high colour and edging the lapels and fronts. A very smart blue velvet toque was worn with this gown, and suited the fair hair of the wearer. A slim girl had on a black cloth skirt and coat, very well-fitting and quite plain. A natty pale-green cloth waistcoat, white shirt-front and tartan tie were worn with this, and a large black velvet picture bat. It was a decided, and very acceptable change from the many Busaian blouses that are daily making their appearance, and which, though becoming to tall, slight women, are sad illustrations of want of taste on other figures.

There is little doubt that skirts aro to be longer than last season. Tho very smart London gown touches the ground, or even rests on it for an inch, which is just too long for walking, and too short to hold up. They are also to be fitted most carefully round the hips, and all tho new skirts are tighter to the knee, and then fall loose, ■ a most uncomfortable style, and one not likely to become general among those who have more to do than lounge through life. Kilted flounces are to be worn again, and tucked skirts are to be very fashionable, while buttons, simple or elaborate, are to bo seen everywhere on skirts, bodices and sleeves, without rhyme or reason for their existence.

Pew women are aware how important a finish to a toilette a veil is, and how necessary it is that care should be exercised in its choice. Wellington weather is very destructive to veils, and one is distracted at the early appearance of holes, and the general draggled look after a walk or two in a Wellington wiud. Eobert Louis Stevenson said in ono of his letters that, " In my Hell it would always blow a gale." Had he been a woman, and worn on a windy day a hat secured with insecure pins, that threatened to snap and penetrate tho skull, and a veil that had far more than its complement of holes when it reached home, he would have expressed his hatred of wind even more forcibly.

An authority on chiffons states no pale blonde should wear a veil of a coarse mesh, for it will make her look old and drawn and ten times paler, while a net of fine close mesh would have just the opposite effect. The new Empire veils, designed to be worn with large hats, cost a snug little sum; but they are so smart that they are worth the price. These veils are as graceful and airy as cobwebs. They are from two and a quarter to two and a half yards in length, and are edged with fine lace, put on full or plain according to fancy. They are worn by many hanging rather loosely from the face, tied in a fluffy knot behind, and caught up on the left shoulder with a jewelled pin; others cross them in the back and tie them in a big soft bowknot under the chin, letting the ends hang to the waist. This gives a poke effect to certain hats.

I have often thought what a capital screen coloured advertisements would make pasted on a canvas foundation and wooden frame. They bring these advertisements to such artistic perfection nowadays, and every magazine has one or two insets ” that are worth keeping. The lettering could be obliterated with a touch or two of oil-colour. It has been suggested that these scraps be utilised in another way, and formed into a capital scrapbook for a baby. A dozen or more leaves of white book muslin, each prettily pinked, were sewn together and bound with pasteboard covers, the work of the home artisan. The works of art which adorned its pages were selected from the various circulars and advertisements which had resulted from a visit to a food show. The pictures and trade marts from the circulars were out out and neatly pasted on the pages, forming a startling and amusing variety. The highly-coloured trade marks gave a mosaic effect that was extremely pretty. Boots, shoes, bicycles, spoons, bottles, spectacles, baby carriages, every sort of advertisement picture of articles likely to bo familiar to his baby majesty, had been out out and added to picture gallery. The outside of the book was covered with Japanese cotton crepe in blue and gilt, pasted on firmly, and the whole tied with blue ribbons.

As a rule, artificial flower? for home decoration fall in my mind into the same category as stuffed birds or wool mats. I hove always thought how terrible it would be to get from a dear friend a stuffed bird in a glass case as a wedding-present, especially if she lived quite close and frequently popped in to see how you and the bird were getting on. You would be obliged, notwithstanding your anguish of mind, to give it a place of honour among your dainty and artistic trifles, unless you could, with an unblushing cheek, explain to her the evil effects of gas on the feathers, and put it in the spare bedroom.

But the artificial flowers in the shopwindows just now really overcome one’s prejudices. The poppies are especially natural, and among a quantity of green foliage, which can be got almost everywhere, would look decidedly well on a table. Another advantage is that you could have a table-centre to match, and always rely on your decorations looking fresh. That is quite a consideration at this time of year, when there is such dearth of flowers for the table, and it is impossible, out of a slender purse, to buy them. But ferns, growing in Boulton pots in water and a little soil, are extremely satisfactory, and with attention will last all the winter. Many people utilize for table decoration a pot plant. I read the other day that if you take lilac branches two feet to eighteen inches long, and keep them in luke-warm water, renewing the water weekly and sprinkling the branches, they will bloom in three orfour weeks. Theymust bo kept, however, in a room not colder than the usual living-room temperature. As an experiment, it would bo worth trying.

If you have poppies and foliage for your decoration, a table centre of Turkey red with the new embroidery on it of point lace braid and stitches would look well, but both braid and thread should be pale yellow, and the table-centre be bordered with heavy yellow lace.

There is a charming stylo of work come lately into vogue at Home, that could be applied most successfully to table decoration. It is called Eocooo work, and the narrowest and daintiest of ribbons are used in it as braid, the centre of the patterns being finished with stitches of various kinds in silks. It is often made richer in appearance by beads, spangles, or gold thread.

For instance, on a strip of ivory satin or satin sheeting, stamp, or draw, if you cannot get the pattern, true-lovers’ knots. Place them irregularly about the material and do not make them too small, otherwise the effect will be lost, and the work become irksome. Sew pale blue narrow ribbon on to the satin over your lines, finishing it carefully at the ends. Then begins the artistic work. You may fill up your bows with an endless variety of patterns, and use silks, gold thread, beads or spangles, or else you may edge your ribbon with a pattern sewn on to the satin. This would make a charming present for a bride, especially if it were lined with pale blue silk, and bordered with a ruche of the ivory satin. Th is work could be used very successfully for handkerchief or glove sachets on green satin with pale pink and pale blue ribbons, and embroidery in gold and the three colours of silk. Any bold conventional pattern answers for this work.

Beticules are now much used, and might be charmingly adorned with this rococo embroidery. One I saw described was made of dull green bengaline with a panel of saiin. outlined on the silk with fine yellow Honiton braid. The satin was terracotta colour, and embroidered in ribbons of blue, pink, green and heliotrope, which ■were used for the flowers and the leaves.

while filoselle is employed for tho stems and centres, and for tho lips at the end of the sprays. At the bottom left corner was a bow of ribbon of the combined colours of tho embroidery, and the green silk drawstrings, run through small bone rings beneath the deep heading, were finished off by bows of the same ribbon.

For those who are meditating furnishing, and who can afford to follow their fancies, the following latest London ideas on room decoration will prove interesting, though, doubtless, capable of much modification in economical bands:—Flower rooms are still in the height of their popularity, nor is the fashion confined to bedrooms alone, but finds favour also for sitting-rooms. The flower chosen is generally selected for sentiment as well as beauty. We have seen rose, daisy, and violet bedrooms. Lilacs, poppies, or buttercups are also suitable. To furnish a flower room which shall be perfectly satisfactory there are certain general rules to bo observed In the first place, the flower itself must be present in sufficient quantity to give character ; secondly, there must bo enough of plain colour to emphasise that character ; thirdly, there must be no colour which does not appear in tho flower, except green and olive, which are necessary for a relief to the eye. The woodwork, too, must be carefully considered. If painted, it can be cream white, or of one of the lighter shades used. Some decorators recommend clear stain on natural wood to bring it into harmony with the colour scheme. In the case of pine and the other cheaper woods, or of oak, it is perfectly admissible. When the wood chosen is expensive, chosen for its own beauty, it becomes the keynote of tho room, and all other fittings must be made to harmonise with it. Again, the furniture in a flower room must be light and delicate, never aggressive or too large for the opartment.

A “very successful room of this description is a sweet pea sitting-room. In this case the flower itself is present only on the curtains of cream white china silk, which aro powdered with sweet peas of all colours, and in tho great bowls of tho living blossoms which from June to October are gathered from the owner’s garden. The wall is pale green. The ceiling and frieze are in shades of pink. The white enamelled furniture and the divans are upholstered in pink Agra linen. On tho latter are heaped silk covered pillows of every hue of tho flowers as well as several in green. The carpet is pale green with white fur rugs laid here and there, and the tiles of the fireplace are in pale pink. The pictures are water-colours in flit ash frames clear-stained in green. For a room whore the woodwork can be painted in harmony with the walls, ono cannot do better than to buy one’s furniture “in the wood,” and have it coloured with the stain sometimes called forest green and sometimes olive, finishing it with a coat of the best varnish to bo had, or having it rubbed down by a professional polisher. To the table and chairs and sideboard, one may add a side table with a shelf beneath, and a set of hanging shelves for china. The green wood is ft charming background for china and silver, and has the advantages of being a little different from one’s neighbours’ furnishings.

Madame Dreyfus, the wife of the unhappy prisoner in LTle du Diable, is described by Mr Christie Murray as tall and graceful, with features of a delicate Jewish cast, and black lustrous hair and beautiful mournful eyes. Altogether she is a woman of extreme beauty. She declares all stories of her husband's infidelity to be utterly false, and says a hotter husband or father never lived. She was called into the witness-box dming M. Zola’s trial, but was not allowed to say a word. As she retired she caught Madame Zola, the wife of her husband’s defender, in her arms and kissed her passionately. The whole case was a series of dramatic situations, and the gallery, for whom the principal actors played their parts, applauded, cheered, laughed or hissed as the couro tragedy went on. The more confidential witnesses were greeted with shouts of “ Louder!” while it is said Madame Zola burst her gloves as she clapped her hands after one very vehement popular demonstration. Truly the French are a nation of sentiment, and if, as someone has written, law is only potted public opinion, then one would prefer to be tried in England.

I am giving this week the recipe for some little cakes, inexpensive and very good, and also the recipe of a pound-cake that is warranted to keep for a year. As a rule, it is so appreciated that it does not get a chance of testing its keeping capabilities.

80-Pcep Buns require jib of butter rubbed into Jib of flour, and the addition of -jib of sugar. Add two well-beaten eggs. Mix 1 teaspoonful of cream of tartar and J teaspoonful of soda into 5 tablespoonfuls of buttermilk. Mix the dough with this and mould into buns. Place on a buttered tin, make a hole in the top of each, and put in a little raspberry jam, drawing the edges of the dough together afterwards so as to cover it. Bake in a moderate oven from ten to fifteen minutes.

The pound cake can be made half-size, and oven then makes a substantial cake. Beat 11b each of butter and sugar, until quite white and light. Add 12 eggs unbeaten, three at a time, or use G eggs and milk for the remainder. Stir in 1 Jibs of flour, two small teaspoonfnls powder, and one tablespoonful of treacle. Then add I Jlbs of raisins, currants and choppedpeel, well floured to prevent the fruit sinking. Bake in a largo tin in a steady oven about three hours. This cake, made with eggs alone, will keep a year, the treacle helping to keep it moist.